The 'What Are You Looking Forward To?' Thread

[IceMaiden]

As a change from all the relentless misery of covid and the dull grey depressing winter weather -this is a happy thread!Post your happy thoughts, positive news, what you're looking forward to and just generally things that cheer you up and make you happy!

My first one - I am really looking forward to Radio 2's musicals weekend, especially tomorrow's all day of stage and screen songs! I reckon I'll have no voice left by tomorrow night though!

Post away!

[Boodi 2]

I am looking forward to the end of winter and the arrival of spring, when I can really do some "proper" gardening instead of just sweeping up dead leaves and clearing away the snow and ice. The longer evenings will also be nice!

[Katharine]

I don't have anything specific to look forward to - I'm not setting myself any dates or hopes for this year as I don't want to be disappointed.

That said, like Boodi I am definitely looking forward to spring and being able to get out into the garden 'properly'. I'm also looking forward to restrictions being eased so I can do simple things like ask my daughter in for a cup of tea rather than having to have brief socially distanced conversations on a cold doorstep if she needs to pick something up/drop something off.

Obviously looking forward to being allowed to drive to local beauty spots such as Sutton Hoo and Felixstowe for walks.

Slightly longer term, top of the list would be seeing my son again, it's now a year since he was able to visit us.

Hopefully some time in the next few months my daughter will have purchased her first home - I've only seen photos, so am really looking forward to being able to visit it, and also looking forward to hearing all her plans for redecorating - somehow it seems more exciting than plans for my own home, perhaps because I won't have to live with workmen round the house and the smell of paint fumes.

In the immediate future, I'm looking forward to watching Jason Donovan on Sunday in Dancing on Ice and keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't get voted off. Biased as I am about him, I'm afraid I have to admit his first performance didn't show him to be a great skater, so I'm hoping very much he will have improved since then.

[Wolfgang]

In the immediate future, I'm looking forward to watching Jason Donovan on Sunday in Dancing on Ice and keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't get voted off. Biased as I am about him, I'm afraid I have to admit his first performance didn't show him to be a great skater, so I'm hoping very much he will have improved since then.

Maybe he'll do it especially for you, Katharine.

[Katharine]

Maybe he'll do it especially for you, Katharine.

Actually that's one of the few Jason Donovan songs I'm not keen on. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact he was duetting with Kylie.

[Darrell71]

Nothing, because there was a lot in 2020 and we all saw how that went. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed. I appreciate the spirit of the thread though, hope others have a lot to share!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Good luck to your daughter with buying her first home, Katharine.

I've practically given up making plans and looking ahead for now too, Sunskriti. I do enjoy small treats though - cooking a roast dinner with all the trimmings at least once a week, making sure I include a bar of chocolate each day in my packed lunch for work, looking out for early signs of the coming spring when out walking, doing a spot of reading every day (just finished The Valley of Lost Secrets which was mentioned on the forums recently), enjoying games and puzzles with my son and watching things that take me away from it all, e.g. TV adaptations of Charles Dickens (fabulous characters, intriguing plots, delightful comic touches, a taste of bygone days and insightful social commentary). I've introduced my son to some of my favourite films like Educating Rita, A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He's introduced me to the Japanese animé Death Note and we've discovered new films (new to us, anyway!) like The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.

One thing I have signed up for is this weekend's Birdwatch, organised by the RSPB. It involves spending an hour watching for birds, identifying them, counting them (i.e. recording the highest number of a certain species seen at one time - not a running total) and reporting back. Is anyone else taking part?

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[Katharine]

Nothing, because there was a lot in 2020 and we all saw how that went. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than bitterly disappointed. I appreciate the spirit of the thread though, hope others have a lot to share!

I do struggle at times to see anything positive and have good days and bad ones, but I'm trying to set myself small achievable about goals rather than thinking about all the bigger things that I'd like to do, but aren't likely to be possible for some time to come.

Not always very exciting, but it's a good mood boost if at the end of the day I've managed to sort out a pile of paperwork I'd been thinking about tackling or caught up on some e-mails etc etc. Not exactly things to look forward to as such, but maybe eventually I'll actually have a house where I know where everything is!

I think this thread is a really good one, and maybe we'll be able to inspire each other to find some positives at the moment, even if they are smaller than we'd normally consider.

Anita, I'm not sure I shall be signing up for the Birdwatch myself, but I hope you and anyone else who is taking part manage to spot a good variety during your hour's watching - I wonder if you'll see a kingfisher?

[IceMaiden]

Darrell I realize what you mean about not looking forward to events and such as we don't know if they'll happen and if you don't look forward to something you can't be disappointed, but this thread isn't for events in that sense. It's for the little things in life that cheer you up, however trivial, a TV programme, a walk in the woods, a parcel you're waiting for, just anything that lifts your spirits and makes you feel happy.

The Spring arriving is a good one, I am very much looking forward to that. Getting out in the garden again, planting new things, hopefully better weather along with all the new flowers, birds and wildlife . I love the feeling of new life and new beginnings that comes with the Spring.

[Darrell71]

I quite understand what you mean, IceMaiden, and I really do think it's a great idea for a thread! At the time of writing that post I was on day 5 of a complete quarantine in a new room in a new house away from my family and friends, and feeling very isolated and lonely. Just a few hours later, however, I received my negative test result, which means my quarantine ends tomorrow, and I am feeling considerably more cheerful now.
At the moment, what I'm looking forward to is being able to go out for a walk tomorrow, see my friends, get bubble tea from my favorite cafe, and just savor freedom for a while.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm glad things are looking more cheerful for you now, Sunskriti! Incidentally, what is bubble tea?

Anita, I'm not sure I shall be signing up for the Birdwatch myself, but I hope you and anyone else who is taking part manage to spot a good variety during your hour's watching - I wonder if you'll see a kingfisher?

I'd love it if I did! This morning I drew back my bedroom curtains and the first thing I saw was a single magpie alight on a roof. Hope it's not a bad omen ("One for sorrow" and all that)!

[Boodi 2]

We have lots of (big and fat!) magpies in our garden and I always greet them, as apparently it "negates" the "one for sorrow" thing, at least according to "an old wives' tale" I heard!

I am familiar with bubble tea but how best to describe it? It has little "balls" or bubbles of dough in it and originally came from Asia. It was very popular here in Germany a few years ago but I think the craze has abated somewhat now.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks for the information about bubble tea, Boodi.

I was taught the same as you and I said "Hello" to the magpie!

[pete9012S]

Taking my wife to work at 6.30am yesterday morning we noticed the beginnings of the daffodils that have always appeared by our drive for the last thirty years.

So a bit mundane and non earth shattering, but I'm looking forward to seeing our faithful daffs flowering once again!

[Katharine]

So a bit mundane and non earth shattering, but I'm looking forward to seeing our faithful daffs flowering once again!

I think little things like that are quite important - it shows that despite everything else that's going on, the seasons are still following their normal pattern. I've heard a lot more bird song recently, which I wouldn't have noticed so much if I'd be out and about, going to work etc, also there's a lot less traffic about to drown it out.

A simple thing I thought of this morning, was looking forward to spring when I can prune back my roses.