What three words best describe your year?
Challenging, exhausting, inspiring
What achievement(s) are you most proud of?
- Continuing to nurture a creative, free thinking and reading child
- Graduating Uni (again!)
- Securing a permanent ongoing job in an Academic Library
- Marched the Streets of Ballarat in the Reclaim the Night, with my dear family.
- Securing the role of a judge in the Aurealis Awards.
- One of my students winning an Australia wide prize for her Book Review.
What are you most thankful for?
My love of my life: the rock that I hold onto when we enter treacherous waters, who always steers us clear. My friends who are my family – they are the ones I choose to have in my life and I will treasure forever.
What new thing(s) did you learn about?
- Library Advocacy
- Library Research
- The fact I am a survivor.
- Menopause is not a life sentence.
What new thing(s) did you do?
- Entered my school for a book review competition – and one of my favourite students won!
- Networked like there was no tomorrow
- Joined a committee to become a better Library advocate – ALIA Children’s and Youth Services
- Designed my son’s hat for his school performance of the Lion King (I can be artistic…)
- Volunteered at School Libraries (giving back to the communities)
- Research library website accessibilities.
- Took part in an interview about menopause for a PhD student’s research
- Took my child to his first midnight movie opening, and having him say to me I’ve found my community – Star Wars fans of Ballarat I love you!!!!
What activities made you lose track of time?
- Doing creative projects – knitting
- Reading
- Gardening
- Hanging out with my family
What was the year’s funniest moment?
My son bursting into Let it Go! in his Lion King performance – he got the laughs and I was so proud of him for choosing to sing it and singing it….
What little things made you happy on a day-to-day basis?
- My family
- My cat Venom – the great smoocher of cats
- My dog Rhoady – friend of all, and the best friend a child can have
- My friends
- My garden
- Wearing clothes from op-shops
- Picking fresh produce from my garden
- Having a strong body that continues to weather menopause with me
- My lovely friends
- Good books
- Libraries
How was your head? What was your most common mental state?
How am I going to fit this all in and still be the mother, lover, friend that I need myself to be?
Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary?
Will I be able to finish all my goals this year? Yes I can, but only when I stop procrastinating and get on with it.
What was the biggest challenge you faced?
My stomach – oh the joys of low Fodmaps, gluten, dairy, soy, yeast free living. Everyday I’m not sure what will happen, and each day I try to be more mindful of what I eat. So introducing a mantra I say each morning – May I be mindful of what I eat today.
What was the biggest problem you solved?
How can I eat out – it’s hard for me being unable to just choose items off a menu, without going can’t eat this, can’t eat that. So I’m now focusing on what I can eat, and letting everything else get sorted.
What was your year in review?
Season’s greetings and thanks for being with me on this year of discovery!
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