Don't hit yourself on the way out, 2018!

It’s been a… complicated 2018. 

There was  the good:

• Aunt Enid was fun to write. It reminded me of many, many wonderful childhood memories


• and I finally got hold of my great aunt’s lemon butter recipe!


• I attended Melbourne Supanova for the first time…  Road trip! with three fellow authors, Matt, Kylie and Katie.


• Just broke even for both Melbourne and Adelaide Supanova. (yeah!) 


• I wrote my first song for an Aussie steampunk band, The Littmus Steampunk Band – The Gadgeteer – which was released on their CD, Left Foot Forward.


• Had a short story published in the anthology, Deadsteam.


• Our offspring graduated from high school. Huzzah! and is contemplating an art career. (buy her stuff, it’s fantastic!)


• I got some fantastic book reviews


• Met Gillian from Sydney steampunk band, Sideshow Annie, and met Pete and Kat from Unorthodox  Society for the Elucidation of Retro-Futurism


• had social media posts liked by Tara Moss (my hero), Gail Carriger (another hero) and some other fave actors.


• my Patreon page went live this year and I got my first Patreon supporters


• I finished 95 projects this year (I was aiming for 99)


• crocheted several items and learned new stitches


• I completed 2.5 book trailers, and got to work with garden gnomes and met lovely staff at the Largs Pier Hotel.


• did five author talks/workshops this year, including a parasol duelling demo.


• attended some fun steampunk events with friends.


• booked our holiday for next year. First one since 2008.

The bad:

• officially diagnosed with PTSD, and high functioning anxiety, so could work on new techniques to help and not waste my time doing general therapies which have done nothing in the past five years. So, in the end, this was really a good thing.


• still haven’t found that magic bullet to stop anxiety attacks.


• too many panic attacks.


• No gardening done this year due to 3 months of chronic bronchitis.


• I’ve forgotten to keep my ‘thankful jar’ up-to-date and, as a result, have forgotten too many great little things that cheered me us this year.


• discovered I’m allergic to another antibiotic.


• Stephen Hawking died this year.


• Quentin Kenihan died. (friend of my Dearheart’s)

and the ugly:

• the fight with my insurance company continued. This has dragged me down, making it hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel… It’s been four years! Just last month the situation came to a head and – thank God – was resolved before I had to end up in court or appear on shady tv current affairs shows.
  
  So, that was good in the end, as well. I’m hoping I can start healing. Finally.

Personally, I’ll be glad to see the back of this year.

Good riddence, 2018!

and…

Hello, 2019.

Happy New Year everyone.

Let’s make it a good one!

Don't hit yourself on the way out, 2018!