Old papers thrown away, old garments cast aside

It's that time of year again, the time for...........THE MEME.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

I went to band camp!

I took 2 sick days off work. I had not taken a sick day since I started teaching full time in 2008. Of course I didn't take two in a row. I took one, went back to work, got sicker, and took another. But still it was good because I learned that work doesn't fall apart if I take a day off. That was a good lesson.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Here we go:

* Keep my household in reasonable order, both materially and spiritually. It's a lot of work. But it's MY work.

Yes, I think I have mostly achieved this. We enjoy our home: it's welcoming, clean, organized, friendly, personalized. People comment on the decor as well as the comfort and peace they feel upon coming into our home. The different rooms and spaces are well used and customized for the things we like to do.

I keep up a regular cleaning schedule. Nothing has become permanently gross or neglected.

My husband enjoys coming home and being at home. :-) I enjoy coming home.

Unclutterer.com has been a good inspiration for organizing projects. In the past few months I've become very interested in making spaces and processes as efficient as possible. There is something extremely satisfying to me about a space that is well organized, about a process that works efficiently.

I still struggle with meal planning. I started off well this year, then fell off the wagon. I have a few recipes that work well, but to keep it up week after week every day still gets overwhelming.

* Continue to create community. There's such a need for this in our lives, in everybody's lives.

I guess I'm doing OK with this one but I always feel like I should do more. There's so many people I feel like I should connect with more often, but weeks go by and it doesn't happen. It's like I need an appointment schedule to keep in touch with people.

We continue to enjoy band and the Westwinds community. I am again in Blue band (percussion) and Silver Band (euphonium). I also started taking a stepdance class with Dance Through Life this year and it's been great to meet that community of dancers. I bonded with several people at band camp in North Dakota.

However I had little enthusiasm in the latter part of the year to organize anything social, so whatever social events we enjoyed were thanks to other people's planning, which I do appreciate very much.

* Find time to journal and blog. Much as I like my busy life, my full engagement with the world, I am also a thinker and I need to contemplate. I'm not at my best when I'm chopped into five or six pieces and everybody grabbing for a bite. I need time to be whole and to allow my soul to return home.

Well, I did slightly more blogging than I did last year. I also think I managed to blog about most of the important things on my mind, which is what matters in the end. I don't feel chopped up and spread thin, so I suppose that says a lot!

* Continue to engage with teaching in creative, powerful, beneficial, enhancing ways. At the same time I need to keep School in perspective and remember that School isn't my whole identity or the grand sum total of the work that defines me. I don't know exactly what I was put on this earth to do, but I'm pretty sure it was a heck of a lot of things; I'm not a "one mission" kind of person.

I'm satisfied on this count. I've tried a few new things the past few months and have enjoyed them, and have plenty of good ideas still to act on.

I believe I've kept work in perspective. I do think about it a lot, but generally that's because it is interesting, not because I am stressing or obsessing over it (I know the difference).

* Prepare for the Next Phase.

Sure, plenty of thought has gone into this :-)

For next year....

Become a more consistent meal planner / cook.

Maintain balance and harmony in the different parts of my life.

Ask people how they're doing more often, both the ones I see every day and the ones I don't.

Read more poetry. I'm re-reading Seamus Heaney's Finders Keepers, which always makes me want to read and write poetry.

Do what I can to prepare for new challenges.

Save money.

Exercise patience and grace and humour in challenging circumstances.

Write at least 5 more blog entries than in 2011 :-D

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No, again. Aw, come on people! Would you live a little already?

;-)

4. Did anyone close to you die? No. Another year that I was lucky to have everyone close to me still in my life. May it be so for many years yet.

5. What countries did you visit? Jamaica and Montana, U.S.A.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Hmmm. What about patience with people who do not share my perspective, either because they have different priorities, or because they are, er, just not that well informed? Maybe I could make more effort to be understanding of their challenges, and reach out to them, instead of yearning to conk them.

Other than that, I can't say I lack anything. I am ready to rock and roll and evolve again. Bring it on!

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I don't think there were any days in particular. There were a couple of rough months, but they ended on a sane note, hallejulah. Jamaica in February was awesome and a welcome getaway from the Alberta deep freeze. The summer was enjoyable especially the little trips, including anniversary weekend in Montana, band camp, and B.C.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Staying sane when it felt like I was sure to lose my mind. Being a good colleague at work from September to December. Being a wife my hubby enjoys to be around.

9. What was your biggest failure?

There were some setbacks and frustrations but nothing, I think, that I can't outlast and outsmart.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Good boots. It's a cold mean winter world out there.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My team at work. Wow wow and wow. They are so awesome.

The students. They have made such progress.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Appalled is pretty strong word; I'll save that one for a very dire offense. With regards to the Challenging Months, I was disappointed and angered by people whom I felt really should have done better than they did in some particular situations. But, we move on.

