(no subject)
Happy Epiphany!
As the Christmas season comes to an end, and given my general lack of updates over the year, it doesn't seem quite too late to post the end of the year meme, which might cover some of what we've done this year :-)
(I got this from highfantastical)
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Hmmn, tricky. I can't even say 'became a school library volunteer', as I was library prefect in the fifth form. Oh, I know - went to the Paralympics! Also, owned a cat :-)
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm not at all sure I even made any resolutions last year, but if I did I'm sure I didn't keep them! I do intend to make resolutions for this year. Let's see: restart Pilates, declutter a lot more, keep up with and improve the healthier eating. That will do for now!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. Last year phina_v furnished me with an adorable niece, who continues to be an absolute joy :-)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, and I appreciate how lucky I am in that regard.
5. What countries did you visit?
France, specifically the Loire.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Better health.
7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
...I am really not good at remembering actual dates.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably getting through the week that involved school library end-of-term lists & reminder letters, dentist appt, getting the kids into town one evening for their school carol service in the big church, helping out at *two* toddlers/foundation stage parties, and taking the kids to a soft play place for end-of-term treat. Phew!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not managing to keep my patience better :-(
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not more than the usual.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Paralympics tickets!
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
It's a cliche, but true: my family. In particular, prince_eldarion and frodo_lad have really come on so much this year both in terms of learning new skills and improving old ones, and in terms of developing as interesting people to know. skordh, as always, has been an absolute rock, and my parents have been great for coming up and helping out during holidays.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, mainly. Also at times, inevitably, El and Fro, because after all they are young children! So long as the celebration strongly outweighs the appalled, it's okay :-)
14. Where did most of your money go?
The usual boring sorts of grown-up things, I suppose.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Olympics and Paralympics! Also, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee quite a bit, mainly because her Silver Jubilee forms one of my earliest clear and dateable memories, and I realised El would be nearly the same age I was then, so I was looking forward to taking him to street parties etc. Unfortunately, that part of my brain failed to liaise with the other part of my brain that thought, ooh double Bank Holiday coinciding with the boys' half-term, perfect time to go on holiday without using too much of Skordh's leave. It wasn't until about a fortnight before that the two parts of brain met up and I realised we wouldn't be at home for the Diamond Jubilee but abroad. In France, which somehow seemed extra unpatriotic ;-) Still, the boys' school had done quite a lot of Jubilee-related activites, including a 'street party' in the playground, and we took some stuff to make Union Jack paperchains to decorate the chalet and had our own little tea-party while watching highlights on the BBC website :-)
16. Which song will always remind you of 2012?
'Far Over the Misty Mountains' :-)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or Sadder? Hard to say, it's certainly been a year of ups and downs, but overall probably about the same.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Fatter, oops.
iii. Richer or Poorer? Well we've definitely got poorer in real terms over the last few years, between Skordh's pay being frozen, and increasing chipping away at various perks. And next year will be worse. But, we're still middle class in a first world country, so can't really complain.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Appreciate the present moments as they came.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Staying up late reading stuff on the internet!
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Oop North with Skordh's parents (we alternate, the other years being at home with my parents coming to us.)
21. How will you be spending did you spend New Year's Eve?
Party at our house, mainly playing computer, console and board games. Most memorable was 'World of Wine' which we had won in the raffle at our church's Christmas Fete. As chainmailmaiden and Bacchus weren't there, all present were at about the same level of near-ignorance. Put it this way, the seven-year-old won :-)
22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Not with anyone I wasn't already in love with. And Patch, our new cat :-)
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I watched hardly any TV that wasn't CBeebies or a bit of CBBC. Mainly Doctor Who. So, that :-)
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate people, and I can't think of anyone I've hated this year.
26. What was the best book you read?
Painful question, for complicated reasons. But I am currently reading LotR to El, which is such an amazing experience it makes up for a lot :-)
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't think I discovered anything musically this year.
28. What did you want and get?
Assorted material things, not really important in the grand scheme of things.
29. What did you want and not get?
Did I mention better health?
30. Favourite film of this year?
I only made it to the cinema twice this year (which is at least once more than last year.) The Hobbit easily beats the new Muppet movie :-)
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 42 - I don't feel I have discovered the meaning of life :-) For a fairly ordinary, not-planning-anything-special sort of day, it was really nice. I was woken up by Fro singing me Happy Birthday (I'd done the same for him 4 days earlier so the idea was fresh in his mind) and as Skordh was at home I didn't even need to get the kids ready and off to school. El drew me an atom for a birthday present :-) It started off as something fairly basic, I think hydrogen, but after school he elaborated it a lot more and it ended up as praseodymium. Much looking up of the atomic table, listening to the elements song, and deciding what elements we would 'be' ensued.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I can't say 'better health' again. Hmm, being able to do more of the things I wanted to do.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Hah, fashion concept! Typical Mummy-wear, mainly jeans, t-shirts, cardis.
34. What kept you sane?
Not sure it did!
35. Which public figure did you fancy the most?
None?
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Shallow and selfish, but the utter unfairness of the fact that a household earning much more than us, and with more tax allowance, will get to keep their child benefit, while we are about to lose most of us, and probably all of it by next year. Given the whole recession, necessity-of-belt-tightening thing, I think it's fair enough for people on our income not to get child benefit, but not fair for richer people than us to keep it. Less me-me-me, I am hugely upset by the attitude to and treatment of benefits claimants with illnesses and disabilities :-(
37. Who do you miss?
El's best friend Atharva, his little sister who was in Fro's year, his mother whom I talked to a lot, and father, who all moved to Texas because of work. I hope we manage to keep in touch with them.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
My fellow Elephants-class library volunteer.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
...nothing immediately springs to mind!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I really don't tend to think in song-lyrics.
