Archive for January 1st, 2009
Happy New Year!
The town memorial gardens, a gentle place of plants, benches, and memories.
A new year has arrived. Strange how the day is much the same as the past few days and the days yet to come here in small town Saskatchewan on the Canadian prairies. Still, it is a day of hope for the future as well as a perfect time to look back at the year that somehow has drifted into the past. I don’t make resolutions, but I do make plans, tentative plans as by this stage of my life I have learned not to cast things in stone as life around me will have a few other ideas that will force changes. So, I will be reflective. The ten top stories of the past year:
1. Last January, travelling through the north west of India meeting a new friend, a teacher, visiting schools and homes, and discovering a face of India not on the tourist routes.
2. Last February, relaxing on the beaches of Goa, India. It was all about sun, sand and warmth.
3. Last March, having my eldest daughter come to visit us in China for almost three weeks. We took the time to go to the Great Wall, Beijing, Xi’an and the Terracotta Warriors, Shanghai and more importantly, let them experience daily life (including an elementary school for the grandsons) of small city China
4. Last April, meeting the families of Chinese colleagues from the university where we taught, for meals. I have to add in that we attended the marriage of two of our colleagues as well as the 30th anniversary of the university.
5. May we began with a celebration of May 1st with a Chinese family in the countryside, followed by visiting all of our favourite gardens and sites of interest in our home city for almost two years. And, we took the time to say goodbye to all who made our two years in that city, two incredible years. Saying goodbye is never easy when leaving a good place.
6. June and being “home” and revelling in our children and grandchildren.
7. Summer and golf and friends. Extended family gatherings for two weddings. More visiting with children and grandchildren.
8. Autumn and golf, especially the tournaments.
9. Completing basement renovations making our home more winterproof.
10. Christmas with children and grandchildren.
Yes, it all sounds so normal, so prosaic. But then again, we are just ordinary, normal people.
