by last day of 2012
A few scenes from this afternoon’s walk… how I love the dark lines and silhouettes of the trees against bright water and sky. I love those white clouds and patches of blue behind.
As I wrote five years ago:
I feel some sadness in saying goodbye to another year. Changing the annual calendars is such an adrupt marker of the passage of time and of aging, inducing a twinge of melancholy in me. I’ve sometimes wondered if all the partying, drinking and merriment is a way to avoid looking at Father Time in the eye.
As in most years, we celebrate at home quietly. I think this year we’ll open the Christmas gift of Grand Marnier for a toast at midnight. As always, especially at these milestones on the calendar, I’m thankful for the many good things in my life.
Thank you to all of you dear friends and readers for the past year’s delights. I wish you all a New Year of Happiness, Good Health, Inspiration and Abundant Creativity! Hauskaa Uutta Vuotta! Bonne Année! Allen ein frohes Neues Jahr!
Oh, and should you be looking for suitable art to complement your evening, how about art of intoxication?
And, if in Germany, you’d likely be watching “Dinner for One”, a tradition for 50 years. I saw this last year, it is hilarious! Find it on YouTube and enjoy!
December 31, 2012 in Canada and BC, Culture, Films, Home, Other artists by Marja-Leena
Happy new year, Melancholy Baby!
Happy New Year to you all! Did you know that there is a colorized version, too? I’m sure they did their very best, but somehow I prefer the B&W … although the tiger looks good in colour!
http://www.ardmediathek.de/suche?s=dinner+for+one
Lovely pictures. I agree about the melancholy; I suppose for a while I tried to see New Year as arbitrary and unimportant, because I was no good at the partying, but now I do find I need to mark and reflect on it in my own way.
Our German retired doctor friend showed us Dinner for One a few years ago. That has to be one of the most bizarre New Year traditions ever!
Happy New Year to you and yours, Marja-Leena, and thanks for your loyal on-line friendship over the years.
Happy New Year, Marja-Leena! Lovely photos – so still and beautiful. We don’t go to parties for New Year’s, but we do go out to the early, “family” part of Boston’s First Night with its procession of local artists, dancers, puppeteers and community groups that is always such a joyous experience. I am happy to be getting back to the quieter part of winter, though!
Your beautiful pictures depict the deep quietude of serenity, a good way to end one year and begin another.
I hope the coming year treats you and your family with great kindness.
Lucy, thank you! I’m not a party type either so we celebrate quietly with a couple of friends, or family or just us two like last night. What is also bizarre to me about that German tradition is that it’s a British film hardly known to the Brits themselves, though son-in-law knows of it.
Marly, now that’s a new name for me. Thank you.
Rouchswalwe, thanks for the wishes and the link. No, I didn’t know of that colorized version – will watch it with husband later since I want to revisit this again.
Manet’s bar. Proof of the conflict in publishing between those who crank out the words and those who mastermind the artwork. The writer refers to Bass beer (which should be easily recognisable from a red triangle on the label) and the graphics man (let’s be kind and say it was a fella) crops it out. Twas ever thus. And on this eternal verity, having carefully chosen unloved, anonymous January 2 for the gesture, I wish you a Happy New Year. Ah, you say, but a year of only 364 days. Not so, I say. You have my permission to tack on January 1 2014. But only if you keep on reading The Guardian.
Roderick, your New Year’s wishes just made it on January 1st, thank you! And I do read the Guardian fairly regularly, so you can approve of me. Happy New Year to you and V too!
Happy New Year, Marja-Leena! May the beauty and kindness you share here fill your life in 2013. xx
Leslee, Boston’s First Night does sound like good fun. I enjoy your photos and posts about your various outings around the city and beyond, and may you keep on doing so in between those quieter times.
Susan, that’s true, I seem to have found those kind of photos. The park was very quiet and peaceful. Thanks for the wishes, and the same to you. I hope we all have a good year!
Jean, thank you. I am ever grateful for your lovely comments here over the years and for our friendship. I remember well our meeting in 2009.
What beautiful walks you go on! And I meant to comment and tell you earlier on, but I really loved reading your Christmas posts. They seemed full of lovely traditions and splendor, thank you for sharing that.
I know I am again a little belated, but I do wish you all the best for this year and hope to see even more of your lovely artworks you’ve been posting. I am so glad that 2011 brought us together too!
Jodi, thanks so much for your lovely words and good wishes! We’re very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the world. This was the first Christmas all of our family was together since 2009.
I too am grateful to have met you and I wish you continuing creative joys and all good things in this New Year! I love your blog and your work – such a great way for artists to meet and share their passions!