Downshifting Memories
Before setting about writing this page, I had a look through a lot of past entries and they certainly form a pattern - 'Finance'!. So this has to be the downshifters most major challenge, simply staying afloat and getting to the next day.
This year has been no exception to the rule and since having my summer job at Kent CCC, the years have formed a pattern:- January - March completely broke; March to about June earning money but getting out of the Jan-March hardships and debt; June to October - pretty good and no real worries; October to December seeing the situation getting the same again!
There should be a way out and the obvious one would be to work full time during the winter. Well, this year I applied for many jobs at the end of October (not good ones, just normal stuff) but didn't even get an interview!
So I plod on with a bit here and a bit there.
Traditionally January and February are my least loved month's of the year; it's usually cold and damp and I get frustrated with this. Having that attitude of course makes it drag out even more.
But, there have been many up sides.
The Garden
Overall I was pretty pleased considering I was hardly here during the long hot summer and lack of rain. Everything grew, but 'eventually' it would seem.
I had to re-plan a few things as the summer month's went on; the carrots were doing nothing, I sowed again - nothing. In a last desperate attempt, I sowed them in pots surrounded by netting (old site-screen from Cricket!) and 'Hey Presto', I had the best carrots in the 8 years I've lived here!
The Runner Beans were late arriving and quite leafless for a long time, but finally took off. Onions were a delight and the best for a long while. I even had success with Cabbage and the Lettuce is still being picked in the open soil as I write in late December.
Next year I'm experimenting more with pots and hopefully showing that veggies on a Patio or Balcony don't have to be unattractive
The Chickens
A great year for egg production and considering all but two are ex-battery hens and at least 3 years old, tremendous! During the longer days of Spring and summer they were each laying about 5 eggs a week and at that time I had 11 - well into profit!!
Sadly I've recently lost two for no apparent reason, but I get used to this. You go up the garden the same as any other day of the week and find one. It's sad, but they've had had a good time whilst they've been here - that's the main thing.
Even the rats seem to have gone off the place a bit this year and I've not seen many atall. Saying that, nothing gets past new cat on the block 'Big Ron' and the results of his work have shown evidence on many occasion!
Work
The cricketing year was great and I think I looked after the majority of the England Team at some stage during the summer. I also had the Pakistan Team to take care of and had a great day out at Lords watching the Middlesex v Kent twenty/20 match to a full house.
It was a pleasure - and an honour - to watch from the Dressing Rooms which I have so often seen on the TV back to the days of Freddie Truman and Peter May etc.
Once again, Shane Warne spent some time at Canterbury and his professional approach to the game and the fans is quite classic. He's a wonderful example to all the kids, chatting with them, having photo's taken etc., for upwards of an hour sometimes after the days play.
But it would not be fair to solely single out a person. I haven't had any problems atall with any professional cricketers in the 5 years I've been there and they all treat me with respect and I appreciate that.
The other highlight of course was being invited to pre-season training in La Manga, Spain back in March. It was a tonic after the winter blues and I loved every minute of it.
Besides that, there has been quite a steady flow of decorating work over the Lane and one 'customer' in town. Alas it's not been enough to keep my head above water, but I'm hoping for a better start to the year than I had last time!
Life in general
Again, it's ups and downs. It's a pity, but you can't escape that not having money is a worry and it can get you down at times and there have been many days this year where I've had that terrible nightmare thought of 'Did I do the right thing'.
I'm sure, if they were honest, that some would say I had it made where I was on the railway and I would now be only 15 months away from a better pension etc.
But this is offset by the fact that I've been able to do a lot with the health I have. This was one of the reasons I did it then - I wanted to do my own thing whilst I had the health to do it.
I'd seen too many people work til 65, retire and not really enjoy things because, to be quite basic, they were knackered !!
It's funny how the older you get, the memories of 'a long time ago' get stronger and this can often be quite emotional.
In May I went to Hastings with Leo to watch 'Joes Bluesband'. Joe was my late daughter Louise's Boss at a Pub down there and he's about the best lead 'rock/blues' guitarist I've seen outside of Clapton, Green and the rest. With Leo learning to play guitar (and doing a good job) I wanted him to come along.
It was the day after the day on which Louise said goodbye some 9 years ago. We met up with her Mum and bumped into a couple of old mates at the Gig as well.
All was well, then they played the final number, a brilliant loud version of 'Gimme Some Loving' and eevry memory from about the last 30 years hit me like an eight foot wave - I was off ! But no one around seemed to mind and it did tell me a lot about myself.
What did it tell me? It told me that we're just passing through, caretakers of 'our lot' for just a few years out of a million and although in many ways we are 'nothing' in the Great Time Machine, we are all unique and have a part to play, no matter how small or big.
Make the most of the time we have and fight, fight fight for that goal, whatever it is.
Meanwhile, back at home!!
2007?
I can't help feeling there's to be a major change in 2007. Can't put my finger on it yet though - and I've got to get through tomorrow to get to the day after that!
Certainly the physical side of work was a tad more of a struggle this year. One of the things about doing seasonal work is that you notice changes in you more, whereas if you're doing something everyday, you don't so much.
So, I think the order of the day there is to discipline my pace a little this year even if it means working an extra hour etc.
Maybe it's the seven year itch - I need a new challenge, not a complete change, but something new to keep the old brain ticking over. I'll be 59 in March, so perhaps it's the 'I'm nearly 60' thing kicking in - who knows.
On the 'Down the Lane' side, I've been working a lot recently on various things and will be introducing 'Extra' in early January.
This is a separate 'website and blog'. Down the Lane is about a personal experience and I like to write about things which are relevant and maybe how I've done them.
But because it's that, I can't go off on one occasionally!
So the blog will be just thoughts at that time. Maybe 20 posts a month, maybe 2.
The article pages will be comment, challenge and thoughts on issues either related directly, or loosely so to the Site.
To be honest, I haven't quite got the whole thing quite worked out in my mind - but the designs done, the pages are up - all I've got to do is fill a few of them!
My motto for 2007 is the same as the one I've had for the last 7 years.....
STILL BE HERE AT THE END OF IT !!