Ship of Fools: 2014: a retrospective

Thread: 2014: a retrospective Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

So, as this year draws to a close, what will you remember 2014 for? Glad to see the back of this year, or did it hold some good things for you?

2014 will be memorable for the Ebola outbreaks, the still as yet unsolved disappearance of flight MH370, IS and Boko Haram increasing their offensive, the World Cup, the commemoration of World War One, and also quite a lot of other things on a more local level.

What were the significant points of 2014 for you, personally?

Posted by Pine Marten (# 11068) on :

Personally I'll be glad to see the back of it, with various family traumas from July onwards, still ongoing [Frown]

So I'm looking forward to (I hope) a new start, a new year, ...and especially the reinterment of Richard III - oh yes, we'll be in Leicester that week [Biased]

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :

2014 has been a year I would rather forget.

My middle son and his wife separated, acrimoniously, and he moved in with me. He still lives here until legal matters are sorted.

A few weeks after the split, Miss M, his nine year old daughter, was diagnosed with ALL, acute leukaemia. She was particularly ill and spent some months in hospital and more at home. He juggled overnight stays in hospital and working full time. She went to school for only the last term of the four term school year.

His job was a casual job which he had had for about 18 months until his employer lost a large contract and all casuals were sacked. This happened less than a week after he was told he would be made permanent with better conditions.

His car self destructed beyond repair and as he really needed one to look for and attend work and hospital, I bought him another.

There is another side to the year however. Miss M is responding well to treatment and is on a maintenance dose of chemo. All being well, this will continue for at least two more years. More likely three. She is bright and happy and her hair is growing again.

He now has a much better permanent job with more money in a firm where people are appreciative of each other. He now looks forward to going to work, although the job is busy.

The support shown to us has been amazing and it continues to amaze me. Prayers and support from just so many on here. A large craft community to which I belong which has relatively few members in Australia has been astounding. Encouragement often when members did not even know I needed it. Gifts for Miss M and beautiful letters to her as well have flowed in regularly. Gifts showing great thought and care. My son has discovered a group of men who have supported him in a way he needed but which I could not supply. His church has also rallied around to help and he says he has seen more of his two brothers this year than for a long time. Emails and phone calls as well.

The year has been hard but grace has been shown from many different quarters to us.

[ 27. December 2014, 10:00: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

2014 has been a year I'd rather forget as well.

It began with my thinking in January that things were going very well, and it was all too good to be true. This was abruptly shattered at Easter by unexpected family illness, and recovery has been only partial. In the weeks that followed, while I was trying to come to terms with this and the implications of it, I lost my aunt and then my uncle.

There have been many difficult decisions to make this year, the kind where there is no clear "good" course of action, but where any decision leads to further difficult choices.

On the plus side, I've learnt that life goes on, and that what you have should be enjoyed and savoured. I no longer save things "for best" - I've put some things aside for years for that special occasion, which mostly hasn't arisen, but now is the time to use them and enjoy them. You can't keep anything forever so you may as well use it while it's still good to be used. My New Year resolution will be to stop putting other things on hold indefinitely - years can pass that way.

There have been many small but enjoyable journeys of discovery, and I've had the chance to organize charity fundraising events which get people involved, bring them together and benefit the recipients. It's been hard work but great fun. It's been a year of discovery generally - about other people, and about what really matters. And sometimes I've just had to shut my eyes, grit my teeth and have faith without looking at the philosophical question of whether there is a higher power or not. But my boat seems to have survived sailing through the clashing rocks and stormy waters for the time being.

Posted by Tree Bee (# 4033) on :

I had a dream of celebrating my 60th birthday in June in Victoria BC, but we had to wait for the results of hospital tests to see if Mr Bee could travel.
As his operation wasn't urgently required my dream came true. And my Mum was able to come too, though she missed meeting up with an old friend as she died a month or so before we travelled. She was able to go to the interment of her ashes though and loved meeting her friend's family and friends, some of whom she hadn't met for decades.
A cousin of mine who emigrated to Australia in the '60s visited London in July, and I met both her and another cousin for a day of non stop talking!
The choir I'm in supported West End star Kerry Ellis at her Stevenage concert, what a buzz, and we recorded tracks at Abbey Road.
I watched daughter Erin and her husband complete a half marathon which was amazing as she only started running in 2013.
Sadly, 2 work colleagues and my son in law's father died, all far too soon.
Mr Bee had his operation last month and as far as we know all is well.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

2014 has been a stellar year for me. I wrote three entire novels, each about 100k in word count. This is a level of productivity that I have never hit before and am unlikely to duplicate, which means this may well have been the best year of my life.

