Vagabond.

The Vagabond Series appears to keep going and developing in surprising ways in that a figure has now sneaked in. When it started I had no idea that this would happen but eventually the title seemed to demand it; usually you look at a piece during the process or upon completion - and the title may  suggest itself because it has some meaning for you - but in this case it also worked the other way around.

​I think that the refugee crisis in Europe had some bearing on this in that it caused me to think about people moving about, not just along the roads in their own country as my initially thought was,
but in a more general way with the trauma of having to escape from their homes and country thrown in and the devastating feeling of being lost and rootless that would follow; ​I can not even begin to understand what that would feel like - but as a person who left my own country, I can well imagine a small part of it even if I left by choice and with a feeling of adventure. Starting over as an adult in a new country with a different culture and language is never easy - in my case I had a working knowledge of English and the culture shock was not nearly as vast as these people will face - but it still took a long time for me to feel settled and at home.
Even then there will always be things you miss and the lack of extended family and old friends is especially noticeable at this time of year; but I thank my lucky stars that I now have my own children and their families ​around me - as well as the ability to keep in easy contact with the friends and family I left behind through e-mail and all the wonders of our digital age.

And I am truly thankful that we can live in peace and with a feeling of being secure in this part of the world, as far as this is ever possible.  
With these not very original thoughts I wish everyone a Happy Christmas!​
​