Merry Christmas everyone.......

As we hurtle towards 2012 I have taken a moment to stop and wonder .......2011 has not been a great year. More a year of loss than gain, of too much death and disappointment. But then I got to thinking and looking at pictures and actually there were a lot of other things that happened too.........

Like it snowed a lot......

and I went to France......

and I went to Argentina.......

and walked on a glacier in Patagonia......

and went for a drive in Salta.......

and stayed in a beautiful Finca........

and had a coffee in Buenos Aires.........

and saw Patti Smith sing.........

in Amsterdam........

and grew my own radishes...........

and went to France again..........

and hung around the pool...........

in the hot sun........

and got to write a lot.........

and ate homemade crumpets with jam and cream and a glass of Prosecco in Dorset......

and got these in the secret Santa.....

and finally learnt how to upload a picture on my blog........

And I thought, there's quite a lot to be thankful for really......... so Merry Christmas everyone.......

Top tip: count your blessings!!

Hamster jam......

I went to Amsterdam for a few days with friends, I haven't been to the Dam for about 25 years. During my misspent youth I spent a fair bit of time there, almost got myself in a bit of a pickle but the fates were kind, I was saved. Others were not so lucky. Anyway, we had a brilliant time strolling down memory canal, and we went to see Patti Smith play a blinding, acoustic gig in an old church. And I wrote a poem as an homage.....what might have happened later that night....

Patti in Amsterdam

I went to bed
We went to bed
But I went out.
I walked the streets of Amsterdam
I prowled the streets of my memories
Memories
Of Damrak
Of The Dutchman
Of bars and dope
Of bars and dope and people
That I could not remember.
I went to The American
I met an American
She said,"Hi"
I said," Hi".
Patti sat on a sofa.
So far
So good.
I said,"Hi, I saw your show."
She said, "So?"
I said, "You were very good."
"Good enough?"
Enough? Enough?
Enough of this bullshit.....I wanted to say
Enough of this
You were great Patti
I love you Patti
Like the guy said
We love you Patti.
A siren wined outside in the night
"You want a coffee?" Patti said.
We talked
Of Verlaine
And New York
And Van Gough
And people
And things
And all the time I'm thinking
Patti Patti Patti
And we're talking
And we're laughing
And we're talking
About stuff.
And we're talking about
R...I...M...B
Oh oh oh aud....
Rimbaud
Oh oh oh aud....
Rimbaud
And then Patti says
"I gotta go....."

Top tip: pop up holidays...... get out of town, little and often.