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :

The most significant change for our family in 2014 was that Nenlet2 moved away to continue his studies, thus making Mr Nen and I empty nesters. Adjusting to this is still a work in progress. It was also the year that Mr Nen went to part time working, but as he still works pretty much all the hours God sends it has not constituted a change - apart from the income level. [Roll Eyes]

But it's been an ok year. [Smile]

Posted by Heavenly Anarchist (# 13313) on :

On initially reflection I thought I had a very dull year. I was forced to take a break from study the previous October due to my funding arrangements and that meant my days seemed empty until the summer (I enjoy studying, I never had the chance as a teenager and embrace it now). I took voluntary redundancy from the course I teach in February due to too many commitments, this was a positive move but added to the feeling of loss.
But thinking back I developed a new hobby of historical re-enactment and was able to endure my love of history and sewing costumes. I started a Masters in Ed in October 2014 and this has turned my thoughts to doing a PhD in the history of health at some point in the future. My sons are more independent and growing quickly. Friendships at church have grown and I've bravely joined a local sewing group. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :

It was nice to kick the cancer into a corner and tell it to shut up and keep its head down. We went to Scotland - in fact, I went twice - to see my ancient mother and my sister, meet a Famous Author and his parents in the North East, visit Iona yet again, see lots of good friends and drink a modicum of good beer. My small business was not too busy - just enough to be a useful diversion, with only one seriously diabolical customer. Our grandchildren are delightful - lovely small people. A good year.

Posted by nickel (# 8363) on :

2014 was about Looking Forward. In February we closed on our retirement home. It's a 70-year old smaller home in a cozy city a few hours from here. House was in the midst of being updated, so we jumped in with time to guide the final decisions. Too late to save the pink bathrooms, but we were able to preserve the original wood windows, wide trim, arches, light fixtures, and other charming touches. Good thing we weren't in a hurry to move, 'cause it's only just recently been fully ready. Dear husband has just retired, and will spend the next few months preparing our current home to put on the market.

Also early in 2014, our daughter lost her job, came home for four or five angsty months, and finally landed a job just outside of NYC. (My little girl, raised in a county with less than a dozen stop lights, regularly drives a big ol' work truck in downtown Manhattan. She amazes me.) I'm hoping she still sees grad school in her future, in another year or two.

2013 was unpleasant due to w*rk issues. 2014 blew by with little time for anything other than house stuff and daughter's job hunt. Here's hoping the pace slows down and we can settle, relax, and Enjoy the Present in 2015.

Posted by Beenster (# 242) on :

2014 for me was about starting to solidify the changes that I made in 2013. I made radical changes towards the end of 2013 and I am so lucky that they are more or less working out - not always as I would wish but nevertheless, I'm better off in 2014 than 2013.

I'm looking forward to 2015 in a way that I haven't looked forward to other years on the back of doing stuff in 2014. I hope it lasts.

Lowlight: not going on holiday as I hurt my back real bad.
Highlights: walking walking walking.

I honestly think that without my walking, I would have gone a bit potty in 2014 but I've moved to the countryside (2013) and spend as many weekends as possible out in the hills and mountains and no I'm not slimmer for it but I am more relaxed and fulfilled from it.

Posted by Rowen (# 1194) on :

My parish is several hundred kilometres wide, in remote mountains in Victoria, Australia. Last summer about one third of it burned In horrendous bushfires, that lasted three months.

Recovery has lasted obviously, for months. Pastoral ministry has been extensive.

My continuing education this year as mostly been in disaster management.

It has been stressful. Yet, in spite of that.... I have had incredible adventures, met amazing people, and discovered God's grace in unexpected places and in unfamiliar faces.

Today, so far, the worst day in the current fire season of midsummer. Nothing bad yet. We wait with baited breathe.

Posted by BessLane (# 15176) on :

2014 started with the stabbing death of a young friend of mine in the wee hours of January 1st and never got any better. I'm glad to see the backside of last year and fervently praying that 2015 is much happier...

Posted by ChaliceGirl (# 13656) on :

I had 3 cats for quite sometime and I said I was stopping at 3. No more!

Then in 2014 I adopted cat #4!

No regrets, she's a real love and she would have been put down had I not rescued her.

But I'm stopping at 4. Really! [Big Grin]

[ 05. January 2015, 18:36: Message edited by: ChaliceGirl ]

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