Click on the links below to view the original photographs:

1. Bridleway – January 2021, 2. Bridleway – February 2021, 3. Bridleway – March 2021, 4. Bridleway – April 2021, 5. Bridleway – May 2021, 6. Bridleway – June 2021, 7. Bridleway – July 2021, 8. Bridleway – August 2021, 9. Bridleway – September 2021, 10. Bridleway – October 2021, 11. Bridleway – November 2021, 12. Bridlway – December 2021

Despite some pre-occupations throughout the year I managed to feed my Happiness Jar with at least one happy thought each day

What is a Happiness Jar? The simplest thing in the world. You get yourself a jar (or a box, or a vessel of any kind) and every day, at the end of the day, you grab a slip of paper and write down on it the happiest moment of the day.

Even on lousy days, you do this. Because even on lousy days, there is one best moment (or at least, one least-worst moment.)

You stick that little piece of paper in the jar.

Over the years, you have a record of your happiness.

On bad days, I will thrust my fist in that jar and go fishing — pulling up a handful of great moments that I would have utterly forgotten, had I not documented them.

Above is a photo of my Happiness Jar full of 2018 thoughts waiting to be emptied. Alongside are slips of paper with my first Happiness Thoughts of 2019. Like last year I am using a tear off calendar to remind me to record my thoughts.

After taking the above photo I emptied the jar and refilled it with my first thoughts from 2019. Below I share one of my Happiness Thoughts from each month of 2018:

• Staying at home in the warm because there was no need to go out in the snowy rainy weather
• Spending time with my nephew at Cosford Museum
• The clocks have gone forward and the sun decided to shine in honour of the occasion
• The Sunday Morning Easter Service at York Minster
• A spontaneous drive in the sunshine with Mr C led us to exquisite lemon and elderflower cake in Ironbridge
• Watching a baby wagtail on my garden path. He was reluctant to fly and was there for several hours whilst his parents fed him from time to time
• Driving Mr C to a secret location (Shropshire Lavender) for lunch followed by a visit to Boscobel House – A perfect afternoon
• The current phase of house decoration is complete. Once again I am home alone. Just waiting for carpets to be fitted
• Being able to lunch outside at Chain Bridge Honey Farm in late September
• A lovely drive in the sunshine followed by a walk around the walled garden at Attingham Park
• Mum cooking dinner (for Mr C & I) for the first time in her new bungalow. Brisket and especially yummy roast potatoes
• A day out to Chirk Castle, then Powis Castle. Both decked out for Christmas

A year has gone by since I embarked on the Happiness Jar project. As you can see the jar is full and I can confirm that I managed to write down a thought for each day, sometimes more than one.

What is a Happiness Jar? The simplest thing in the world. You get yourself a jar (or a box, or a vessel of any kind) and every day, at the end of the day, you grab a slip of paper and write down on it the happiest moment of the day.

Even on lousy days, you do this. Because even on lousy days, there is one best moment (or at least, one least-worst moment.)

You stick that little piece of paper in the jar.

Over the years, you have a record of your happiness.

On bad days, I will thrust my fist in that jar and go fishing — pulling up a handful of great moments that I would have utterly forgotten, had I not documented them.

I had intended to share some of the moments throughout 2017 but I never quite got around to it. I will now share one from each month of the year. I have many moments that mention family and friends but I haven’t included any of those, partly for privacy reasons and partly so that no-one feels left out. There were also lots of moments regarding the books I read and I have not included any of these either. Some of the books are currently pending a book review from me.

