quite a full year
Seems like 2022 has flown by, so much has happened I've hardly had time to reflect on it all. I now feel as if I was constantly running around, literally and in my mind. Funny I had imagined this past year would somehow be different from the hectic years before.
It started out quietly enough, with me at home a lot, working in the studio, painting painting, and more painting. I started meeting more folks, getting to know them better and making new friends, becoming more and more involved in local art circles. I bought an i-pad and am now taking i-pad lessons to learn new skills. I've taken up sculpting classes as well and made my first ever life-size clay portrait. The home-extension which lasted longer than expected, in fact is still not quite done, keeps me on my toes. I suddenly had to make big decisions, like what kind of wood we wanted for the exterior walls down to the colour and kind of wall sockets we wanted. My daily routine revolved around workmen's schedules, which could change from week to week, or even day-to-day. We had a new shower room installed, as the old one leaked and was moldy, I found myself ordering all sorts of building materials, like a pro! I refurbished our small hall and managed lots of odd jobs in the bedrooms, saving expenses as the build is costing us enough! I even rebuilt the lean-to next to my studio, providing us with much better space for our ever expanding collection of carpentry/garden equipment.
My husband and I spent a romantic long weekend in Paris. We got to eat out every day and visit museums unannounced. We even went on a shopping spree. My siblings and I finally got to go on our delayed (Covid!) road-trip to Denmark where we visited family and friends and buried our parents' ashes in the family grave in Hellerup cemetery.
We attended live performances in the theatre, dinner parties, the cinema, museums, social events we took for granted pre-covid. We had become huggers instead of on-the-cheek kissers.
Just as we had clawed ourselves out of covid lockdown and society was easing it's way back into normalcy, we were confronted with a nutter in the east who decided he to invade Ukraine. A war in Europe, we could not believe this was happening in our life time. Still is.
2022 sure was a bumpy ride.
Personally I am okay, I complain about little things (ask my husband) but there is no real suffering in our household. Our boys are okay.
I have become an activist. Not just on behalf of the animals in the nearby woods as described briefly in a previous post, but also on behalf of women. Nowadays I call myself a feminist because I am fed up with half the world population still being treated as second rate! I am happy to say that only yesterday I spoke with a couple of guys who not only agreed, several of them also call themselves feminist. Even though I can be cynical about our actual willingness to change and keep overall climate change in check, I am by nature an optimist. I believe in our children and look forward to the future.
x x x Wishing you all the best for 2023 x x x
Comments
Isn't it nice to meet male feminists? I think my son called himself a feminist before I did.
Happy New Year!
*******happy new year*******
*******happy new year*******
*******happy new year*******
*******happy new year*******
*******happy new year*******
it is always a joy to see your latest blog posting pop up on my list of Kindred Spirits ... may the year ahead be full of new and continued creativity
*******happy new year*******
ik nies me te pletter ... snotteren en tranende ogen RSV of zoiets , ja veel mensen ontmoet de voorbije weken wat heel boeiend was/is en het jaar in een nieuwe mogelijkheden brengt , laat het maar naar me toekomen ;
gezelligeknuffel nog
*******happy new year*******
*******happy new year*******