Farewell 2011!

WARNING: This is kind of long... Feel free to skip to the bits that interest you most :)

It's early afternoon on New Year's Eve, and as I'm having a break from household chores to eat my lunch I thought I would take some time to reflect on 2011 before getting things ready for the evening's celebrations.

In many ways 2011 has been much like any year, plenty of ups and downs punctuated by significant events. I have plenty to be thankful for though, and I wanted to share some of those things with you:

Accommodation - In March we moved from a large flat in the centre of town where we had no end of problems to a Victorian mid-terrace cottage that is more tucked away but still very close to everything. Our landlord is a good friend from church which means we've been able to get away from greedy letting agents. The house and our landlord have been such a blessing to us. The house is very comfortable and we both feel much more at home here.

Jobs - I left my job at the council at the end of September. This job had been draining me of all motivation and energy, and was making me very depressed. Some mornings I would cry for ages before I could bring myself to leave home and drag my protesting feet and heart up the long hill to the concrete block of doom. The public sector in the UK is going through a lot of problems at the moment, and this showed at the council, with restructure after restructure. But some of the people I had to work for made a bad situation so much worse.
My current admin role is still with the public sector, but for one of the emergency services, and I am much happier. There is a lot of banter but good camaraderie. I may not always like what my colleagues say but they are open and honest. Real life happens there and I get the sense that my new colleagues have a much better understanding of the things that really matter in life.

Writing - My unhappiness at the council aside, the main reason I resigned from my job there was to pursue my true dream of becoming an author. I believe that this is what God wants me to do. So far it's been a challenge settling into the routine of working from home two days a week and staying disciplined enough to write. However, NaNoWriMo really helped me by giving me a deadline and one piece of work to focus on. Whilst I will probably always have multiple projects on the go the experience of NaNoWriMo has really encouraged me in my writing.

Youth Work - Last year my husband and I started helping out with youth work at our church on Friday evenings. It was scary and we weren't sure if we would ever fit into it well. Then in February we volunteered on a weekend away for the older youth (14+). It was three days packed with worship, Bible study, games, sports, arts & crafts, and lots of chatting and drinking tea. During that weekend we got to know a number of the youth better, and we both felt a lot more confident afterwards. We began to help on Sunday evenings too, and as a result we've both grown in our roles as youth leaders. In October two of the girls from my small group got baptised. It's been so exciting to be part of their journey of faith, and they really inspire me in my own relationship with God.
We've also been part of a big change with the old youth minister moving onto a different role in the church, and a completely new youth minister joining. Things were rocky at times with the changes, and especially when we didn't know if we would be getting a new youth minister or not, but God has been so faithful to our church's mission and we are very, very blessed.

Old Friends - My best friends are those from my sixth-form days, and I have many more close friends from university, childhood and my first job. We have great friends at our church who we see at least once a week, if not more, but I do miss my old friends a lot. We all live all over the country now so meeting up takes a lot of planning. It's always worth it though, and I've been able to catch up with many of them, especially over Christmas. There are still a couple that I didn't get to see this year that I am hoping I will be able to see in 2012!

Us - We celebrated our first anniversary in June with a lovely holiday in Shropshire. We couldn't believe we'd been married for a whole year. It's been great and we're looking forward to a number of exciting adventures in 2012!

Food - We've really enjoyed growing some of our own things, trying out new recipes, baking, brewing, and creating! My husband has always been a good cook but I feel that I have learnt a lot this year so I can be a bit more handy around the kitchen!

Blogging - From July onwards I started to blog a lot more regularly. Although I started this blog for fun, back in 2009, I struggled to keep it updated and only wrote when I felt like it, which was not often as my job was sucking all enjoyment of anything from me. Therefore I've really enjoyed giving my blog a lot more attention.
This year I've gained 8 new followers! That may not be much in the blogger world, but it is for me. I've really enjoyed becoming part of the blogging community more and slowly getting to know people from across the Atlantic and all the way Down Under through their blogs - hello there! Thank you to all of you who follow, or who read anonymously, or to those of you who may sometimes pop by! No thanks to you though spambots *grrr*  My blog means more to me now I know there are people who read and enjoy what I write.

