Back by what I presume I can call popular demand (i.e. people other than my mother - who is after all Parentally Obligated to greet my every utterance with "but of course, that's wonderful darling!" - told me it was a good idea), I am back blogging. No doubt all my good intentions to do so on a more regular basis will fall by the wayside like so many New Year resolutions (my life really isn't all that interesting, and there's only so many times you can get outraged about the same old thing before you give yourself a peptic ulcer); I was always rubbish at keeping a diary, and my attempt a few years ago to write a poem a day for a year spectacularly crashed and burned in October, but then again I may just surprise myself. After all, last year I decided to do the "Good Things Jar" and managed to keep it up for a whole year, so who knows what remarkable feats of longevity I may be capable of in 2015!
For the uninitiated, the "Good Things Jar" pretty much does what it says on the, er, jar. You take a container (mine is an empty biscuit jar) and, throughout the year, you write down on bits of paper good things which happen to you. This can be anything from surprise gifts, great outings with friends/family, random compliments you receive, a particularly moving sunset you happen to see - anything at all which makes you go "ooh! Good!" - and then you fold up the paper and stick it in your jar. Keep going until the end of the year and then, on New Years Eve (or 1st January if you're contrary like me) open the jar and look back at all the wondrous things the year held for you. I've just finished doing mine for 2014 and it's kind of amazing to look back at stuff that happened in, say, January and think "oh wow, that was a really lovely memory to have".
My jar for 2014 looked like this at the end of the year:
It may not look much but let me tell you, contained in that unprepossessing biscuit jar from Tesco were a whole host of wonderful things; things which I both remembered anyway (because they were Big Events) and things I had completely forgotten about. I'm quite a nostalgic person anyway - hence the Vintage Clothing Habit - but sometimes it's nice to look back on something and think "huh. That was really cool and I almost forgot about it."
My jar seems to have pretty broad and (mostly) unsurprising themes: Family; Friends; Big Events; Gigs; Nature; General Stuff (incidentally, why isn't there a superhero called General Stuff?); Achievements; and Surprise Gifts/Compliments Received. Oh, and my cat of course. Because Bridey-Louise is in a category all of her own...furry weirdo...
Now clearly I'm not going to post 365 days-worth of "Good Stuff" because that would be a) insane and b) boring, but just in case anyone is interested or thinking of doing this for 2015, here is a sample of all the Good Stuff 2014 brought me:
Family
There was a lot of good stuff involving my family this year - I'm incredibly lucky that the maternal side of my family is so close and provides me with so much love, support and general Fun Times. Had lots of Mother-Daughter outings this year, which were fab (only she and I can make trips to Ikea or Pets at Home hilarious), but obviously the big two events from 2014 involving the family were the return of my cousin Lucy from her year in Japan in August, and the birth of my niece Hayden in October. I love my clan; they're all mad as several boxes of frogs (it's where I get it from), but they are also the most warm and loving and generous people you could ever hope to be related to and I am very blessed to be part of it.
Friends
To be honest I'm amazed any of you put up with me. I annoy myself most of the time; how you stick with me is beyond me but I'm very grateful you all do. My work colleagues are the best team in the world. My Book Club has the most amazing women in it. My Wolverhampton gig queue buddies. My Nightwish-forum friends. My beloved, completely indispensable and completely insane Forumbats. No matter where I know you from you are as vital to me as breathing and I couldn't be without you. To be a good friend you have to have good friends, and I have the best in the world. Standout mentions from 2014 are seeing Limbo again with Nick (and, most importantly, getting to finally meet the lovely Marion!); going to Paris to stay with my beloved Baby Forumbat Gemma; jousting madness at Hever Castle with my lovely Loz and her wonderful family (also the rain-soaked Tropical Wings trip which proved I totally rock a poncho); and the birth of a beautiful little girl to my friend Sarah, but the biggest and most important Friendship Memory of 2014 was being invited to attend Ray and Hannah's wedding, and Ray asking me to be Ringbearer. It was the most beautiful, magical event and could not have happened to two nicer and more wonderful people. I was genuinely touched and honoured that you asked me to be part of it.
Big Events
So many, so many. The Commonwealth Games and meeting Tom Daley halfway up the Scott Monument. The Invictus Games and meeting Mike and Zara Tindall. Being in Notre Dame on Easter Sunday with Gemma as the choir started singing the Miserere, and being in Sacre Coure as the Nuns started singing the day before. Coriolanus. Getting upgraded seats at Once. The Crucible. Matisse's cut-outs exhibition. Monty Python live. Riverdance (again). Edward Scissorhands ballet (also again). How to be Parisian in One Hour. Shakespeare's Sonnets at the South Bank. Meeting Lena Headey and Juliet Landau at Comic-Con. Culture, culture everywhere...
