Lots of fellow bloggers are doing wonderful wrap-ups of 2014, a year that’s had variable amounts of success for folks. Of course, now I come to look for them, they’re proving hard to find. But you’re resourceful, I’m sure you can track them down.
If you want to know what I’ve been up to in 2014, then hit the archives here on this blog! I’ve done stuff. And things. Occasionally both but never without a proper rest between the two. I failed spectacularly at NaNoWriMo (total word count on work in progress for November: ~4). We, as a family, completed our first full year in England. We’ve seen knights fighting, folk musicians playing everything from the hurdy-gurdy, the hammer dulcimer, assorted shawms… The wonderfully talented Pete Shaw has introduced us to the joys of the pub folk session and me to the Greenwood Quire. But enough about last year. That’s done and dusted. I didn’t get my head around my own Appalacian dulcimer last year, that’s definitely a job for this year.
So… 2015. Yes…
I already know it’s going to be a year of ups and downs.
My eldest will finish the year staring down the barrel of her GCSE mocks but with her bronze Duke of Edinburgh under her belt. She’ll be running her school’s Role-Playing Club, most likely GMing 13th Age. She and I will have begun bell-ringing. Interesting stuff!
Next down, Thing 2 will’ve finished his first full year of Senior School and be well into his second. Hopefully he’ll get his head around the clubs, orchestras, string quartets and the like and be attending more than just the squash club. Not that that’s a bad one to be in, I was more than a bit surprised when he said he was in it! He might well take his backstroke on a bit more, join a swimming club…
For the other 3, life continues in junior school with little change. I think I’ve got a year with no SATS or other testing. Most momentous will be Thing 5 moving from reception to Year 1! Exciting stuff.
Me, I’ve got to lose at least 15kg. To do this I’ll be using the patented “eat less and exercise more” diet technique that has served me well in the past. To this end (and to complete our family) we welcomed Typhon into our pack. He’s a 14 week old German Shepherd, bright as a spark and with a lovely nature. I’m sure the cats will love him and he the cats. Eventually. Anyway, he’s the perfect excuse to get up and about every day. As he grows, his exercise needs will grow with him, and we’ll all be fitter. Win-win.
We’ve got a Mark Knopfler concert to look forward to, the Lord Mayor’s Show in London in November, birthdays, family gatherings, more knights and definitely some jousting. Broadstairs Folk Week, Quire and choir concerts. Hopefully Blackmore’s Night will be back in the UK this year. Going to be fun.
On the other hand, this is probably going to be the year I lose my dad. Mind you, we’ve been thinking that since he was diagnosed with bowel cancer back in 1999. He’s starting 2015 on chemo – the last in his current cycle, mind you – but his doctors are pleased with what they’ve seen so far. Even he’s happy with his x-rays – interesting, the skills you pick up! But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Who knows, maybe he’ll beat the odds again and I’ll be writing this again at the start of 2016.
Long story short, 2015 is going to be a bit of a rollercoaster. But then, what year isn’t?