Clockwise from top left - family tea party, me on holiday doing one of my obligatory silly poses, jars of freshly made chutney and piccalilli, table set up for our wedding anniversary dinner at the holiday cottage in Shropshire, my goodbye balloon from the council, veggies newly planted in the spring, replica Roman villa and store at Wroxeter Roman City.

So, as we look ahead to the New Year, what do I expect to see dominating?

Babies - Not ours (well you never know, there's still time for 2012, but not likely for us), but a crazy number of our friends are expecting! One friend is due to give birth any day now, the others are all expecting in late spring and on into summer. It's very exciting but also a little scary - every time another pregnancy is announced I get reminded that we're all grown up and it freaks me out!

Graduations - My brother who got a distinction for his MSc in Environmental Management with GIS is graduating in February, and (providing they both pass, which of course they will), my youngest brother can expect to graduate from his BA in Creative Writing with English Literature in the later half of the year, as can my husband with his MSc in Clinical Biochemistry. I'm related to a smart bunch of people :D

Frugality - Money is tight but that's ok. We've never been particularly extravagant but there are certainly changes we can make. A lesson in leaner living is no bad thing, and both my husband and I are putting our heads together to figure out the best ways to do that.

Photography - My husband and I bought a good camera last year as our wedding present to each other. However, my husband often hogs the camera because he loves practising arty shots and taking lots of close-ups of wildlife and flowers. His parents gave him a new camera for Christmas that has changeable lenses and can do way more fancy things. Therefore the other camera is now all mine and I am looking to be a little more adventurous with the pictures I take, yey!

Writing - Because I can and I must and I will!

There are lots of other things I hope for 2012, like spending more quality time with friends and family, going on more historical adventures, social justice campaigns at church, trying out more recipes to cook or bake. Also, I wouldn't mind if we could have a general election this year, but alas! it shall not be so. Anyway, I don't wish to end this on a bad note, so:

May you all have a very happy and blessed 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Joy of Christmas

Our Christmas tree with lots of exciting presents for our families!

I found it hard to get into the spirit of the season this year. I think there are a number of reasons as to why, from my cold knocking the stuffing out of me for several days, to the usual SAD symptoms, to the overwhelming amount of good news from many friends which for some reason has left me feeling like I have nothing interesting to share. It's silly really, I am incredibly happy for all of my friends, why wouldn't I be? And yet combined with my winter depression my emotions seem to have gone into some kind of meltdown.

It was only on the Sunday before Christmas that I finally began to feel festive. Our church held its annual traditional carol service in the afternoon, followed by a contemporary Christmas service in the evening. I was giving one of the readings at the traditional service, and my husband was operating the digi-projector for the hymns. For the traditional service the church is lit by candles and the fairy lights around the tree. The choir and the orchestra were dressed in red and black, and the church was adorned in beautiful red flowers and holly leaves.

The church was packed, the choir sang beautifully, and the sermon was both thought-provoking and inspiring. Finally, it felt like Christmas.

My husband and I then popped home for a quick cup of tea before heading back for the contemporary service. We usually attend the evening service weekly anyway so this was like our usual Sunday service only with a Christmas theme running throughout. The worship was fantastic, and another awesome sermon was given. A special part of the service was when we each went up during the worship to light a small candle on one of the Advent candles at the front, and then returned to our seats to sing, pray, and focus on the little light of the candle flame alight in the pot in our hands, a reminder that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, and that it is His coming to save mankind that is the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

I love the giving and receiving of gifts, the decorating, the parties, and especially the quality time spent with family and friends throughout the festive period, but for me Christmas is not Christmas without taking time to truly focus on and celebrate the coming of Christ into this world.

And it was after that Sunday that I felt ready to celebrate properly. Our decorations in the house seemed to finally come to life. Although I had enjoyed putting them up, I didn't really appreciate them until I was in a jollier mood. The tree is an old one of my parents that is still surviving, and the Nativity set is made up of a little figures that my brothers and I all received in our stockings many years ago. Our house this year is a happier one, and the decorations fit perfectly into our small and cosy living room.

Earlier in the month my husband and I had started working on hampers for our families as presents. It was fun making the different items, and perhaps the only thing I was excited about at the beginning of December. Each hamper contained a jar of piccalilli, a jar of roasted pepper and tomato chutney, a jar of pumpkin and orange spiced jam, two bottles of our pear cider, two bottles of our home brewed beer, a bag of ginger cookies in Christmas shapes (lots of crazy looking snowmen and odd shaped stars!), and a small box of raspberry liqueur truffles. We only added one thing that we didn't make ourselves, some clementines to fill in any gaps left in each box.

From top left clockwise - a surprise Christmas bouquet from hubby, key players in the Nativity, cool decorations from Created, and one of the hampers packed and ready to go!

On Christmas Eve we headed up to my husband's family's, and then on Boxing Day we went down to mine, before returning to our little home yesterday evening. We've had a lovely relaxing time and have seen lots of friends and relatives in just a few days. It's been a whirlwind but good fun.

Now Christmas Day and Boxing Day have been and gone, the presents have been unwrapped, and the turkey has been consumed, but there are still plenty of friends to catch up with and the New Year to welcome in before it is time to return to work.

It's not always easy to be jolly at Christmas. Sometimes that's because really rubbish stuff happens (as it did for my family a number of years ago now), or sometimes you just feel sad and wish it would all just go away. That is why it is so important to me that I do not lose the focus of what Christmas is all about. The reading I gave at the traditional carol service sums it up for me. This is what Christmas, and indeed my life, is all about:

Christ Jesus 

who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself and became obedient to death - 

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the Glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

It's Christmas Eve!

I've had a very busy week in the run-up to Christmas, so I've just popped on now to say:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hibernation

hibernate [ˈhaɪbəˌneɪt]

vb (intr)

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) (of some mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) to pass the winter in a dormant condition with metabolism greatly slowed down.

2. to cease from activity

[from Latin hibernare to spend the winter, from hibernus of winter, from hiems winter]

hibernation  n

(Definition from thefreedictionary.com, because ours has gone missing *sigh*)

Hibernating is what I feel like I should be doing right now. It is all I feel like doing. Except I can't.

Not even a state of 'waking hibernation' like polar bears, (one of) my favourite animals ♥

Bleurgh!

I'm still ill, bah! My throat is really sore. I don't really feel sorry for myself so much now, as just irritated. I can't go to a girls brunch this morning with some of my church friends because I don't want to infect them with anything nasty.

So wrapped up in blankets again I have turned to my blog, and lacking in inspiration as I am when I'm poorly, thought I would do this little questionnaire which I have taken from Jeanine of Wayfaring Girl on a Mission and K.Elizabeth of A Million Little Somethings.

Here are some vaguely interesting facts about me:

Bodiam Castle in Sussex

1. What's the nerdiest and/or weirdest thing about you?
There are many things to choose from. What stands out the most though? Mmm. Well I used to play World of Warcraft, which is fairly nerdy. However, I think my love of history is where I am at my nerdiest. I'm the kind of person that will sit and criticise historical inaccuracies in films and TV series (Rome usually made me want to throw things at the TV!), my favourite task at my old job was historical GIS mapping, my favourite places to visit are castles, and I can't help but laugh at things like this:

It takes my breath away...

2. If you could live in a fictional universe from any book, movie, or television show, what would it be?

I think I would probably choose Narnia. I can't describe the excitement I felt when I was little and watched the old series on TV, or when I read the books. The Chronicles of Narnia are one of my biggest inspirations as a writer, and so living in Narnia itself would be simply amazing.

3. Little or big, practical or frivolous, what are a few favourite items in your house?

Our bed definitely - a memory foam mattress and deliciously soft organic cotton linen makes it very difficult to leave in the mornings, especially in the depths of winter! 