Gigs
Few and far between this year: Leaves Eyes, Van Canto (where Victoria and I met Winterstorm and were rapidly converted to shameless groupies!), Doro frigging Pesch, Clapham Calling, The Pretty Reckless and Slash, complete with excellent busker outside.
Nature
Seems to be comprised of "oh look, a full moon!" or "oh! Pretty sunset! My favourite time of day!" I also appear to have been quite excited by the first daffodils, the first horse chestnuts, thunderstorms, a bee, a flock of Canada geese, a blue tit and some fox cubs racing around the car park on my way back from a gig. That said, I had actually forgotten I'd seen two herons this year, rather randomly while on my way to/from work (in both January and April), and that on 7th September I saw a fully-arched rainbow, then the sunset and then a full moon one after the other. So that wins!
General Stuff
Oy. This consists of a lot of randomness, films I've seen, and far too many "I bought shoes/vintage clothes/secondhand clothes!" comments for my liking. People will think I need an intervention staged for my habit...Still, if you can get yourself an Ossie Clarke dress for less than half price I consider it worthy of mention!!
Achievements
Hmm, now this was a surprise. I was told on three separate occasions that I was very useful/helpful at work, by people other than my immediate team. How lovely to realise other people value your work so highly...makes it worth going in every day. The launch of the SHIP website went really well, after all the stress it caused us. I finished the first cross stitch picture and the first poem I'd done in forever. And, most importantly, I finally finished the NaNoWriMo novel I'd written for the girls in my Book Club. Let's just not mention the others I need to do...
Surprise Gifts/Compliments Received
This was also a surprise, looking back! The surprise gifts I received were all absolutely lovely, but it's the compliments which surprised me the most while reading back through all the scraps of paper. I was complimented on my tattoos twice by total strangers, once at Comic-Con by a guy who spotted my Apocalyptica tattoo and a) knew who they were, b) loved them and c) thought the tattoo was excellent. Several items of clothing I wore (mostly vintage ones) were also complimented by random strangers, including one very well-dressed lady who told me my dress was "a collectors piece" and, on another occasion where a stranger complimented me on my dress, hearing the woman in the bakery I get my lunch from chime in "oh, she always wears lovely dresses!" How lovely. The best compliment from a total stranger, however, and one I had completely forgotten about, was being told by a former actress/director while I was on a course at work that I had "elegance, grace, and a face made for being in costume dramas". Mind. Blown.
So that was 2014, then; all 365 days of it. I'm going to do the Good Things Jar again this year; after all, I already know I have several Big Things coming up which I'm looking forward to, and I'm also going to try to keep this blog going. New year, shiny new blog layout and a whole host of good intentions. Lets see how this goes...
For the uninitiated, the "Good Things Jar" pretty much does what it says on the, er, jar. You take a container (mine is an empty biscuit jar) and, throughout the year, you write down on bits of paper good things which happen to you. This can be anything from surprise gifts, great outings with friends/family, random compliments you receive, a particularly moving sunset you happen to see - anything at all which makes you go "ooh! Good!" - and then you fold up the paper and stick it in your jar. Keep going until the end of the year and then, on New Years Eve (or 1st January if you're contrary like me) open the jar and look back at all the wondrous things the year held for you. I've just finished doing mine for 2014 and it's kind of amazing to look back at stuff that happened in, say, January and think "oh wow, that was a really lovely memory to have".
My jar for 2014 looked like this at the end of the year:
It may not look much but let me tell you, contained in that unprepossessing biscuit jar from Tesco were a whole host of wonderful things; things which I both remembered anyway (because they were Big Events) and things I had completely forgotten about. I'm quite a nostalgic person anyway - hence the Vintage Clothing Habit - but sometimes it's nice to look back on something and think "huh. That was really cool and I almost forgot about it."
My jar seems to have pretty broad and (mostly) unsurprising themes: Family; Friends; Big Events; Gigs; Nature; General Stuff (incidentally, why isn't there a superhero called General Stuff?); Achievements; and Surprise Gifts/Compliments Received. Oh, and my cat of course. Because Bridey-Louise is in a category all of her own...furry weirdo...
Now clearly I'm not going to post 365 days-worth of "Good Stuff" because that would be a) insane and b) boring, but just in case anyone is interested or thinking of doing this for 2015, here is a sample of all the Good Stuff 2014 brought me:
Family
There was a lot of good stuff involving my family this year - I'm incredibly lucky that the maternal side of my family is so close and provides me with so much love, support and general Fun Times. Had lots of Mother-Daughter outings this year, which were fab (only she and I can make trips to Ikea or Pets at Home hilarious), but obviously the big two events from 2014 involving the family were the return of my cousin Lucy from her year in Japan in August, and the birth of my niece Hayden in October. I love my clan; they're all mad as several boxes of frogs (it's where I get it from), but they are also the most warm and loving and generous people you could ever hope to be related to and I am very blessed to be part of it.
