What's your favourite month of the year? I love May, it's the precursor to the summer with warmer and longer days, it's beautiful with so many buds blossoming in our gardens, so much life buzzing about, and we're often lucky with good weather in May too!
All this lockdown, dreary weather, post Christmas official break made me think, why don't we, as a Ministry Area (Parish), create a calendar that we can have access to and can then if we wish, have it printed as a Christmas gift next year.
We live in a beautiful place with a fantastic coastline, ancient architecture and buildings, lots of green spaces, trees and colour. Let us month by month create some pictures and, using a 2022 calendar software, create a calendar which we can just print off our own printers or have professionally printed for our own uses. This way no-one is tied into something they do not want but we all can benefit from it. Let us keep the photos to local scenes anywhere in and around our parish or ministry area.
I had thought since most people will want access to such a calendar before next December if it is to be a gift, then can we this month take two pictures - one suitable for December and then one for January? Simply send the photos to me and I have someone who will store and select the most iconic photos for our calendar.
Remember, try and reflect the month in your photo, eg frost, snow, rain, daffodils, snowdrops, the beach, sunshine, falling leaves etc. You can be very creative look at a pebble close up, a shell in minute detail, the underneath of a flower or mushroom, cascades of berries from above or below - just do your thing with no limits as you take your snaps. Use shop windows, churches, chapels, lichen, cobblestones etc black cats, waggy tailed dogs. They can be photos you already have or ones you take especially. All I ask is that I can get your photo onto the computer so that it can go onto a calendar format!
Hope you enjoy this either within your gardens or neighbours gardens, park, playing fields, lanes beach etc. It can be your phone, or a little camera - you don't need anything expensive or upmarket, just make sure your image is in focus as it will have to be enlarged for the calendar.
Have a go! It is something to do in lockdown! It is a positive exercise, fun, and will be lovely when we share everyone's photos and create a calendar for all to use and enjoy, at minimal cost if you wish to have it printed.
The Months by Sara Coleridge
January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow.
February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again.
March brings breezes loud and shrill, stirs the dancing daffodil.
April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs, Skipping by their fleecy dams.
June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children’s hand with posies.
Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn, Then the Harvest home is borne.
Warm September brings the fruit, Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
Fresh October brings the pheasant; Then to gather nuts is pleasant.
Dull November brings the blast, Then the leaves are falling fast.
Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and Christmas treat.