1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
I did a lot of things in 2007 that I'd never done before - worked in a nursery, was asked to write a blog on Celtic Reiki, opened (and then closed) an ebay shop, sold some books, made my own poetry books and sold some of them, opened an etsy shop and listed a couple of items but never sold them, tried to start a small venture selling bits of work... FELL IN LOVE... I could go on and on and on - 2007 really was a year of change and new experiences for me!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Well my New Year's Resolutions tend to be promises to myself rather than a resolution to change (see previous post) - so I promised myself a good year with lots of change and moving into a life I want and leaving the hurt of the past behind... I guess I kept to that one - go me!!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin's girlfriend had a baby but I still haven't seen it and that was back in April (we're not that close to my cousins)... other than that no - but I still saw lots and LOTS of babies *big grin*
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Great Aunty Joan died in March - I hadn't seen her in years but she will always be in my heart - she was very special to me in her own way
5. What countries did you visit?
For the first time in years I didn't travel to any other countries - I did move house and cities though
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
My own home. I house shared for the beginning months of the year and longed for my own place. Then I had to move back home when I realised I was actually *losing* money working at the nursery! Now that my debt is paid off and I am growing closer and closer to T all the time I am aiming to move back to Cambridge to get a small flat with him come the summer months - I cannot wait!!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
hmmmm somewhere along the line I lost question 7 *shakes head*... anyway... my biggest achievement I would say was standing up to my manager and deputy manager when I felt that their practise was not the best for the babies and finding the courage to stick my neck on the line for the welfare of those in my care. I knew I had done a good job when I saw how sad some of the parents were that I left and that some of them still keep in contact today!
9. What was your biggest failure?
My business venture... when I came home I was all set to start creating my own personal gifts (little frameable prints and greetings cards of my poems decorated with watercolour - they are lovely, if I may say so myself, but time and time again, although I truly believe were I to find the courage I could succeed, I just chickened out. I hope to improve on that this year!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
ummm well I still have problems with my digestion sometimes and my endometriosis has in recent months started playing up (I don't know if my coil has stopped working properly or it's just the hormones as I start a new relationship but it's painful and I had the first period in over 2 years and I'm too scared to go to the doctors for fear that once again I'll be told to stop wasting their time - I hate that I daren't go with queries because even when I've been so ill they have told me to stop making a fuss and it's too upsetting - I truly believe we should be able to go to the doctors without fear of being ridiculed... ok let's not go there...)11. What was the best thing you bought?
hmmmmm I didn't really buy much at all last year 'cos I had no money... the WORST thing I bought was my new laptop which I needed for work (my old one was over 5 years old and falling apart literally) but the laptop has been nothing but trouble since buying it, it is clearly faulty, and yet the chain store I shall not mention has been so ridiculously awkward about it I am ready to quote them my consumer rights and use some rather foul language if I'm refused what I'm entitled to (a refund) once more!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?T's. He has been the most supportive, caring and perfect friend and then partner I could ever have wished for. When we first moved on from friends to bf and gf I completely freaked... I couldn't even handle kissing (I'm funny about my mouth) and I was sick with worry (literally). He stuck around (even when I locked myself in the bathroom) and made sure I was aware that he would take things as slowly as I needed. Since then he has lovingly and patiently helped me overcome so much and I even cried in his arms over New Year and I haven't cried in front of anyone for about 10 years!!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The media when they covered the Madeleine McCann story... I know that they helped spread awareness, but being the media they went *too* far in my opinion... I mean I can think of no loss worse than the loss of a child and no guilt greater than what the McCann's must be placing upon themselves day after day and yet the media just look for more and more juicy tidbits to add to the furore... it makes me sad, angry and causes me to lose faith in the amount of empathy and compassion we possess in society...
