Getting ready......

Good morning, all!

We have glorious sun, blue skies and it is COLD.

Hallelujah, winter is arriving.

The daffodils are blooming everywhere, hellebores are in flower and snow is forecast for us all this week. In fact, if some newspapers are to be believed, the coldest winter in 58 years is upon us. Yeah, right. Like last summer was supposed to be the hottest in living memory.

We definitely know that failed to occur.

I will report back in my snow gear in a couple of days. I may, however, do a quick grocery shop today, just in case. The prospect of surviving without milk is unthinkable. (I don't drink milk.) We will be prepared.

Life potters on - I am starting to get ready for Part 1 of my Year of Adventure, which is approaching rapidly. Thinking about logistics, and trying to sort all the balls floating about above my head into some kind of order. There is a lot happening this year. I have plans. I forget things, you see, so the plans need to be concrete. As in written down. They do involve aeroplanes and suitcases quite often, after all.

News of David Bowie's death yesterday was a sad surprise. He was one of the icons of my youth - who could forget Ziggy Stardust? Aladdin Sane? "Ground control to Major Tom....." Hugely influential, and such a trendsetter. Out of the ordinary became normal. I was a teenager and young adult at the start of the 70s and out of the ordinary typified my generation in so many ways. I have been singing Starman incessantly. Heroes too. He seemed to be ageless, didn't he? 69 is way too young to die, and also a little too close for comfort.

It tends to make one re-assess things with a little more focus. 

Living well is different for each of us. I can only speak for myself, but I am aware of things such as potential physical frailties, and pitfalls and I am trying to tick the boxes next to some of the dreams sooner rather than later. So much to look forward to! Both home and away. I really do not want to end up in a chair somewhere mulling over regrets and missed opportunities. Not my idea of fun. I would rather go and see and experience and live and breathe All The New Things which appeal to me now. While I can .

There are always valid reasons why one cannot do things. Family commitments, appointments, health, finances, logistics, distances. But equally, there are ways around some of them. As I explained  once, when my list of dreams such as seeing the Aurora Borealis was discussed, some people explore the world when they are young. Others, like me, have a family while young and then explore the world when they are older. Or try to, one way or another. Timing varies. But I will not sit at home dreaming for the rest of my life. That is not a life for me. I need to cross things off that list.

Part of this is cultural, you see. Growing up at the bottom of Africa, you are thousands of miles from everything, so there is always the desire to leave to go and travel, see, experience the big wide world. Geographical isolation tend to feed that desire. I know people here in the UK, and around the globe, who see no reason to travel more than a couple of miles. Ever. From those who do not want to cross the valley, to those who have never owned a passport. They are perfectly happy right here at home, and that is wonderful. It is just personal choice, after all. 

I am only speaking of myself.

Being married to a serial globetrotter for a very long time also contributes to my itchy feet. Geoff spent his entire working life travelling to the four corners of the earth, seeing amazing places, experiencing the unusual. Then he came home to tell me all about those exciting places, and he only ever wanted to spend his leave right here inside these 4 walls - which drove me crackers, because hello, we had been here all the time he was away and how about a change of scenery for us too now and then? The solution was going to sea with him when we could, but believe me, that wasn't always what I had in mind. And thank the Good Lord for a sister in the Alps. 

I just looked out of the window. That blue sky and brilliant sun I spoke of up there at the top of the page? History. Clouds rolling in. The weather people may be right this time. 

So, I am making plans. And lists. We need some excitement to talk about around here!