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olorielHappy New Year!
Here, have a picture I took in the garden this morning just to show you what an effed up year 2015 was, including the weather. (Hint: Roses normally flower from June til October in these parts. In December/January, they shouldn't even have leaves.)
I don't think I did that End-of-year-meme in a couple of years because it ended up sounding too depressive. This wasn't a good year so it's probably going to sound worse, but I'll do the meme anyway. For future reference or something.
1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
Attend a funeral as a grown-up. Complete a children's picture book and complete the storyboard and lineart for another one.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Mostly no. And yes. Mostly the same as last year: Prepare/send in stuff for publication. Do this gardening thing properly. More social contact. Less griping.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Reasonably close - a friend's wife, and one of our neighbours' granddaughters.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother.
5. What countries did you visit?
France (Britanny)!
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
A comfortable way of earning money. Spare time without guilt. A honey harvest.
7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Jan 1 (driving home through the terrifying Fog of Utter Blindness).
May 10/19 (Grandma's death and funeral).
December 27 (Julian's accident).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I did get a lot of stuff done in the garden, even though it never seems to be enough.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not even getting started on sorting the boxes in the attic.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got hit by the actual real flu in... February, I think? Other than that, nothing serious.
11. What were the best things you bought?
Loads of herbs for the garden! I'd also say the new doors, but we didn't actually buy those.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My mom's, in the whole aftermath of grandma's death situation.
13. Whose behaviour appalled you?
Some asshole stole the frames and bees from my boxes - that's pretty appalling.
Felix' kindergarten teachers (it's getting better though).
I was seriously appalled by the mother-in-law's increasingly poor priority management and selfishness.
It pales a bit next to the selfishness, greed and plain stupidity of an aunt of mine.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, overdraft, petrol.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Britanny, plants, STAR WARS!
16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
"Ich und ein Fass voller Wein" by Versengold. DON'T JUDGE ME. It was a viral hit at the Drachenfest, it was sung around every campfire, and the message sort of fits the year: The situation is increasingly horrible, so the only thing to do is look on the bright sideand get drunk.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier! It's absurd, but I honestly like all the shit of 2015 has been shed by magically passing through the portal of January 1st. I WANT TO BELIEVE.
ii. thinner or fatter? A bit lighter, but not really thinner. (And if I had gained a few kilos instead, "fatter" would hardly be the right word for it, either.)
iii. richer or poorer? Same same.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Stuff that needed to get done? At the same time, I really don't know how I could have. I feel like I did very little actual procrastination in 2015; there genuinely never was enough time for everything I wanted to do.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Felt like time was slipping through my fingers because I'd made plans and someone (the kids, the mother-in-law, the husband) had other plans.
20. How did you spend Christmas and/or New Year's?
At home, quietly, with family.
22. Did you fall in love in 2015?
I'm madly in love with the kids and the husband. Fictionally yet semi-biographically, I sorta fell in love with ReySkywalker, who in so many ways is my teenage self-insert dream, but shhh!
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Homeland, in spite of MY NERVES!
Despite the poor costuming choices and pretty-boy Uhtred, I also quite enjoyed The Last Kingdom, especially thanks to Alfred the Genuinely Great.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not "hate", but I'm deeply disappointed by above-mentioned aunt, and I can't currently imagine that this will ever be redressed.
26. What was the best book you read?
I mostly did re-reads this year; the only new books I recall reading are Warriors of the Storm and The Sleeper and the Spindle, both of which were really good in different ways.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Can't recall making any.
28. What did you want and get?
PLANTS! An oil extractor.
29. What did you want and not get?
A "proper" job.A Mr. Fusion!
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Everybody act surprised!
31. What did you do on your birthday?
My parents, brother and grandmother came over for waffles w/ rice pudding and cherries. Endlessly precious because it was the last time I saw grandma alive. The day afterwards, we went for a spring hike and picnic with a friend, which was also nice.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A balanced bank account? That, and less collateral stress.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
"Oh, this looks really nice! But I can't afford it. Sigh."
34. What kept you sane?
As usual, the things that drive me insane (the family, the house, writing, the garden, art) are also the things that keep me sane.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Unless you count Rey, I don't remember particularly fancying anyone famous this year.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Refugees, Paris, Ukraine.
37. Who did you miss?
Grandma, and friends who live far away and grow increasingly apart from me. :/
38. Who was the best new person you met?
The new folks in our LARP group are all pretty cool.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
Things will get done eventually. (Probably). Stressing out about not getting things done in the planned time frame will achieve nothing except, well, stressing you out.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Maybe too dramatic, but if anything comes to mind, it's
Tell me how we got this far/ Every man for himself/ Everything's gone to hell/ We gotta stay strong, we're gonna hold on
This world has turned to dust/ All we've got left is love/ Might as well start with us/ Singing a new song, something to build on
Madonna, "Ghost Town"
On a lighter note, the lyrics seem to be calling for Nerdanel/Anairë songfic, but maybe that's just me?
Right. That was that. Onward, upward!
Here, have a picture I took in the garden this morning just to show you what an effed up year 2015 was, including the weather. (Hint: Roses normally flower from June til October in these parts. In December/January, they shouldn't even have leaves.)
