notes for november and december (and for the year)

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!