Dear friends,
A somewhat belated, very Happy New(ish) 2024 to you all!
How are you in this new month and year so far?
I am, very slowly, emerging into routine again after a period of joyful family times and resting, followed by that slightly confusing, ‘what day is it today?’ period after Boxing Day, and then an extra almost-week of holiday days. Even now, though, after I have returned to more of a working pattern, I am still feeling as if I’m coming out of a slight hibernation — what about you?
As soon as New Year’s Day is reached it seems we can be bombarded with goal-setting encouragements in all the areas of our lives: we are invited to make changes in what we consume, make plans for our work and life and choose where we will travel to later in the year. And these reflections and decisions can all be good and helpful.
I’m sure my digestive system will thank me for less consumption of refined carbohydrates, and we have decided to spend a few days in Chichester this year and have booked our AirBnB already (although I have to say if I could have left it till Easter and there still be choice of accommodation I would definitely have taken that option.)
But I have felt a definite resistance this year against being rushed into doing all these things, all at once, with full energy and enthusiasm — making plans, setting goals, re-assessing all areas of life — I am simply not yet ready. I’ve had many years in the past when I’ve been full of zeal to make positive changes straight away — it’s just that this isn’t one of them. Perhaps you are full of January eagerness and can’t wait to begin, and if so I wish you every success! If, however, you feel in any way the same as I do, then here is my invitation to join me in taking a few moments to step back from any pressure to make all-the-changes, pause here, and dwell for just a while longer in the very beginning of the year, waiting just a little for life to unfold again.
I am always so glad to see a little winter sunshine coming in through the windows and making beautiful shadows. Colourful Christmas decorations have been packed away again for another year, but warm white fairy lights are still most definitely up and I leave plain glass drops hanging all year round to catch the light.
Outside in the garden, some plants have endured right through the season, lighting up with any sparse but welcome sunshine.
Others are waiting for their time to grow, still biding their time, in no rush. A few are already edging up out of the soil, millimetre by millimetre, so that their growth seems almost imperceptible to me day by day, but then I realise a week has passed and the tiny, daily progress has given strong, very visible green shoots, and here the tiniest glimpse of the pure white snowdrop flower to come.
The hellebores are unfurling, looking a little battle-scarred from the frosts but definitely getting ready to show the beauty of their inner petals soon. There are buds on bare tree branches and on shrubs, and the first signs of awakening leaves.
I feel much more aligned with this daily edging forward this year, so I will keep company with nature’s unhurried progression — emerging very, very slowly to evaluate what helpful changes I might make, little by little.
As well as the green shoots appearing outside the back door, Rupert Cat has appeared almost daily even in the coldest weather, bringing his joyful and slightly chaotic presence, and helping to keep my coreopsis plant insulated against the cold so that I can print with its flowers again later in the year!
Rupert seems to be making plans to continue to live his best cat life this year: stomping around wherever he likes and usually right through the middle of the flowerbeds; pouncing on fallen leaves; chasing twigs; occasionally climbing trees, and living fully in the moment.
What about you — are you excited to be making plans and some sweeping changes, or slowly taking stock of what might be ahead to find good ways forward?
Lou xx
I’m definitely taking a slow approach to this new year. I feel a lot like the green shoots slowly emerging. Your photos are beautiful and a joy to see. It’s nice to see Rupert. Our cats aren’t very adventurous, so they are spending their days inside with plenty of naps. I’ve been joining them for some naps too.
I think it is a year to definitely not rush and to follow Rupert's very sensible example. There always feels a huge preassure to change at this time of year and doing so with ease sounds a fair better approach. Wonderful to see the hellebores unfurling too.