It’s the end of the year where we look back at what happened and embrace the prospect of the new, or perhaps just brace for what’s coming. I used to skim through all the photos my partner had taken over the year, just to get a feel for what happened, because many years ago I reached mid-December and was amazed that we had apparently had a year where nothing happened and nothing got done. It was only after skimming the photos that I wondered why we hadn’t retreated into hibernation in late September out of sheer exhaustion.
I know it’s a largely arbitrary choice to pick this as the end of the year. The weather and the short days, and all that goes with mid-winter makes it feel like a time of the old ending and the new beginning, but that’s only because I live in the northern hemisphere.
So, arbitrary or not, how was the year? Sat outside and wrote, spent time with our poorly cat, moved on a few projects around the farm, and generally got on with life. Perhaps I’ll skim through photos later and see what really happened.
One thing I know for certain is that I found time to do a little reading. So, this year, I learned a little about the Cutty Sark sailing ship, courtesy of Steven J Pemberton and then innovative approaches to finding homes for the homeless from Christine Larsen. Back in February, John Nedwill shared adapting his life to COVID, and in August reminded me of blackberrying when I was a kid, and those words from my Grandpa “I’m just going for a stroll” which would result in another few pounds of fresh fruit. I certainly couldn’t help a smile at Søvn Drake’s tale of emerging from behind the masks back in July.
So, how was the year? Forget the downsides, the grim times and the worries, and look back over a year of OMP blogs, full of good cheer and thoughtful moments, full of opportunities where the bright spots are lifted out of adversity and given a polish to let them shine.
And next year? I’m only guessing, but more of the same, but better.
OMP Admin Note: Mark Huntley-James writes science fiction and fantasy on a small farm in Cornwall, where he lives with his partner and a menagerie of cats, poultry and sheep.
He has two urban fantasy novels out on Kindle – “Hell Of A Deal” (http://relinks.me/B01N94VXBC ) and “The Road To Hell” (relinks.me/B07BJLKFSS ) – and is working on a third. His contribution to the One Million Project: Fantasy anthology is While We Were Sleeping.
He can be found online at his blog http://writeedge.blogspot.co.uk, his website (https://sites.google.com/site/markhuntleyjames/), and occasionally on that new-fangled social media.
Our short story anthologies written by over 100 writers are now available (links below) with all proceeds being donated to the charity organizations our group supports.
If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read the complete anthology for FREE, and KU proceeds are donated along with the proceeds from the sale of our anthologies.
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