As the Christmas season comes to an end, and given my general lack of updates over the year, it doesn't seem quite too late to post the end of the year meme, which might cover some of what we've done this year :-)
(I got this from highfantastical)
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before?
Hmmn, tricky. I can't even say 'became a school library volunteer', as I was library prefect in the fifth form. Oh, I know - went to the Paralympics! Also, owned a cat :-)
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I'm not at all sure I even made any resolutions last year, but if I did I'm sure I didn't keep them! I do intend to make resolutions for this year. Let's see: restart Pilates, declutter a lot more, keep up with and improve the healthier eating. That will do for now!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not this year. Last year phina_v furnished me with an adorable niece, who continues to be an absolute joy :-)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, and I appreciate how lucky I am in that regard.
5. What countries did you visit?
France, specifically the Loire.
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Better health.
7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
...I am really not good at remembering actual dates.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably getting through the week that involved school library end-of-term lists & reminder letters, dentist appt, getting the kids into town one evening for their school carol service in the big church, helping out at *two* toddlers/foundation stage parties, and taking the kids to a soft play place for end-of-term treat. Phew!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not managing to keep my patience better :-(
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not more than the usual.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Paralympics tickets!
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
It's a cliche, but true: my family. In particular, prince_eldarion and frodo_lad have really come on so much this year both in terms of learning new skills and improving old ones, and in terms of developing as interesting people to know. skordh, as always, has been an absolute rock, and my parents have been great for coming up and helping out during holidays.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Mine, mainly. Also at times, inevitably, El and Fro, because after all they are young children! So long as the celebration strongly outweighs the appalled, it's okay :-)
14. Where did most of your money go?
The usual boring sorts of grown-up things, I suppose.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Olympics and Paralympics! Also, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee quite a bit, mainly because her Silver Jubilee forms one of my earliest clear and dateable memories, and I realised El would be nearly the same age I was then, so I was looking forward to taking him to street parties etc. Unfortunately, that part of my brain failed to liaise with the other part of my brain that thought, ooh double Bank Holiday coinciding with the boys' half-term, perfect time to go on holiday without using too much of Skordh's leave. It wasn't until about a fortnight before that the two parts of brain met up and I realised we wouldn't be at home for the Diamond Jubilee but abroad. In France, which somehow seemed extra unpatriotic ;-) Still, the boys' school had done quite a lot of Jubilee-related activites, including a 'street party' in the playground, and we took some stuff to make Union Jack paperchains to decorate the chalet and had our own little tea-party while watching highlights on the BBC website :-)
16. Which song will always remind you of 2012?
'Far Over the Misty Mountains' :-)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or Sadder? Hard to say, it's certainly been a year of ups and downs, but overall probably about the same.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Fatter, oops.
iii. Richer or Poorer? Well we've definitely got poorer in real terms over the last few years, between Skordh's pay being frozen, and increasing chipping away at various perks. And next year will be worse. But, we're still middle class in a first world country, so can't really complain.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Appreciate the present moments as they came.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Staying up late reading stuff on the internet!
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Oop North with Skordh's parents (we alternate, the other years being at home with my parents coming to us.)
21. How will you be spending did you spend New Year's Eve?
Party at our house, mainly playing computer, console and board games. Most memorable was 'World of Wine' which we had won in the raffle at our church's Christmas Fete. As chainmailmaiden and Bacchus weren't there, all present were at about the same level of near-ignorance. Put it this way, the seven-year-old won :-)
22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Not with anyone I wasn't already in love with. And Patch, our new cat :-)
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I watched hardly any TV that wasn't CBeebies or a bit of CBBC. Mainly Doctor Who. So, that :-)
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate people, and I can't think of anyone I've hated this year.
26. What was the best book you read?
Painful question, for complicated reasons. But I am currently reading LotR to El, which is such an amazing experience it makes up for a lot :-)
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't think I discovered anything musically this year.
28. What did you want and get?
Assorted material things, not really important in the grand scheme of things.
29. What did you want and not get?
Did I mention better health?
30. Favourite film of this year?
I only made it to the cinema twice this year (which is at least once more than last year.) The Hobbit easily beats the new Muppet movie :-)
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 42 - I don't feel I have discovered the meaning of life :-) For a fairly ordinary, not-planning-anything-special sort of day, it was really nice. I was woken up by Fro singing me Happy Birthday (I'd done the same for him 4 days earlier so the idea was fresh in his mind) and as Skordh was at home I didn't even need to get the kids ready and off to school. El drew me an atom for a birthday present :-) It started off as something fairly basic, I think hydrogen, but after school he elaborated it a lot more and it ended up as praseodymium. Much looking up of the atomic table, listening to the elements song, and deciding what elements we would 'be' ensued.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I can't say 'better health' again. Hmm, being able to do more of the things I wanted to do.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Hah, fashion concept! Typical Mummy-wear, mainly jeans, t-shirts, cardis.
34. What kept you sane?
Not sure it did!
35. Which public figure did you fancy the most?
None?
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Shallow and selfish, but the utter unfairness of the fact that a household earning much more than us, and with more tax allowance, will get to keep their child benefit, while we are about to lose most of us, and probably all of it by next year. Given the whole recession, necessity-of-belt-tightening thing, I think it's fair enough for people on our income not to get child benefit, but not fair for richer people than us to keep it. Less me-me-me, I am hugely upset by the attitude to and treatment of benefits claimants with illnesses and disabilities :-(
37. Who do you miss?
El's best friend Atharva, his little sister who was in Fro's year, his mother whom I talked to a lot, and father, who all moved to Texas because of work. I hope we manage to keep in touch with them.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
My fellow Elephants-class library volunteer.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
...nothing immediately springs to mind!
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I really don't tend to think in song-lyrics.