1. New Year's Day (1.1.25)

 The New Year actually started with dancing. Fireworks and dancing. We'd planned cocktails in town but the weather decided on torrential so we stayed in. Couple of bottles of Prosecco, a bit of wine, a bit of telly. As fine a New Year's Eve as you could ever want. 

The fireworks hit at 11:50, which is a bit early, the dancing hit about 1am. Whirling round the living room to Jools Holland's Hootenanny. 

Now, I've been as cynical about Hootenanny as any - including predicting the presence of Ruby Turner well in advance (Ruby's boss, no issue at all)

This one was splendid. Social media this morning (mostly twitter, dropping in to view, refusing to countenance posting on Musk's hellscape) is telling me that The Boomtown Rats were awful. I loved them, She's So Modern, Rat Trap, Don't Like Mondays - made me quite fancy the idea of finally seeing them live. Geldof's marmite, carries himself with attitude, arrogance and self importance, but that's what made him a pop star in the first place, what else would you want from him.

Highlights though? Marc Almond with a beautiful version of the immortal Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' and Queen's Roger Taylor (with guest vocalist - Luise Mcdermott?) providing a stunning Under Pressure. Notably Roger was singing Bowie's parts rather than taking on the vocals of his mate. It was a lovely, moving touch. 

Bed at 2am, J up at 6.30 due to cat related movements downstairs. By the time I surfaced at 10.30 the house had been almost entirely de-Xmased. It had been in festive mode since late November so, new year, new start, new look. 

Then there was the news from New Orleans. We're looking at images of streets we walked down in November 2023, spending Halloween on Bourbon Street, we know how busy that road can be, the attack is appalling, it hits when you know the streets, know the town, fell in love with it the second you arrived there. It's a beautiful place with a beautiful soul, the news becomes personalised because of it. 

So we wait on detail, on the reasons for the attack, and try to focus (as defence against the wider horror) on what the positives are for us in the New Year. We can see so much good coming, and we know how easily that can all change, living for the moment is all we have so it's all we can do.