Maybe "procrastination" was my word for 2009

And if I'm not careful it will be my word in 2010 also, since this New Years Quiz to review the past year should probably have been posted, like, oh, three weeks ago.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
~Well, I joined Facebook.

~I started using fabric shopping bags (that I designed and made myself).


















2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I had thirteen things I wanted to try to do this last year, and I did five of them. I haven't really thought yet about making new goals. Hm. If I'm going to, I really should start thinking about it, shouldn't I?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
At least, not in 2009; but very recently there was a birth in the extended family:



















Isn't she cute? Her name is Olivia.



4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. But someone close to a friend did. Oh, and there was another one, too.


5. What countries did you visit?
None.


6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More MONEY! More ENERGY.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No dates, exactly, but there were some highlights:

~My youngest son's 18th birthday party where we had 30 people over to make homemade pizza.
~Going tanking with friends (a blast) and as a result, helping my daughter survive a nasty river bug (a blast of a different sort).
~Going out for an anniversary dinner at an expensive restaurant and drinking champagne-- paid for by our kids.
~Forming a new band called Hanbury Tree:














8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Learning to become a mother to a married daughter and her husband. (Well, I'm still learning, but I think I've made much progress.)
(I know my daughter got married in August 2008, not 2009, but I spent the rest of 2008 just adjusting to the idea that my daughter was GONE, and didn't learn anything.)


9. What was your biggest failure?
Letting the garden go to crap-- again. And thereby not having a pantry full of home canned goodness to live on this winter.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I've suffered something that appears to be an awful lot like fibromyalgia, and the novelty has definitely worn off. And that led to some pretty miserable days of feeling like a tired, lazy, achy bum and feeling depressed about it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A pair of fashionable, but warm and practical and comfortable, knee boots:


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Our friend Swede, who remains our friend no matter what and sometimes brings over meat and ice cream for supper.












13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Can't say-- too incriminating.


14. Where did most of your money go?
Groceries. At least, that's what it felt like. And that's not always the most inspiring way to spend money, especially when I have visions of new clothes and books and vacations.

15. What did you get really excited about?
Learning new music and performing with Hanbury Tree.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? I Dreamed A Dream, as sung by Susan Boyle

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? about the same; well, maybe a little happier.
– thinner or fatter? about the same

– richer or poorer? poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Laughing.


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Being depressed and achy.


20. How did you spend Christmas?
Snowed in, with my family snowed in with me.


21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No. But I didn't fall OUT of love either, which is an accomplishment in this day and age.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Well, if I watched TV at all, it would have been What Not To Wear. As it is, since we don't have a TV, I watched as much of it as I could via You Tube and the What Not To Wear website.


23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.

24. What was the best book you read? The Triumph of Individual Style, by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor


25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Two songs:



26. What did you want and get?
A pair of boots, see #11.

A pashmina. THIS pashmina:

27. What did you want and not get?
A cashmere sweater. (my hobby this year has been CLOTHES. Can you tell?)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
UP.

The whole family watched it twice last week, and we are still quoting quotable lines out of it. ("SQUIRREL!!")

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
What did I do? I turned 47. And that answers the rest of the question as well.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If my husband had not been sick and depressed. If I myself had not been sick and depressed. If my oldest son had not been sick and depressed.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Learning, growing, changing. I started wearing black and gray, and dressing a little more sophisticated. I would say I've been giving myself a style makeover, except that makes it sound like I had a style to begin with.

32. What kept you sane?
Using "The Divine Hours", by Phyllis Tickle.


33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Susan Boyle (interesting odd fact: she's my age.)


34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm rather distraught over government health care.


35. Who did you miss?
My daughter, when she was in another state with her husband for four months. My second son who has been off on a missions adventure since September. (but he will be back in February...)


36. Who was the best new person you met?
The couple with whom we formed Hanbury Tree. A pastor of a local Methodist church, and his wife.


37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Keep my stinkin' mouth shut. Even if it kills me. No wait, that was 2008's lesson. Um...


38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.


"Call your name every day
When I feel so helpless.
I've fallen down
But I'll rise above this
Rise above this."

From "Rise Above This" by Seether.