Happy New Year!

 Happy new year everyone, wow to 2026 hey? The year of the horse, the year that so many of us begin with our list of goals, I have been writing mine, how about you?

One of my goals is to print out my photos into a book once a month. I have just finished another 365 on flickr, yes I still use it and love it. I am faced with the daunting task of trying to make a book for the year but I can't face sorting out the photos so I thought this year I will select each month and by the end of the year it won't be as daunting. I have just started another 365 today, it seems second nature now, do you want to do one with me? doesn't have to be a photo a day, could be a photo a week or even a month. 

I am currently doing an online course in black and white photography which is really interesting and will form another project for the year. The instructor says look at your work and make projects out of what you currently have, I have a lot of photos from the tube, they have now gone in their own project folder. I have also started a self portrait project, I have very low self worth and thought that by trying to take a photograph of myself I might grow to love myself a bit. The first photograph highlighted so many flaws and wrinkles! I also looked into a few tutorials and you don't have to photograph your face, it can be any part of your body or out of focus so I am just going to keep experimenting and again, will anyone join me? This project will probably be once a month or so. 

My other goal is to get back to doing one cultural thing a week, there is so much to see and do here in London and once the crowds have gone I will start with Marie Antoinette at the V and A and we have a few plays coming up, one with Brian Cranston and one with Billy Crudock

Book reading is a given, I will carry on with my alphabet of authors. I am half way through G now, will report back on that later. I took this photo of a second hand bookstore around the corner from me, wouldn't it be wonderful to have that many books in your house?

Merry Christmas

 I can't believe its nearly Christmas, it's all going so fast and why oh why do we let ourselves get so stressed about one day? I get so upset with all the excess and the madness of shopping and waiting for deliveries and I wish everyone would just give each other a nice book instead! I am trying to get into the Christmas spirit and I keep thinking how lucky we are in a world full of such terrible horrors at the moment.

Moving on to happier things, I am really enjoying my A to Z of book reading and I am now up to G. I have read the Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon for C, really enjoyed it but as I write, I can't actually remember what it was about but it would be a good holiday or airplane read. 

For D I read Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin - a Frenchman goes to South Korea and makes friends with a girl working in a guest house. Very quirky and Korean.

For E I read Nora Ephron I feel bad about my neck - if you buy one book for yourself make it this one. I read it years ago in my thirties and didn't think about it again but now re reading it at 62, it is so relevant and funny, lovely writing and wonderful stories and anecdotes, I loved it and I'm so sure you will too.

I have just finished Richard Flanagan - the sound of one hand clapping  - I had resisted this author for so long but goodness he can write. A beautiful sad tale of a young girl and her refugee father. Set in the 50s in Tasmania when her mother ups and leaves one day. So sad but so well written, full of longing and a masterpiece. 

I have just started Graham Greene, the end of the affair - will let you know how I go with it, a classic at this time of year is always good. 

I am working my way through Christmas movies but haven't found any new ones to write about. I watched one on Netflix with Michele Pfeiffer but spent the whole time fixated on the various things she has had done to her face. We have just started watching Nick Cave's the death of Bunny Malloy and otherwise I am channel hopping.

I am going to sign off on my blog now for Christmas but thank you for reading my whitterings over the last year, I hope you have found some recommendations for books and films. I hope you and your families have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I actually haven't got any Christmas photos so will end with my latest black and white as I am doing a year of black and white. This is how my mind feels at the moment, all a blur but I am hoping that when I switch off social media in the next few days, enjoy all the bad food over christmas etc, 2026 will start very differently. 

Giving thanks

 We went to Seville for a few days, wow what a city! If I could sum it up I would say oranges and tiles, beautiful seville oranges hanging off all the trees and the tiles, wonderful tiles everywhere you looked. It was a visual feast and I was so grateful for so many things, to be able to pop over to Europe so easily, the be completely immersed in a different culture and to learn, be stimulated and to wander down these wonderful narrow alleyways with so much history. Going away does you so much good, I get stressed over the packing and of course we packed the wrong clothes and were freezing but it didn't matter in the end, just being away makes everything better with a chance to step back and appreciate what you have from a distance. I have come back energised and invigorated. I am so grateful.