14. Where did most of your money go?
My bank to pay off my overdraft.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Two things - the thought of setting up my own mini-business and my new relationship (only in that particular order because that is the order in which they happened - obviously it would be the other way round for levels of excitement lol)
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? "
"Lifted" by Bliss - because I was listening to it one day and it just spoke volumes to me - it was like the song was quoting my relationship with T... the words "to be lifted, to become all that you see in me" is just perfect because T loves me so wonderfully I feel I can be all that I am with him and he finds all the good bits I never even knew were there! Needless to say I got right on with making him a copy of that particular bliss album. (If you pop along to this page you can click on the speaker by the song Lifted to hear those very words. I adore Bliss and another of my favourite songs of the year was "You" from the same album - to hear a long sample of this go here and play the first sample. This song, to me, symbolises all that I believe to be God.)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:? a) happier or sadder? ?b) thinner or fatter? ?c) richer or poorer?
a) Happier by far! I am perhaps the happiest I have ever been right now
b) Thinner - I have lost quite a bit of weight lately (unintentional of course) and am thinner than I have been since I was about 15.
c) Richer (though I am still very poor lol)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Meditated, trusted my abilities and also that all would be well, and practised Reiki.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying... I spent many long hours, days even, sitting and fretting over the future and life itself.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
I spent Advent with my family, Christmas Day at home, Boxing Day at my Aunty's and then with T and his family and Boxing Day - New Year's Day with T, house-sitting for his sister and then New Year's Day til the 5th January at T's parent's house... it was a lovely Christmas!
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Need you ask?!?!?! For the first time ever (ok I've fallen for people but never really, truly been in love before... this is something else!!)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Hmmm I didn't really watch a lot of tv at all this year... even my favourites like Strictly Come Dancing I didn't watch religiously like I normally would because I was too busy travelling to see people and working.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope... I don't tend to hate people... I find strong emotions difficult... I have occasionally hated people, don't get me wrong, but usually I settle for mild dislike...
24. What was the best book you read?
hmmm I read a few books this year and all were good in their own right... the best were the first two Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred Taylor and The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't know if I made a musical discovery - but I did meet Lucinda Drayton from Bliss, which was wonderful! Hearing her sing in person was even more powerful than on cd - I cried!!
26. What did you want and get?
A boyfriend!
27. What did you want and not get?
A new camera as mine broke and I miss it SO much... I love taking photographs and there is so much I would love to post about and can't because I can't SHOW you!
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
That's too easy - "Stardust" of course... sooooo romantic, really funny... and the first film I went to the cinema to watch with T!
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I can't actually remember what I did... it was so long ago... but I do remember I turned 23!
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Meeting Tim whilst I *still* lived in Cambridge... or perhaps I should say being able to afford to continue working at the nursery so I could still be living in Cambridge... but then again so much wonderful stuff has happened since maybe that isn't true... and I don't believe I would have met Tim if I *hadn't* left Cambridge - sort of like it was fated for it to happen this way so we would be forced to create a strong friendship first!
So maybe success in my mini-business venture... hmmm that's a hard one to answer because the more I think about it the more I realise that actually 2007, for all it's faults, was actually perfect - because everything happened for a reason, I'm sure!
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Lacking... I had no money to buy new ones (even second hand ones) so I am still wearing clothes that are years old and now far too big for me *sigh* I wore a lot of skirts because they are more feminine and easier to get away with when they are too big than trousers are, I always find!
32. What kept you sane?
This is going to sound like I'm preaching, but I'm not... what kept me sane was my faith that I am looked after and everything happens for a reason, that there is a plan and everything bad thing that happens is only happening because it plays a role which I might not yet understand...
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
David Tennant (as The Doctor) - oh he is just so funny and you can tell he adores his job... I find those two things (humour and enthusiasm for life) more attractive than anything else!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hmmmm I don't know what happened this year, I am very bad at following politics... but I guess I have ALWAYS been against ID cards (is it just me being paranoid or does all the info they want on the UK ID cards remind you too much of books like The Handmaid's Tale and 1984 and also history when people have been segregated and even killed based on who they are and what religion/genes they have?) It makes me shudder just to think of how easy it could be for this information to be abused and with the loss of personal data of so many people by major companies in the UK coming to light recently it has just fuelled my rage about it all!
35. Who did you miss?
The babies I used to look after and their parents - I cannot begin to describe how very much I miss them! I also miss the family I used to work with in Berlin!
36. Who was the best new person you met?
T, of course!!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Sometimes, though you may not like it, you just have to swallow your pride and do something you might not really like, in order to get to where you want to be.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Another one from Bliss... this one got me through Russia and it helped me this year too
"No more time to waste, no more excuses, gotta reach out your arms and embrace the sun. No more time for self-pitying abuses, gotta stand up and shout and say 'I am the one'. 'Cos there's been too much holding on and talk of being free - gotta jump off that cliff and be who you were born to be!"
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