It’s that time of year and we are dashing towards Christmas. I love the festive season and this will be the fourth one since my cat therapy started.

Archie runs this house and yes, he still thinks he is an Egyptian pharaoh, ruling over all that he can see from the rooftop. When you are royalty you just know it, even if you started life in a tiny cage. The garden remains my boy’s territory and I always explain what I am doing to the plants. My digging in the soil is still a challenge, so that will be a 2023 project with the cat whisperer.

I have finally hung up my teaching hat and plan to fill the space with writing before it gets swallowed up by other things. As you know, that can happen in a flash. But it isn’t going to.

My herb garden includes veggies these days and after a generous dose of potassium the Pawpaw tree is producing enough for everyone around me, so please tell me if you don’t want one as a gift.

I haven’t swum much this summer but that will change. I love it, it’s good for me, cold water has never been an issue, and yet I’m finding excuses not to make my way down to the sea. Go figure. Today’s the day. Check up on me.

Art is still a passion and lately, fungi are my subject matter. I have no idea why, but they seem to come alive on my canvas. Yes, there are a few under the tree this year. If you really don’t like yours, I’m happy to take it back. Painting is the ultimate meditation. There is no way I can worry about a snide remark, an unpaid traffic fine, or a pain on my side when I’m perfecting the colour of a magic mushroom. Painting pulls life into perspective. Nastiness is balanced by unexpected kindness. Light dissipates dark. Where the light falls in a painting, makes the difference between bland and illuminated.

Negativity has a place in our lives. But so does positivity. It’s always a choice, even when it really doesn’t feel like one. These days I allow myself to experience all my feelings, even the darker ones. The trick is to let them come and then let them go before they take over and embed themselves. I can’t always see it, but still, I reach for the light until it lands in my lap.

Add those fairy lights to your tree this Christmas and switch them on as often as you can. I’ll think of you when mine sparkle in the dark.