Goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022

 

The way 2021 appears now that it's history

 

            

 Farewell 

 (a double-form piece, Acrostic and Farewell patterns.)

 

Galloping swiftly, as on fire;

Over minutes, hours and days

Obeying nature’s agenda,

Dashing through time down the

Backstretch of December,

You daze us with speed – an

Entire year gone.”

            Winter’s arrived, calendar-wise, and though we usually consider all of December “winter,” we lived through some nice warm days earlier this month. My tubular wind chimes pealed a lot and I worked in the yard several days.

 The family Christmas at Couchwood was fabulous. As usual. Even with the missing members. Since last Christmas, Gordon turned 60 and his younger brother Eric’s 59^th birthday happened on December third.

Though 2021 was full of angst, distress, fingernail chewing events, plus social distancing and mask-wearing, we made it through.

 Around here, with a handyman and a plumber, the broken 1932-era iron pipes to the kitchen sink were pulled out and new modern ones installed. A new, deeper sink replaced the old yellow porcelain one hauled off to who-knows-where. Now, I can wash dishes and send the water through the plumbing with no worry. What’s still needed for this coming year is a new roof. I guess I’ll have to bargain Mother Nature for a hailstorm so the insurance company will foot the bill. This roof dates to the last century!

So, onward to 2022. 

When tax time comes, I’ll be able to post a larger writing income than last year’s pitiable $100. With contest winnings, contributor copies of publications, and a pittance of royalties, this year’s writing income is $300! I’ve written over 400 new pieces and published 480, including the monthly haiku booklets I send to friends. But the expenses of writing heavily outweigh any income.

And books? I’ve read many, many books and have many more to read this coming year.

Ready or not, here comes twenty twenty-two. May it bring all of us a more normal year than the previous one, and also much joy.  

 

On a free night at UMCOR, a few years ago.

c 2021, PL dba lovepat press, Benton AR USA