“Review your work. You will find, if you are honest, that 90% of the trouble is traceable to loafing.”

Ford Frick

It has become my habit at this time of the year to post two missives: one in which I look back over the year just ended/ending and one in which I look forward to the year ahead. If I draw a comparison to the equivalent exercise from the previous new year then it is possible to gain some perspective as to the progress that has – or has not – been made over the preceding twelve months.

Without further ado…

Last year I outlined our plans for 2019 thus:

• The Girl was going to take a brief break in Mexico during January, to recharge her batteries with a little sun-filled R & R.
• I would not be able to accompany her because I was just starting my third term teaching computer literacy to post-secondary students. I was open to the prospect of teaching two terms – the Winter (‘Spring’ to us optimistic Brits) and Fall (Michaelmas to ‘public school’ types) terms during the year.
• The main event of the year would be our first trip back to the UK since moving to Canada, which would take place during May and June, followed by a little recuperative diversion to the Greek islands for afters.
• The Girl was going to step back somewhat from her current job – dropping from four days a week to three – instead putting more of her time into her new venture.
• I was hopeful that I would be able to mount a theatrical production in the autumn and that I would also have time to expand my music making endeavours.
• We naturally hoped that we would have a good year – a good summer – and that we would spend much time with friends and dear ones enjoying this beautiful corner of the world.

How did we get on?

Well – the trip to Europe was undoubtedly the highlight of the year. It was lovely to see everyone again and indeed to enjoy re-unions with those whom I (in particular) had not seen for decades. I wrote extensively about the trip in these pages at the time – as well as uploading many, many photographs of the expedition – so I will not repeat myself here. Should such things tickle your fancy there are several month’s worth of postings about the trip starting in mid-May.

On our return to Victoria The Girl duly reduced her days at the coalface and – having earlier in the year most successfully finished her studies (‘hooray’ for The Girl!) – set about getting her new concern on the road. Good progress has been made but – as is ever the way with these things – it all takes longer than one expects. This year’s intentions will doubtless feature further thoughts along these lines.

I duly completed my fourth term teaching just before Christmas, a task to which was added some student project supervision during the spring. Seems that College are at the moment still keen to avail themselves of my services, so more of that also in the new year’s aims.

I did not get to stage my play! Not for want of trying… I put a fair bit of effort into rewrites and setting up a website and suchlike – and then set out to try to find some eager souls who might be persuaded to apply their time and talent to the enterprise. At that point things faltered. I met a good number of interesting folk and pursued a fair number of leads – but at the end of the day found myself cast-less and unable to proceed. It is clearly just not the right time for this particular project to happen and I must thus be patient.

My musical efforts – on the other hand – went from strength to strength and I found myself unable to stop writing songs. No sooner that I had finished recording one than another idea popped into my head. I was greatly assisted in these efforts by the Chanteuse of whom I wrote back in April. Our recording efforts continued apace throughout the year and will – I am sure – also feature strongly in the prospects for the new decade. We were finally able to get some of our creations online and thus available for any who wish to investigate further. They may be found on Bandcamp at:

https://anamdanu.bandcamp.com

Do sign up as a follower on our Bandcamp site if you would like to be informed of new developments as they occur.

The alert reader may have noticed a lack of anything boat-related in last year’s summary. The good ship Dignity suffered the in-dignity of having her main canopy split by the weight of snow upon it in the weather that featured strongly in my February postings. I suffered the indignity of trying and failing throughout the year to get a replacement made – or indeed to recover my deposit from the bounders who failed miserably so to do. I would name and shame them but I suspect that, if they have not already gone out of business, it is a matter of but a short while until they do. Hopefully a new canopy will be forthcoming this month from another source.

We had – as ever – many other wonderful days and experiences throughout the year and we continue to thoroughly enjoy living in this lovely place. It has been difficult – even in this Eden – to avoid one’s mood being affected by the troubles and tribulations that are being experienced in so many parts of the world right now. We can only hope and pray that the new decade will put the old one to shame – in these respects in particular – and that a new, more generous, caring and considerate consensus may eventually emerge.