Sunday Stealing: Thinking Back Over the Year

 It's Christmas morning. I'm over at my mother's place in South Australia in the granny flat. The cat is enjoying his new surroundings. There are a lot of birds for him to watch, which he thinks great. Before the festivities start, I'm going to get the weekly questions out of the way while my phone hotspot lets me. I'm on one bar of 4G down here - being in the country, behind a big hill. 

Questions supplied, as always, by Bev at Sunday Stealing.

And a Happy Holidays to all. 

What did you do last year that you had not done before? 

I lead a team of people at work. I've never been in a management role, be it ever so lowly. At one stage I had six people under me. It was a good challenge. It appears I wasn't a bad team leader. Who knew?

Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions/goals for the year and will you make/set more for next year?  What are they? What are your new ones?

I didn't make any resolutions last year so there were none to keep.

This coming year I'm setting a few goals. 

First up, this is going to be my year of health - whatever that looks like, I'll be working to get myself healthier. Rather than set a specific health goal, I'm just saying that by this time next year I want to be healthier. 

Secondly, it is my resolution to save my little heart out and take myself to Europe for a few weeks in October. There's a writer's retreat happening in Paris around this time. I want to go. On a cellular level, I need to go. That's the goal. 10 days on the retreat, a side trip to Normandy to see a mate and finally go to Mont St Michel (and St Malo if I can swing it), then probably a week or so in England, just because I miss the place like my left arm. 

Thirdly, it's time to get some of my words out there - and not on this blog. I want to write something and get published again. It's been too long.

My current mantra is "Do something today your future self will love you for." It's good for keeping you on the straight and narrow.            

What was the best book you read this year?  How many did you read?        

It's been a good reading year. By the end of the year I should have 52 books read (Sitting on 50 at the moment, according to Goodreads).

As for the best book - that is hard. It's a toss up between the following - all of which are equally great. 

• Jennifer Down's Bodies of Light (Miles Franklin Award winner)
• Damon Galgut's The Promise (Booker Winner)
• Sarah Winman's Still Life
• Bonnie Garman's Lessons in Chemistry
• Louis de Bernieres' Birds without Wings
• Maggie O'Farrell's This Must Be The Place

 Did anyone you know die? Or have a serious illness/injury?

My dear old 94-year-old aunt died in January, just before her 95th birthday. She had a good innings and in the end it was a blessed release.

 A friend is waging a pitch battle with lymphoma at the moment and thankfully appears to be coming out on top now. Along with the treatment, she's suffered multiple bouts of shingles. Thankfully, the treatment has worked and she's in remission. Long may that remain. 

What places have you visited? 

I haven't gone far this year. I went to Canberra for my Aunt's funeral. 

There was a trip back here to Adelaide for a weekend - two if you consider I'm back here now. 

And a few weeks ago, I went to Sydney to see The Pixies in concert on the Sydney Opera House forecourt. They were incredible. 

But that is about it. More travel will happen in 2023. The passport is even being used. Yay!

Any new pets? Lost a pet?

Nope - it's just me and Lucifer - and he's great. 

What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year (doesn't have to be a physical thing i.e. love, job security, peace of mind...)? 

A love life would be good. 

More travel - but I'm making that happen. 

What date from last year will remain etched in your memory and why? 

30 June resonates for me. After six months of working 60 hours a week and a six day working week, I left that job. Okay, my contract wasn't renewed, but I was not going stay if they wanted me to. I was burned out. Walking away from that company felt good. It took a good few months to get my mojo back. Burn out is awful and shouldn't be allowed to happen.

What was your biggest achievement last year?

Again, probably leading a successful team at work. Strangely, and even though the job was awful at the end with the long hours and stress, it was good to mentor and coach people. 

Did you get sick or injured?

Not so much sick or injured, but I had a small skin cancer taken off my face and my gall bladder removed earlier in the year. Both surgeries were successful, thank goodness. 

Oh, and I had COVID in October. it wasn't a bad bout, but the overhang was awful. Took about six weeks to get back to full strength. 

What was the best thing you bought? 

I didn't buy anything of note. Oh, I bought myself a trip to New Zealand. I head off in three weeks for a week seeing friends and going around the South Island. That counts?

Where did most of your disposable income go (money leftover after you pay for food, medical care, basic clothing, transportation and shelter)? 

As always, my extra money goes to the Arts - theatre, books, galleries and all the things that make life worth living. 

Today's song: