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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: 2013: a retrospective
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
As the new year approaches, it's interesting to look back over the last 12 months. This has been the year that will be remembered for the election of a new Pope following the sudden resignation of the previous one; the birth of a future heir to the British throne; the deposition of the President of Egypt; the Boston Marathon bombing; the Nairobi shopping mall siege; the Philippines typhoon; a lot of EU bailouts and a lot of severe weather in various places.
On a much more local level, what will you personally remember 2013 for? Was this the year when you got a new job, achieved something you'd wanted for a long time, maybe got married, or had a new addition to your family? Good or bad, what will you remember this year for? Or just glad to see the back of it?
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Nicolemr
Shipmate
# 28
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Posted
The year of my daughter's wedding, and of her and her husband moving out of my apartment to their own.
Aside from that not a great year.
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On pilgrimage in the endless realms of Cyberia, currently traveling by ship. Now with live journal!
Posts: 11803 | From: New York City "The City Carries On" | Registered: May 2001
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Twilight
Puddleglum's sister
# 2832
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Posted
Being retired makes my personal world very small so, for me, this is the year I discovered YouTube, including its wealth of old silent films, documentaries about almost everything, teenage girls showing me how to make cat beds in real time, and 80 fine hours of "Lark Rise to Candleford."
On a larger scale, I haven't thought this deeply about race since the 1960's Civil Rights movement. The controversies around Paula Deen, Trayvon Martin and Duck Dynasty brought on some good dialogue and thoughtful editorials that I learned something from.
Posts: 6817 | Registered: May 2002
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comet
Snowball in Hell
# 10353
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Posted
lost my house. my best friend/dog died. left bartending and my former theater and theater family. moved to the ocean. chose to move into a tent. got a great job as a drama and debate coach. second child goes to college. first child gets married, first grandchild expected (!). Third child develops an undiagnosed disorder that is looking more and more like Aspergers, and we pull him from school. New book started. new theater family found.
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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions
"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin
Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005
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Rosa Winkel
Saint Anger round my neck
# 11424
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Posted
A fairly eventful year, comet.
For me the biggest thing was becoming a father on the 9th of December, and most of the year was taken with preparing for that/the birth/looking after my wife as much as I could.
There are various health stuff I could go on about, but will add that my work began to address Disability Hate Crime and Critical Whiteness and generally get much more political. In other news, Liverpool played pretty well at times, Maggie died, a new Pope came who is good (and provides my son with a name); I finally got working with anti-fascists in Wrocław in a time when much needed anti-fascist work began to happen here.
Metal lost Jeff Hanneman.
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The Disability and Jesus "Locked out for Lent" project
Posts: 3271 | From: Wrocław | Registered: May 2006
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Barnabas Aus
Shipmate
# 15869
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Posted
A mixed year for us.
I spent more time with the medical profession than at any time in the last forty years, including two cataract operations, two hearing aids and a painful foot injury. Wife's health has been up and down, relief from long-existing pain has been achieved, although further surgery is probable. Mother-in-law, our last surviving parent, passed away a couple of weeks ago.
Balanced against that was the birth of our granddaughter, the news that our foster son and his wife are expecting next April, and a wonderful vacation which took us to comet's neck of the woods, although we couldn't achieve a Shipmeet. Daughter has set a wedding date for early 2014, so more joy to come.
In our country, political debate has descended into sloganeering, with a minuscule asylum seeker demand compared with say Italy blown up into the latest version of the Yellow Peril. I despair of seeing a national leader with vision, rather than driven by media and focus groups.
Posts: 375 | From: Hunter Valley NSW | Registered: Sep 2010
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Carex
Shipmate
# 9643
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Posted
After 20+ years on a farm in the country we moved to a house in the city. What with finding and buying the new house, moving, then cleaning up and selling the old property, it really took almost the whole year. (We still have a pile of boxes in the garage...)
With the move comes a change in lifestyle, as the farm took most of our time to manage. I can exercise in the morning instead of spending the time commuting, and next year I'll even consider cycling to work. We have time to do more things together, and a civilized house to which we can invite guests. It really is the end of one era in our lives and the start of the next.
Posts: 1425 | Registered: Jun 2005
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ToujoursDan
Ship's prole
# 10578
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Posted
It was a year of transitions.
I left of job of 10 years because I felt like I was stagnating and bored, to join a tech company. That turned out to be a complete disaster and I quit without a job to go into for the first time in my career 5 months later. I was fleeing the worst boss I ever had. But I was lucky to land a much better job and am happy now.
![[Axe murder]](graemlins/lovedrops.gif)
And I went to east Africa on a backpacking trip for three weeks.
Overall it was a good year for me.
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"Many people say I embarrass them with my humility" - Archbishop Peter Akinola
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/toujoursdan
Posts: 3734 | From: NYC | Registered: Oct 2005
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
I've enjoyed my first year of retirement. I'm doing more volunteer work and more travel -- including a London Shipmeet!
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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North East Quine
Curious beastie
# 13049
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Posted
Writing our Christmas letter we realised that we had had an exceptionally good year. Oddly enough we hadn't appreciated just how good a year we were having whilst it was happening.
I submitted my PhD thesis - viva will be in Jan. The North East man ticked off another interesting conference venue when he went to Cancun. Our daughter visited India with the Girl Guides, got straight As in her exams and has 3 unconditional offers of a university place next year. And our son - the one who kept failing exams because he kept writing stories when he should have been studying - won a prize at the Edinburgh Book Festival, signed a publishing contract and his first children's novel is due to be published on 20 March (available for pre-order on Amazon now!)
Somehow, though, our day-to-day life was less spectacular. There was my ankle tendonitis problem, which caused a hip bursitis problem, which, as the physio pointed out, would have healed faster if I wasn't so fat and putting so much strain on my joints. There was the general last-few-months-of-writing-up-thesis angst, fuelled by coffee and chocolate to the point of jitters. There was the dodgy toilet flush which involved far too many incidents requiring rubber gloves. The North East Man spent many evenings doing hated adminny stuff instead of the work he loves, creating a haze of bad temper and bad language in the North East household. Our car ground to a halt. Plus the North East Man brought a broken fridge home from work in July, dumped it pending repair in our dining area, and it's still there. Every time I walk in the front door I see that bloody broken fridge.
So, a year of spectacular one-offs and day-to-day irritations. Somehow we got the balance between unmitigated joy and general pissed-offness badly wrong.
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007
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Tree Bee
Ship's tiller girl
# 4033
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Posted
Started the year with my Dad's funeral. We spent a lot of time talking about the difference he made in so many lives as a teacher lay reader and Dad.
I managed to hang on to a job in the restructure at work. Am grateful to have it though find the responsibility a challenge.
Mr Bee had surgery in February which he came through well though it's meant a lot of changes for him.
He had 8 cycles of chemo from April to November, spending the hottest week of the year, in July, in a sweltering hospital ward.
Daughter Erin took up running and bought a house in November.
So a lot has happened this year! Hoping we can manage a holiday in 2014.
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"Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple."
— Woody Guthrie
http://saysaysay54.wordpress.com
Posts: 5257 | From: me to you. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Heavenly Anarchist
Shipmate
# 13313
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Posted
A good year for us. My other half's career is doing well and he'll soon be finished his MBA. I completed my second degree, this time in the subject I've alway wanted to do, history. I'm now set to do my Masters in Education next autumn. Career-wise I was given a little extra temporary work on top of my usual teaching and this has encouraged me to drop one of the courses I teach which causes me stress (it starts at the wrong time of year for my workload) and apply to teach a short nursing course later in the year instead. So I am happy with work whatever way this turns out.
We are all fairly well and the children seem happy so we have much to be grateful for.
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'I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.' Douglas Adams
Dog Activity Monitor
My shop
Posts: 2831 | From: Trumpington | Registered: Jan 2008
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Nenya
Shipmate
# 16427
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Posted
A quieter year for us after a turbulent 18 months of bereavements and health problems. We moved Nenlet1 and her husband into their first owned home. Mr Nen started doing two part time jobs. Nenlet2 did well with his degree and started his Masters. I went on a week's retreat for the first time and enjoyed it so much I plan to make it a regular thing.
2014 may not be so tranquil, I fear.
Nen - trying not to be scared. ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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They told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn.
Posts: 1289 | Registered: May 2011
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Uncle Pete
Loyaute me lie
# 10422
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Posted
Is this thread like a Christmas brag letter? Because I haven't too much to brag about.
Other than my trips to India, having my sister in town for a long weekend, and surviving to my 65th birthday, this year has been, and continues to be, an unmitigated disaster.
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Even more so than I was before
Posts: 20466 | From: No longer where I was | Registered: Sep 2005
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by PeteC:
Is this thread like a Christmas brag letter? Because I haven't too much to brag about.
No, it was simply asking how the year went for other people. I appreciate that yours hasn't exactly been great, and I'm sorry. That sounds inadequate, but it is meant sincerely.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Sir Kevin
Ship's Gaffer
# 3492
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Posted
Could have been better, much stress and brief bouts of bad health and little work. Praying 2014 will be much better!
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If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Writing is currently my hobby, not yet my profession.
Posts: 30517 | From: White Hart Lane | Registered: Oct 2002
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Latchkey Kid
Shipmate
# 12444
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Posted
For the last few years I echoed Colonel Potter's (MASH) "May the new year be a damn sight better than the last.".
This year I remember a good year. A wedding in Idaho with a visit to the Pacific North West and my Goddaughter in British Columbia. LKKspouse retired. It fell to me to lead the breaking of bread at church and that was a growth experience. And perhaps my best Christmas present was hearing that another hospital wants me to be their chaplain.
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'You must never give way for an answer. An answer is always the stretch of road that's behind you. Only a question can point the way forward.'
Mika; in Hello? Is Anybody There?, Jostein Gaardner
Posts: 2592 | From: The wizardest little town in Oz | Registered: Mar 2007
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Paul.
Shipmate
# 37
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Posted
The first half of the year was quiet and pretty similar to the last several years of my life. The second half has been tough. I've never felt so down or so lonely as I have in that time. Fortunately that's gotten better and I suppose it's forced me to deal with some things. I'm back at church, I'm getting "help" for certain issues and I'm trying to make positive changes. I feel like I've seen a glimpse of a better life and I really hope 2014 sees the beginning of that.
Posts: 3689 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2004
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
This year I volunteered to be the office charity rep, as a spare-time activity. It was something of a learning curve with ups and downs, but very rewarding and a real insight into the voluntary sector, and great to meet new people and have fun arranging events.
A friend of mine died in the summer, only three years older than me: she'd been battling cancer on and off for some years, went into remission, made plans to move to Malta with her husband, then suddenly died just a few weeks later around her birthday, which was something of a shock. I haven't been able to "unfriend" her yet on Facebook.
On a much lesser note it was also the year when I gave myself a different hairstyle after a few decades of having the same one. I wanted to look into the mirror and see someone who looked different, in the hope that this would inspire me to make further changes. However, summoning up the energy and sustaining the enthusiasm has been difficult.
All else stayed much the same, though I did find that as often as not I was suddenly discovering new facets of things I'd taken for granted, so making some interesting discoveries. A good and stable year overall with much to be grateful for.
[ 29. December 2013, 12:26: Message edited by: Ariel ]
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Amorya
Ship's tame galoot
# 2652
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Posted
In 2013 I:
- learnt to drive
- was made redundant
- got a new job, remote working
- set up my own company
- got all new housemates (one friend who I'd been living with since I got the house six years ago moved out)
- had the builders in to partition a room (in preparation for the new housemates) and install new heating
- started (and nearly finished) work on a public transport app, in my copious spare time
- didn't finish my thesis (the job search took up my summer, when I'd been hoping to work on it)
- won a hack weekend competition
- spent a week working on the Great Western Main Line (i.e. writing an app whilst travelling up and down by train!)
- trekked all over the country for hospital appointments (all paid for by the NHS, the main reason I won't consider leaving Britain)
- saw my sister go back into hospital, where she still remains
Some good, some bad, some overwhelming. My big problem is trying to juggle doing too many things (being a resident landlord is especially tiring), and 2013 seemed quite bad for that. The job search happening at the same time as having the builders in and getting new housemates was quite unfortunate, and not my fault — but when I think back over 2013, I'll mainly remember it for everything seeming to happen at once!
Posts: 2383 | From: Coventry | Registered: Apr 2002
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sophs
Sardonic Angel
# 2296
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Posted
It's been a crazy year in sophs-land. I got married and none of our relationships changed, we still live as a small family wth our best friend.
Then I found out I was pregnant, and my world brightened immensely and I felt like I had a role in life. Which meant the world came crashing down when I miscarried.
Not very heavenly, but I'm trying to keep hold of hope, although some times it's very hard!
Posts: 5407 | From: searching saharas of sorrow | Registered: Feb 2002
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Sir Kevin
Ship's Gaffer
# 3492
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Posted
(((Sophs)))
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If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Writing is currently my hobby, not yet my profession.
Posts: 30517 | From: White Hart Lane | Registered: Oct 2002
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Sarasa
Shipmate
# 12271
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Posted
Not a bad year. I finally managed to move into a new role at work, with less responsibility and fewer hours, offset by one of my pensions starting which means financially I don;t feel worse off. After lots of applications, and a false start my son has a job he loves, for which I'm very grateful. also started a creative writing course, which I'm really enjoying though I'm still as lazy as ever when it comes to actually writing unless it's an assignment!
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'I guess things didn't go so well tonight, but I'm trying. Lord, I'm trying.' Charlie (Harvey Keitel) in Mean Streets.
Posts: 2035 | From: London | Registered: Jan 2007
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The5thMary
Shipmate
# 12953
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Posted
2013... some really good things: I got to fly out to Seattle to attend a dear friend's wedding and stayed for ten days, visiting old haunts and falling in love with the area all over again.
2013's not-so-pleasant things: Our ex-roommate's suicide attempt and all the drama of her getting kicked out by my partner and I. The ex-roommate's total lack of caring for one of her cats, who died on our living room floor on Labor Day. Said ex-roommate couldn't be bothered to spend the money for her poor cat to go to the vet. Because there was massive amounts of pot, computer games, and first edition books to buy. ![[Mad]](angryfire.gif)
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God gave me my face but She let me pick my nose.
Posts: 3451 | From: Tacoma, WA USA | Registered: Aug 2007
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Barnabas Aus
Shipmate
# 15869
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Posted
Sophs,if it's any consolation son and daughter-in-law went through the same. D-i-l was overjoyed to be pregnant but then miscarried due to whooping cough caught on the return flight from an overseas holiday. She was quite ill for some months, but fell pregnant again soon after she was cleared to try again, and now has a cheerful 18 month old son. He has been one of the joys of 2013 for us, and I pray that you will experience the joy of motherhood.
Posts: 375 | From: Hunter Valley NSW | Registered: Sep 2010
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la vie en rouge
Parisienne
# 10688
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Posted
I’m pretty pleased with 2013. It finished considerably better than it started.
At the beginning of the year:
- Working for a boss with what the French charmingly describe as a “character problem”.
- Living with a crappy housemate who treated me with a lot of what I shall euphemistically call, er, disrespect.
This was all kinds of sucky because I hated being at work but I didn’t want to go home either which meant I was basically miserable all the time.
By the end of the year:
- Working for someone else (internal move within the same firm). Mr. Character Problem’s new assistant came to see me the other day and said “You are my *hero* - how did you do it? How long did you work for him? ” (After a mere four months, she’s ready to walk out. I worked for the psycho for two and a half years. Yes, I deserve some kind of medal.)
- Housemate has moved out (of her own volition).
The other major event of my year was getting the shock of my life in May when my best friend of a bazillion years turned out to be in love with me. This was really, really bizarre for a while, but then I got used to the idea and figured out how to do what was in my own best interests ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
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Rent my holiday home in the South of France
Posts: 3696 | Registered: Nov 2005
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georgiaboy
Shipmate
# 11294
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Posted
2013 was a year of many highs, with a few very low lows.
High: getting my second hip replacement (I now have a matched pair.) Low: timing of surgical recovery. I missed all of Holy Week & Easter Day.
High: playing on a group organ recital on a glorious organ in a fabulous acoustic. Low: finding out that the recording didn't work.
High: being invited to play an organ recital for a parish I once served as organist-choirmaster. Low: not getting paid for it (but I knew that in advance, so it really doesn't count.)
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You can't retire from a calling.
Posts: 1675 | From: saint meinrad, IN | Registered: Apr 2006
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ArachnidinElmet
Shipmate
# 17346
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Posted
Ye Gods, 2012 was not a good year: I lost both my job and my mojo in quick succession. 2013, in comparison has been a little better, said mojo only coming back slowly. However, I have a new twin niece and nephew, and a new godson, made new friends and lots of new people at church mean interesting things are afoot. I have reason to hope that 2014 will be worth the effort.
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'If a pleasant, straight-forward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle manoeuvres' - Kafka
Posts: 1887 | From: the rhubarb triangle | Registered: Sep 2012
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Galloping Granny
Shipmate
# 13814
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Posted
PeteC and Sir Kevin – hope 2014 is Much Better.
The best part: seeing son and DiL find two nice kids (now 12 & 13) to foster: much love and blossoming of life as a family. The kids' older brother and sister (now 16 and 15) have become part of the menage when they're not at boarding school.
The worst part: the Grandad having emergency surgery on 9 August for a strangulated gut (which had already had a great length removed) followed by 3 months in hospital; now on a rigid regime of medication, dietary supplements, yukky drinks in large quantities, while we wait for the remaining minimal length of intestine to take over its job of digesting the nice meals I contrive. It will take months; as his carer I'm assigned someone to come fortnightly to help with housework. Life is totally focussed on his needs but I do get rested and will eventually use allowed respite time for a trip to the grandchildren in Canada.
Hardest part is keeping his spirits up. But we do have support from friends neighbours and church folk.
GG
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The Kingdom of Heaven is spread upon the earth, and men do not see it. Gospel of Thomas, 113
Posts: 2629 | From: Matarangi | Registered: Jun 2008
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JoannaP
Shipmate
# 4493
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Posted
2013 wasn't a bad year but it would have been better if I had been less depressed and more resilient.
2014 has the potential to be a great year but there are a couple of points where it could all go horribly wrong - and that is just what I know about...
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"Freedom for the pike is death for the minnow." R. H. Tawney (quoted by Isaiah Berlin)
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin
Posts: 1877 | From: England | Registered: May 2003
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
If you know about them is there anything you could do to either prevent them or at least ameliorate the effects?
I get depressed too and I've found that trying to plan ahead when I am feeling ok can make it easier when the bad things happen, or better still, prevent them happening.
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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JoannaP
Shipmate
# 4493
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Posted
Not totally as they depend on other people but, yes, planning my part in advance would help, rather than just panicking.
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"Freedom for the pike is death for the minnow." R. H. Tawney (quoted by Isaiah Berlin)
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin
Posts: 1877 | From: England | Registered: May 2003
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L'organist
Shipmate
# 17338
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Posted
Not brilliant, and not much prospect of improvement in 2014.
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Rara temporum felicitate ubi sentire quae velis et quae sentias dicere licet
Posts: 4950 | From: somewhere in England... | Registered: Sep 2012
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Stercus Tauri
Shipmate
# 16668
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Posted
In 2013 I learned all I ever wanted to know about melanoma and how to treat it - met some amazing medics and found I had more friends than I ever knew. Learned that immunotherapy is not for everyone - that was the low point. Younger daughter had a difficult pregnancy that produced the most delightful and healthy baby imaginable, and a gloriously happy mother. On balance, a good year. I'd settle for a bit less excitement in 2014, however.
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Thay haif said. Quhat say thay, Lat thame say (George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal)
Posts: 905 | From: On the traditional lands of the Six Nations. | Registered: Sep 2011
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Caissa
Shipmate
# 16710
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Posted
I will always remember 2013 as the year my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery seems to have been successful and she will start radiation treatment soon.
Posts: 972 | From: Saint John, N.B. | Registered: Oct 2011
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