• The sunset as we drove home from an afternoon out followed by a bright star and the moon shining brightly in the sky. I have been intrigued by the star for several weeks.
• The wide crescent moon low in the sky. It looked so close I felt that I could reach up and touch it.
• Attending the candlelit Mozart Requiem concert at a local college with combined choirs, orchestra and soloists.
• Receiving the letter that accepted my request for early release from work.
• Buying a replacement bench for placement under the lounge window (the original got broken in 2016).
• An enjoyable get together with colleagues who are leaving work on the same day as me.
• A visit to David Austen Roses for lunch and to visit the gardens followed by dinner on our patio.
• Pancake with hot raspberries in Little Amsterdam, Banbury followed by a visit to Broughton Castle.
• Picking up my new car.
• Wonderful views of Vesuvius and the mountains as we made our way to Ravello by private transfer.
• Driving my car to the National Ironworks Centre for lunch and to see the Knife Angel.
• An impromptu visit to Lichfield Cathedral, all decked out for Christmas.

I have a new tare off calendar ready to record my 2018 moments

Helen Keller

As the New Year turned I was reminded of the Elizabeth Gilbert’s Happiness Jar project which I blogged about a couple of years ago:

What is a Happiness Jar? The simplest thing in the world. You get yourself a jar (or a box, or a vessel of any kind) and every day, at the end of the day, you grab a slip of paper and write down on it the happiest moment of the day.

Even on lousy days, you do this. Because even on lousy days, there is one best moment (or at least, one least-worst moment.)

You stick that little piece of paper in the jar.

Over the years, you have a record of your happiness.

On bad days, I will thrust my fist in that jar and go fishing — pulling up a handful of great moments that I would have utterly forgotten, had I not documented them.

I’ve been doing this practice for years, and I love it.

If my house ever caught on fire, this would be the one material object I would grab before I ran out the door…because what’s inside this jar? THAT’S WHERE IT’S AT — the whole point of this life.

Over the years, my Happiness Jar has taught me much. What continually amazes me is what ends up on the slip of paper every day. Not awesome events, not huge achievements — usually just a small and tiny thing, a moment of awareness…that moment when you step outside and between the house and the car you get hit on the top of the head with a beam of sunlight, and suddenly feel awash with gratitude simply for being alive, and you think, “Yes. This is it.”

It’s usually something that small — and something that grand.

It is a fun thing to do so I got myself a jar and a small tear off calendar so that I can write a thought on the back each day. The jury is out as to whether I keep this up for a whole year. The last time I tried I was having so much fun on one of my holidays that I forgot to write down a thought each day

In January 2010 I was inspired by a new blog project of pairing of words and photographs/art (Vision & Verb). I followed the blog from day one and in 2011 I was honored to be invited to contribute to the project alongside the ladies who had inspired me with their thoughts.

The project is coming to an end soon (today was my last post) and I am feeling a little sad that our combined contributions will no longer be collectively visible.

My contributions to the group have been recorded on Cherry Elsewhere.

Shalom xx

The three images in this post are my latest contributions to the Vision & Verb initiative to sell greeting cards in order to generate money to be given as loans to men and women around the world who are starting their own businesses.

At the weekend I read the latest regional edition of the National Trust magazine ‘Near You’.  One of the articles advised that this year sees the fifth anniversary of the walled garden project.  I have enjoyed seeing that garden at different stages as it progressed.  This is what the article has to say about the project:

Since 2006 a dedicated team of staff and volunteers have been restoring the walled garden, frame yard and orchard at Attingham Park into an excellent example of a late 18th century kitchen garden estate.

This year sees the fifth anniversary of this project with three-quarters of the garden in full production.  there’s nearly 160 apple trees and clusters of damson and walnut trees thriving in the orchard, and work beginning on reinstating the herbaceous garden.  The sheer size of the walled kitchen garden at Attingham Park serves as a reminder of the scale of operations when the estate was in its prime, prior to ceasing cultivation in the 1960s.  Walled Gardner, Kate Nicoll, said:

“I’m really pleased with how far we have come in five years – the fruit trees have been returned to the walls and the ironwork has been reinstated. “We now supply the tea-room and shop with fruit, vegetables and flowers throughout the year, and in 2012 we achieved organic status.  It’s wonderful to see the garden coming back to life.”

Clicking on the first picture will give you a clear view of the words on the chalk board.