I am dealing with an Appalling Situation of another kind lately. It remains to be seen what will become of that.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Savings, and fun spending. Gotta watch that fun spending.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

It might sound weird, but I really enjoyed Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training in January. It gave me confidence in dealing with people in crisis. The mix of detachment, self-understanding, strategic action, compassion and common sense in the TCI approach was deeply validating.

I was glad to have a summer where I didn't have to deal with 1) a wedding 2) a broken foot. It was good to have an ordinary summer. :-)

I enjoyed having a colleague join me in teaching my program at work. I appreciate the energy, brains and heart she brings to our work. It is a privilege.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

ABBA's I have a Dream. I like the message of keeping a dream, a fantasy in your mind to remember what is really important. I've always been one who pictured what I wanted or hoped for in my mind. And often the dream does come true. Not necessarily in the details, but in the colours, in the melody.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder?

I'm not exactly happier or sadder. It's like every year I get a slightly better idea of what really makes me happy, and I appreciate the things that do a little bit more. Happiness isn't just a reaction to things; it's a ritual I enact.

At the same time I have a deeper understanding of the things that are sad about life.

Also as I get older in a way I feel the need to think about, and really appreciate both the happy and the sad things in life, because none of it will be around forever. I don't want to run away from anything. I want to take everything in.

ii. thinner or fatter? Not much change.

iii. richer or poorer?

Working on that RRSP.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

This time of year, I have not the slightest desire to do more of anything. I've done enough!

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Making decisions in haste, when I was under stress. A few times it felt like I was the only one who really cared about certain things and by trying so hard to get them done properly, I actually annoyed people. If I'd taken things slower, even though that was frustrating for me, I could have perhaps gotten them done in a way that was less provocative.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my in-laws in Michigan.

21. What was your favorite TV program?

House, Futurama and Big Bang Theory for silliness.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Nah, I'm not a hater, at most I am disdainful, but I am willing to give people a second chance.

If I hated anyone it would be as much my problem as theirs', probably more so.

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The piano. I am learning the piano! And it really does sound like a million colours in my mind.

24. What did you want and get?

Various kinds of musical instruments. At last count, we have:

A bass clarinet

A clarinet (2011)

A euphonium

Two Native hand drums (2011)

A tambourine (2011)

Aslatos and egg shaker (2011)

Bell set

Piano (2011)

Snare drum (2011, birthday present from hubby)

A wooden flute (2012, birthday present from Warren and Kris)

25. What did you want and not get?

The opportunity to buy out my step mother in law's entire ladies' fashion store?

Just kidding. Mostly.

26. What was your favorite film of this year?

None of them really stand out as anything special, but the final Harry Potter movie was pretty good.

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

32. I'm writing this before my birthday, so I don't know exactly what I'll do. I hope I am surrounded by people whom I care about, who wish me well. Also I would like to be wearing a very warm, comfy sweater.

Update: I had a great, relaxing day with in-laws, enjoying therapeutic acupuncture, massage, and mud treatment, followed by a nap and then a delicious dinner and cake and presents. I am so thankful for all of them. I have spent two birthdays away from my home town and have been lucky to have been so well treated both times.

28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

It was sufficiently satisfying. I mean, really, what more can I ask for?

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

Well designed, high quality, flattering, comfortable, practical. Skimpy is out. Anything skimpy was purged from wardrobe this year and it's not coming back in my lifetime.

I liked the western look this year: nice jeans paired with attractive blouses.

Pretty tunics and leggings.

Comfy sweaters in a variety of styles for winter.

And only the best shoes and boots. Uncomfortable, unsafe and/or ugly shoes are also out of style, permanently. With the possible exception of the few times a year I wear high heels.

30. What kept you sane?

Bryan.

Being silly.

Friends and family and their wisdom from various perspectives.

Good books.

Hot drinks.

Cold drinks.

Smart, supportive people at work.

Band.

Using my rational mind to create arguments that crush stupid ideas ruthlessly.

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Say what?

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

Urban renewal? I mean, I'm rather excited by the improvements to the C-train, current and projected.

33. Who did you miss?

All the people I didn't get around to hanging out with more.

34. Who was the best new person you met?

Paula from Dance Through Life. My colleague at work. Well I'd met her already but this was the first time really getting to know her.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Anger, especially about something unfair and unjust, is energizing. Lying back and taking it gets really pointless and demoralizing after a while. When you have to, take a stand, make a fuss, make it count. The truth is, it's kind of fun.

My choice for the New Year's Poem:

Te Deum

by Charles Reznikoff

Not because of victories

I sing,

having none,

but for the common sunshine,

the breeze,

the largess of the spring.

Not for victory

but for the day's work done

as well as I was able;

not for a seat upon the dais

but at the common table

Happy New Year. May 2012 bring you victories big or small, as you need them.