notes for november and december (and for the year)

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Paris, 2011

There was, as it turned out, no "winding down" for the year; November and the start of December converged into what I can only describe as one gigantic shit-fest with a very elastic sense of time - hours feel like seconds when I'm scrambling for a deadline; days feel like weeks when I'm longing for the weekend to come; and what happened last week feels like it happened last month because I can barely keep up with the daily deluge of "Do this! Do that! Don't forget about that!"

BUT. I found joy in many things, in no particular order:
  • Books: "Open" by Andre Agassi and "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed - found them at the library and read them back to back and they were excellent; easy reading but rich in experience and inspiration.
  • Haircuts: One hour of much-needed magic: a loving head massage and shampoo; a trim to make you feel clean again, and a heavenly-smelling leave-in conditioner to send you home in a cloud of bliss.
  • My good friend's wedding in New Zealand next week.
  • The pleasure of new clothes. When you buy less, you love what you buy more.   
  • The pleasure of old clothes. Some things have earned their place. 
  • TV: Yes to "Homeland", "Breaking Bad", "The Good Wife", "The Walking Dead", "Veep", "30 Rock"... it would be embarrassing to go on. 
  • Food. Grateful that not only do I not lack for it, but I am also able to indulge in it as a pleasure. 
  • Love. For others, from others. 
  • "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey". I expected to hate this, but I didn't, mainly because Martin Freeman is such a wonderful hobbit. 
  • Laughter. I will die if I didn't laugh at least once a day.
  • Music: Ellie Goulding, Grizzly Bear, The Black Keys and Lianne La Havas on heavy rotation. 
  • Appreciation. I recently found out it is nice to be thanked for pulling my weight (and punching above my weight), even in the smallest ways. 
Also, after all these years of blogging, I have truly grown to love this blog, this bit of space, which often feels like a refuge, where my random thoughts can flourish, and from time to time, crystallise into something that makes a small but pivotal change to my life. This space has been enriched by everyone who has spared the time to read what I have to say and offer their comments, and to put it simply: Thank you.

See you all in the new year!  

Comments

Milly said…
Have a wonderful Christmas, sounds like you've earned a loong break! See you in 2013!x
petrichore said…
Lovely! Glad that all of your hard work is being recognized!

Your blog is a definite bright spot in the "blogosphere" and a must-read for me. :-)

Enjoy the holidays, and hopefully some rest and relaxation that come with them.
Sue said…
Lovely post - after hard times comes good and you sound like you've earned yourself some valuable me-time now and managed to spoil yourself a little which is good. Have a merry Christmas Lin and a great new year.
thank you. xo
Eileen said…
Lol.. I thought you have already come back from NZ! Have a great time at your fren's wedding and work will take care of itself.

This space is a little haven for your readers too:) Will miss you, and have a blessed Christmas!
Kali said…
Thank you for this piece of gratitude! I also enjoyed reading your blog a lot, thank you for writing it too.

Enjoy the holiday season and see you in 2013!
Anonymous said…
Thank you for such a thoughtful post and such a thoughtful blog. I enjoy both so much!

Nomadic D. said…
Agreed, a truly lovely post. So wonderful that in the midst of what sounds like utter chaos for you, you found time to be thankful and mindful, something we often forget to do even in the calmest of times. A wonderful reminder for the rest of us to do a bit of the same. Also, since I loved most of the stuff on your list, I had to run immediately and check out Lianne La Hava who I'd never heard of. Love it! So thanks for that too!

http://nomadic-d.blogspot.com/
Unknown said…
This is really beautiful, Lin. I'm glad there is finally a break in the madness for you. You're right - it's those little things that ultimately get us through trying times. I agree about the blog world - this little universe of people that i don't actually know but somehow belong to has become such a refuge! Happy new year...
Ammu said…
Hope you have a lovely time in New Zealand! I so enjoy your blog xx
miss sophie said…
happy new year, and here's to more lovely and inspiring words and images in the year to come!

Aïssa said…
Wish you a wonderful time in NZ and happy holidays!
It's so heart warming to relate with pieces of your daily life even though we don't know each other "in real life"... Blogging can create such amazing connections so thank you!
Lindsay K said…
Happy Holidays! Have a great time in New Zealand- it truly is a lovely place.
bowling said…
oh wow. i got similar yes-es of drama too! Homeland, walking dead & the good wife!
Happy New Year, Lin! I hope your trip to NZ went well and you managed to get a chance to check out Strawberry Fare!
Joy said…
happy new year! havent been around blogs to comment much in general and i feel terrible for it. miss your posts. we watch the exact same movies, tv shows as well as listen to the same music :O

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