At this time of year, there's a temptation to get a bit misty-eyed, to look back over the past 12 months, and to conjure up a list of observations that mean little to anyone else but ourselves.
Oscar Wilde murmured seductively that he “could resist anything but temptation”?
Who are we to resist then?
Here is our list of things that went on throughout 2023 that make us feel optimistic about the year ahead.
We have spent our first full year living as smallholders in rural France (the Vienne, about 2 hours north of Bordeaux).
We grew vegetables and fruit, despite our lack of experience and, even more significantly, a lack of water at various stages of the growing season. Our produce found its way onto our dining table in a variety of guises. We even stored some (chutneys, jams, frozen batches) for the long winter months.
JoJo (Mrs Feasts) wrote some ‘Notes from the Potager’ to share insights into our rural existence (nearly 200 folk are peeking in and JoJo has promised to write something new if we can gather just 3 more subscribers).
I read fewer books than I did in 2022 to leave some room for writing. Still, 23 Books for 2023 turned into 25-ish.
And how did the ‘leave room for writing’ go, Mr Fables? I am glad you asked. Pretty well, though I say so myself. Over at ‘Just Write, Right’ I seem to have created a whole heap of original fiction. At the risk of sounding needy, I would love you to peek in and let me know about your favourites.
It’s not just about us, you know. We have met some lovely folk through Substack where there is a real sense of community.
We have a weekly non-Substack newsletter and on Christmas Eve we sent out Edition No 350 … we are encouraged that folk are still reading it nearly 7 years after the first edition.
It turns out Substack is a great home for our Encouragement Manifesto.
We left Twitter. X marks the spot where we used to be.
Instead of adding to the piles of toys and games, we gave our granddaughter a small corner of our potager for her third birthday. When she visited, she ate strawberries from her garden.
Internet friends turned into real friends with visits to our farm and meet-ups when we travelled back to the UK in the Autumn.
There were 42 Encouragement Sessions. We love that people trust us with these hour-long Zoom calls that aim to add a burst of positivity when it is needed the most.
We have 11 Encouragement Sessions booked in for January.
Since July 2023, we have lived without a vehicle … in rural France, 14 kilometres from our nearest regular market. We cycle everywhere (3506 km from 2 July - 31 December).
We found a novel way to celebrate folk we admire on Substack with some fiction inspired by, or starring them. Thank you to
(The Devil is in the Detail)(More Latitude and World View) and (A Christmas Payroll) for being good sports.There was that time we were invited onto a podcast to talk about encouragement, which is encouraging. Thanks so much, Mich Bondesio.
At various stages of the year, we cycled 136 kilometres in a day, we pedalled 50 kilometres each way to swim the River Charente (via two cake stops), and we cycled 44 kilometres to take up a dinner invitation (we camped and came back the next day). Pedal power rocks.
We resolved to make no resolutions for 2024.
I put my draft manuscript for a terrifying dystopian imagining to one side because the reality of current affairs is way more terrifying. That leaves room for more uplifting tales because people need more of that.
France introduced incentives to repair clothes and shoes. Mrs Feasts bought a sewing machine. We already have curtains for the kitchen sink unit and a baguette bag (yes, that is a thing in France).
The brilliant
has gently encouraged us all to read slowly, and together. We’re joining in with a collective read of ‘Wolf Hall’. It is not too late to make a start (or read ‘War and Peace’ if that is more your thing).You have all joined us here. It is not about the numbers but we would currently need to book the Newmark Theatre in Portland to get you all together and 4 of you would be standing by the ticket office waiting for returns. Thank you, thank you; you being there is VERY encouraging.
“We need encouragement a lot more than we admit, even to ourselves”
- Orson Welles
Lovely lovely list! I rarely get FOMO but the one came close. For a while now I’ve been hankering a simpler way… 2023 was seminal in staying put and quiet. This is inspiration for 2024…
What a lovely list! There is so much here to inspire and encourage, but I especially loved the gift to your granddaughter!