I don't think I did that End-of-year-meme in a couple of years because it ended up sounding too depressive. This wasn't a good year so it's probably going to sound worse, but I'll do the meme anyway. For future reference or something.
1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
Attend a funeral as a grown-up. Complete a children's picture book and complete the storyboard and lineart for another one.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Mostly no. And yes. Mostly the same as last year: Prepare/send in stuff for publication. Do this gardening thing properly. More social contact. Less griping.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Reasonably close - a friend's wife, and one of our neighbours' granddaughters.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother.
5. What countries did you visit?
France (Britanny)!
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
A comfortable way of earning money. Spare time without guilt. A honey harvest.
7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Jan 1 (driving home through the terrifying Fog of Utter Blindness).
May 10/19 (Grandma's death and funeral).
December 27 (Julian's accident).
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I did get a lot of stuff done in the garden, even though it never seems to be enough.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not even getting started on sorting the boxes in the attic.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got hit by the actual real flu in... February, I think? Other than that, nothing serious.
11. What were the best things you bought?
Loads of herbs for the garden! I'd also say the new doors, but we didn't actually buy those.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My mom's, in the whole aftermath of grandma's death situation.
13. Whose behaviour appalled you?
Some asshole stole the frames and bees from my boxes - that's pretty appalling.
Felix' kindergarten teachers (it's getting better though).
I was seriously appalled by the mother-in-law's increasingly poor priority management and selfishness.
It pales a bit next to the selfishness, greed and plain stupidity of an aunt of mine.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, overdraft, petrol.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Britanny, plants, STAR WARS!
16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
"Ich und ein Fass voller Wein" by Versengold. DON'T JUDGE ME. It was a viral hit at the Drachenfest, it was sung around every campfire, and the message sort of fits the year: The situation is increasingly horrible, so the only thing to do is look on the bright side
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier! It's absurd, but I honestly like all the shit of 2015 has been shed by magically passing through the portal of January 1st. I WANT TO BELIEVE.
ii. thinner or fatter? A bit lighter, but not really thinner. (And if I had gained a few kilos instead, "fatter" would hardly be the right word for it, either.)
iii. richer or poorer? Same same.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Stuff that needed to get done? At the same time, I really don't know how I could have. I feel like I did very little actual procrastination in 2015; there genuinely never was enough time for everything I wanted to do.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Felt like time was slipping through my fingers because I'd made plans and someone (the kids, the mother-in-law, the husband) had other plans.
20. How did you spend Christmas and/or New Year's?
At home, quietly, with family.
22. Did you fall in love in 2015?
I'm madly in love with the kids and the husband. Fictionally yet semi-biographically, I sorta fell in love with Rey
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
Homeland, in spite of MY NERVES!
Despite the poor costuming choices and pretty-boy Uhtred, I also quite enjoyed The Last Kingdom, especially thanks to Alfred the Genuinely Great.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not "hate", but I'm deeply disappointed by above-mentioned aunt, and I can't currently imagine that this will ever be redressed.
26. What was the best book you read?
I mostly did re-reads this year; the only new books I recall reading are Warriors of the Storm and The Sleeper and the Spindle, both of which were really good in different ways.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Can't recall making any.
28. What did you want and get?
PLANTS! An oil extractor.
29. What did you want and not get?
A "proper" job.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Everybody act surprised!
31. What did you do on your birthday?
My parents, brother and grandmother came over for waffles w/ rice pudding and cherries. Endlessly precious because it was the last time I saw grandma alive. The day afterwards, we went for a spring hike and picnic with a friend, which was also nice.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A balanced bank account? That, and less collateral stress.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
"Oh, this looks really nice! But I can't afford it. Sigh."
34. What kept you sane?
As usual, the things that drive me insane (the family, the house, writing, the garden, art) are also the things that keep me sane.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Unless you count Rey, I don't remember particularly fancying anyone famous this year.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Refugees, Paris, Ukraine.
37. Who did you miss?
Grandma, and friends who live far away and grow increasingly apart from me. :/
38. Who was the best new person you met?
The new folks in our LARP group are all pretty cool.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
Things will get done eventually. (Probably). Stressing out about not getting things done in the planned time frame will achieve nothing except, well, stressing you out.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Maybe too dramatic, but if anything comes to mind, it's
Tell me how we got this far/ Every man for himself/ Everything's gone to hell/ We gotta stay strong, we're gonna hold on
This world has turned to dust/ All we've got left is love/ Might as well start with us/ Singing a new song, something to build on
Madonna, "Ghost Town"
On a lighter note, the lyrics seem to be calling for Nerdanel/Anairë songfic, but maybe that's just me?
Right. That was that. Onward, upward!
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Date: 2016-01-01 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-03 11:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-02 06:55 am (UTC)*hugs* Happy New Year, dearheart; may 2016 be wonderful for you and yours.
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Date: 2016-01-03 11:51 am (UTC)*hugs back* Thank you, and the same to you!
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Date: 2016-01-03 08:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-03 11:52 am (UTC)