I also love my dragon tree, called Dylan because I have lovingly nurtured him since my first year at university - the poor thing has survived being under watered, knocked over by a careless housemate, and living in a cold draught when it is a hot weather loving plant. Thankfully, nowadays he is flourishing. 

Other things worthy of high favour are: the electric whisk, the camera, my teddy bear, and photos, photos, photos!

4. Do you like animated movies? If so, which is your favourite?

YES! I love Disney, but I am also a huge fan of Studio Ghibli. My all time favourite Disney film is Beauty and the Beast, followed by The Lion King, Snow White, and Mulan. 

My all time favourite Studio Ghibli film is Laputa: Castle in the Sky, followed by Howls Moving Castle and Spirited Away. However, My Neighbour Totoro is the one film that always cheers me up when I'm sad - I can watch it in Japanese or English and still it makes me smile, every time :)

Ooh yes, and as it's nearly Christmas, my firm festive favourite, that always reduces me to tears, is The Snowman.

'Carrying You' from Laputa played at the church before I made my entrance on our wedding day

5. What is your least favourite household chore?

All of them.

6. What's your favourite thing to get at Starbucks (or favourite coffee shop)?

I'm more of a tea room girl myself. Nothing beats afternoon tea, especially after a long countryside walk or ancient ruin exploration!

7. What is your favourite pizza topping?

Ham and pineapple.

8. Waffles or pancakes?

Waffles.

9. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Ballerina, nurse, teacher, actress, but most of all an author.

10. Do you prefer cooking or baking?

Cooking I think, although I have recently discovered that I can actually bake and that I rather enjoy it.

11. What would be your dream job?

Writing, writing, writing...

12. Do you make your bed every morning?

*snort* No!

13. Picasso or Norman Rockwell?

I have no idea who Norman Rockwell is! I am so uncultured when it comes to art, something I have oft been berated for. I admire it, but I don't get passionate about it...sorry...I have a heart of stone, I know...

14. Do you like carpet, tile or hardwood floors?

Hardwood definitely. I have noticed that when you put a small rug down on a hardwood floor you can gracefully slide from one end of the room to the other.

15. What is your least favourite thing about yourself?

We won't go there.

16. Last movie you watched?

Easy Virtue.

17. Computer or Television?

Computer! Every time, yes yes, we don't even have a television!

18. Favourite sound?

Birdsong. As a country girl at heart, birdsong anywhere lifts my spirits and makes me feel at home in some way.

19. If you could have a $5000 shopping spree to one store, which would it be?

Firstly, I would convert it into stirling of course. Then, mmm, how do I choose!? Probably Steamer Trading. So much uber kitchen gear it makes both me and my husband drool every time we go in there. I always promised we'd buy a KitchenAid food mixer when we have more money than sense so a shopping spree at one particular store seems to be the perfect excuse!

Practical, pretty, pricey

20. If you could be any Jane Austen fictional character who would you choose?

Elizabeth Bennet. I love her wit and her honesty, that she speaks her mind. I also admire her loyalty to her family, even when they drive her mad. Pride and Prejudice made me laugh out loud when I read it, and that was usually in scenes involving Lizzie, most notably her rejection of Mr Collins' marriage proposal. And of course, I'm also a big fan of the developing relationship between Lizzie and Mr Darcy throughout the book.

Bodiam Castle photo my own.

The Christmas Cold

Deep in darkest Sussex a new strain of rhinovirus rears its ugly head every Christmas. This year it has kicked off early in the Advent season, and to my great bitterness has chosen to afflict me. I should be grateful, I suppose, that I do not actually have it over Christmas itself.

I don't like to be miserable when I'm ill, and I choose to ignore it for as long as possible. Today I went to work and even decorated the office Christmas Tree. I later met my mum for hot chocolate, and I then did some Christmas shopping. So I'm not that ill.

But right now I just feel bunged up, snotty, sleepy and generally disgusting, bleurgh. I guess you could say that I feel a little sorry for myself, awww.... I've taken paracetamol, keep eating fruit and vegetables, and I have been drinking lots of fluids, although each time I make another drink for my sore throat I'm reminded of one of my many favourite Sheldon (Big Bang Theory) quotes, "What else would I drink? Gases, solids, ionised plasma?"  Indeed Sheldon, indeed.