Friends
To be honest I'm amazed any of you put up with me. I annoy myself most of the time; how you stick with me is beyond me but I'm very grateful you all do. My work colleagues are the best team in the world. My Book Club has the most amazing women in it. My Wolverhampton gig queue buddies. My Nightwish-forum friends. My beloved, completely indispensable and completely insane Forumbats. No matter where I know you from you are as vital to me as breathing and I couldn't be without you. To be a good friend you have to have good friends, and I have the best in the world. Standout mentions from 2014 are seeing Limbo again with Nick (and, most importantly, getting to finally meet the lovely Marion!); going to Paris to stay with my beloved Baby Forumbat Gemma; jousting madness at Hever Castle with my lovely Loz and her wonderful family (also the rain-soaked Tropical Wings trip which proved I totally rock a poncho); and the birth of a beautiful little girl to my friend Sarah, but the biggest and most important Friendship Memory of 2014 was being invited to attend Ray and Hannah's wedding, and Ray asking me to be Ringbearer. It was the most beautiful, magical event and could not have happened to two nicer and more wonderful people. I was genuinely touched and honoured that you asked me to be part of it.
Big Events
So many, so many. The Commonwealth Games and meeting Tom Daley halfway up the Scott Monument. The Invictus Games and meeting Mike and Zara Tindall. Being in Notre Dame on Easter Sunday with Gemma as the choir started singing the Miserere, and being in Sacre Coure as the Nuns started singing the day before. Coriolanus. Getting upgraded seats at Once. The Crucible. Matisse's cut-outs exhibition. Monty Python live. Riverdance (again). Edward Scissorhands ballet (also again). How to be Parisian in One Hour. Shakespeare's Sonnets at the South Bank. Meeting Lena Headey and Juliet Landau at Comic-Con. Culture, culture everywhere...
Gigs
Few and far between this year: Leaves Eyes, Van Canto (where Victoria and I met Winterstorm and were rapidly converted to shameless groupies!), Doro frigging Pesch, Clapham Calling, The Pretty Reckless and Slash, complete with excellent busker outside.
Nature
Seems to be comprised of "oh look, a full moon!" or "oh! Pretty sunset! My favourite time of day!" I also appear to have been quite excited by the first daffodils, the first horse chestnuts, thunderstorms, a bee, a flock of Canada geese, a blue tit and some fox cubs racing around the car park on my way back from a gig. That said, I had actually forgotten I'd seen two herons this year, rather randomly while on my way to/from work (in both January and April), and that on 7th September I saw a fully-arched rainbow, then the sunset and then a full moon one after the other. So that wins!
General Stuff
Oy. This consists of a lot of randomness, films I've seen, and far too many "I bought shoes/vintage clothes/secondhand clothes!" comments for my liking. People will think I need an intervention staged for my habit...Still, if you can get yourself an Ossie Clarke dress for less than half price I consider it worthy of mention!!
Achievements
Hmm, now this was a surprise. I was told on three separate occasions that I was very useful/helpful at work, by people other than my immediate team. How lovely to realise other people value your work so highly...makes it worth going in every day. The launch of the SHIP website went really well, after all the stress it caused us. I finished the first cross stitch picture and the first poem I'd done in forever. And, most importantly, I finally finished the NaNoWriMo novel I'd written for the girls in my Book Club. Let's just not mention the others I need to do...
Surprise Gifts/Compliments Received
This was also a surprise, looking back! The surprise gifts I received were all absolutely lovely, but it's the compliments which surprised me the most while reading back through all the scraps of paper. I was complimented on my tattoos twice by total strangers, once at Comic-Con by a guy who spotted my Apocalyptica tattoo and a) knew who they were, b) loved them and c) thought the tattoo was excellent. Several items of clothing I wore (mostly vintage ones) were also complimented by random strangers, including one very well-dressed lady who told me my dress was "a collectors piece" and, on another occasion where a stranger complimented me on my dress, hearing the woman in the bakery I get my lunch from chime in "oh, she always wears lovely dresses!" How lovely. The best compliment from a total stranger, however, and one I had completely forgotten about, was being told by a former actress/director while I was on a course at work that I had "elegance, grace, and a face made for being in costume dramas". Mind. Blown.
So that was 2014, then; all 365 days of it. I'm going to do the Good Things Jar again this year; after all, I already know I have several Big Things coming up which I'm looking forward to, and I'm also going to try to keep this blog going. New year, shiny new blog layout and a whole host of good intentions. Lets see how this goes...
You can include General Fun Times with General Stuff as he/she got a mention in your blog post as well ;-)
ReplyDeleteBig kudos to having an Apocalyptica tattoo, I saw them in Oxford years ago and have been a fan ever since.