With barely a pause for the change of seasons, the year of 2022 is nearly finished with us but as it goes into the waste basket of memories, we have no idea what the looming new year will provide.
Someone wise once said we can’t go forward until we stop looking backwards but we must occasionally look back to remember what might or might not happen in the future. Confusing, but still a practical view of life.
As folks greeted each other prior to Christmas, the most often heard conversational tidbit was how quickly the year went. “Can you believe it is December already?” was the exclamation as friends greeted friends.
Yes, the year did seem to go by at warp speed — for older folks but conversely for the ages at the other end of the spectrum, the months dawdled and went by at a snail’s pace. There’s that age thing again!
So let’s take a month-by-month look over the shoulder to review what happened in our lives — something like a Christmas letter, only a bit late.
January: the calendar reveals several doctors’ appointments plus meetings for some of the organizations to which we belong. If I recall, it was a quiet month, waiting for events to start up in earnest.
February: We did our part to keep health specialists and lab workers employed. The highlight of my month on a personal basis was another birthday. Fifty years ago I would have considered my new age to be ancient but now, with wisdom, my age is not old as long as the mind is young. In my mind I’m 20-something.
March: The notation on the calendar read “hayride” which was a puzzle. I could not recall us taking a hayride that month, in fact it has been years since we ventured out in such rustic manner. Then it dawned that “hayride” referred to the concert at the cultural centre. It was an enjoyable respite from winter weather.
April: Housemate celebrated his birthday. Two days before his big day, the calendar indicated “police station.” Eight months later I couldn’t remember why I would be at the police station (I had paid my ticket through the mail and had verification of a paid bill.) The light bulb went on. A delegation was meeting officers about a car show. Fingerprints and mug shots were not involved. And bonus of the month: Johnny Reid in concert after a meal with friends and family.
May: The gardening season began with Housemate encouraging me to invest in some standing garden boxes to save his back and knees. Thus began his many trips to the greenhouses and developing diagrams to show where each vegetable would be planted. Unfortunately, he used my vehicle when he bought his bags of soil then left them in the car overnight and into the next hot day. Not even the strongest air freshener could eliminate the manure odour.
June: Car show season began, the fair returned to the city after being shut down for two years, the berry festival was a windy affair but still welcomed after also being missed thanks to the pandemic. Old friend Brett Kissel came to Moose Jaw and as usual was an overwhelming hit. Family birthdays were also on the schedule.
July: Canada Day is always a special day, starting with a pancake breakfast at the Cosmo Centre and then ParkArt in Crescent Park. A highlight this year was the street dance put on by the local Legion. Sidewalk Days also returned as did our friend Kelly Bourdages as the outdoor stage headliner. A trip to the Eyebrow Fair reunited us with folks we hadn’t seen in years and I had a chance to second guess the judges at the horse show and household arts division. The Highway to Heroes Car show returned to Moose Jaw, at a new location on the Exhibition Grounds, hampered by dangerously high temperatures that day. This did not deter the committee and the show returns on July 22 in 2023. Family Day at the Sukanen Museum saw some hardy families participating in events under another blistering sun. The next weekend we were off to Alberta to meet a relatively new great great niece and to wish happy 60th birthday to my nephew. We returned home via some secondary roads that led to Housemate’s childhood home near Jenner. It was a nostalgic moment for us.
August: A friend’s 100th birthday and a 60th anniversary for other friends kicked off the month, followed by Mossbank’s apple pie day and visits with our great niece and great great niece. The younger one was a hit on the dance floor at concerts in the park.
September: We surprised my sister for her birthday when her four sons and two of her daughters-in-law showed up for pizza and cupcakes. We tagged along.
And once again we enjoyed another Johnny Reid concert.
October: It took more than nine months in 2022 for me to have an accidental encounter with an immoveable slab of concrete. Hospitalization was not required nor was a hoist from the local construction company. With Housemate and our young neighbour heaving-ho, I was back on my feet with just a bit of blood and some bruises and scabs to show for my adventure. Fowl/fall suppers returned and we ate well. And we finally saw Come From Away (the musical) in person. Wow, what a performance.
November: I was honoured to receive the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal early in the month. I will wear it with pride. The Grey Cup flew in a Snowbird Tutor to 15 Wing and I had the pleasure of having my photo taken with the very large cup. Other highlights, in addition to observing Remembrance Day, included Sawyer Brown and Terri Clark concerts. Moose Jaw is confirmed again as a country music town.
December: My vehicle is home from the auto body shop, looking brand new after it was attacked by a tree during a snow and windstorm. Bathroom improvements are complete and greetings of the season continue to be exchanged. And now, just hours away, a new year is waiting to bring us untold adventures.
Bring it on kiddo. You might be surprised at what we have in store for you.
Happy New Year to one and all.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