Right now I am sitting at the computer with the heating on as the freezing wind howls outside, wrapped up in a blanket, and attempting to ameliorate my yuckiness with some Christmas cheer.

I'm mostly searching for Christmas carols on YouTube, and thinking about our plans of the festive period. I'm a bit of a sucker for choral music, especially at Christmas. This is one of my favourites:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Christ is born!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've just remembered that I forgot to eat my chocolate from my Advent Calendar this morning...

So that was November 2011!

I am on a little bit of a high because last night I succeeded in submitting 50,000+ words of a novel to NaNoWriMo, just in time to win! I am very happy to reach the landmark, and whilst I lived up to my old university habits of doing the majority of the work at the last minute, I am really pleased to discover that I am capable of writing a novel. It's given me the confidence I need to get to work on my other projects, once I've figured out which to do first!

So NaNoWriMo was a continuous theme throughout an incredibly busy month. It's been great for me to be so occupied because it's helped me fight SAD a lot better. Now it's December and the big run-up to Christmas begins - more to keep me occupied!

But before I celebrate the arrival of December fully, I decided to have a look back at some of my favourite events from this very busy November.

A Day of Bangs, Booms and Celebrations - I have already described Bonfire Night in one of my earlier posts. What I didn't mention then was that before all of the festivities began we took both of my brothers out for lunch to celebrate the youngest turning 21, and the other achieving a distinction in his MSc as well as getting a new job as a GIS technician! I am one very proud big sister. Then we had an evening full of fireworks, friends, and food, a brilliant day.

What-ho old chap!

A Wedding - One of my closest friends from university got married on the second weekend of the month. The wedding was beautiful. The couple had chosen a vintage theme so all the guests were dressed in very glamourous 20s-50s attire. The hotel for the reception was grand, and art-deco in style, which fitted the occasion perfectly. In the evening we all played with sparklers outside before hitting the dance floor and whirling each other around like crazy until the early hours. Quite a few of my old friends were there, and as the ceremony was held at my old university church, the day brought back lots of memories.

Calves on one of the farms

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Speaking of memories, on a gorgeous sunny day my husband and I walked from our home across the South Downs Way to one of my old homes. It was about 11 miles of walking through farmland, along old routes that I had hiked through at night as a scout, and then finally down the long country lane that I used to cycle along as a teenager, before hitting suburbia once more. I showed my husband my old house, where I spent most of my childhood, and then we wandered to the tiny shopping centre where we discovered the old greasy spoon cafe was still running strong - so we stopped for much needed, and very cheap, mugs of tea and a chocolate nut sundae. We felt very healthy and relaxed. A great way to spend a Saturday.

That's me with Nemo on my head!

A Fancy Dress Party - Yet more memories were shared on this occasion. My old Classical Society friends from university always host fantastic fancy dress parties. We Classicists are all a little bit mad and have good imaginations, so you can always guarantee some pretty awesome costumes. This party was themed N for November, and we all had to come as something beginning with N. I came as November 5th - the idea was appreciated, but was perhaps a little too abstract! Anyway, we also had Napoleon, a Night Elf, a Neanderthal, a Nerd, Nigella Lawson, and Noel Edmonds amongst other things! My favourite was Nemo - one of my friends made a papier mache Nemo that he wore on his head! It was a brilliant night of catching up on all times and sharing funny stories, as well as taking many photos of Nemo wearing silly hats etc.

In other November news, my husband grew a rather dashing moustache for Movember, to help raise awareness of prostate cancer. The Fairtrade Christmas Campaign at church was launched successfully. And of course, there was NaNoWriMo! I thoroughly enjoyed creating my characters and knitting their adventure together. I'd had a few vague ideas about this story before I began writing, but as I wrote different characters kept wandering into my head, bizarre turns of event would just happen, and the whole thing became a lot more dramatic than originally intended. It has been great fun!

So goodbye November, for the first time in years you were a great month! Hello December!