All About ... The Year in Review

What did you do in 2023 that you've never done before? I don't think I did anything new in 2023 that I've never done before, but I'm going to mention swimming, or to be more accurate, swimming as an adult, which is something that I've never done before. I've always been terrified of the water despite learning to swim as a child ... I was thrown in at the deep end to 'learn' ... and I stopped swimming as soon as I achieved my learner badge, probably aged nine. However, this year a friend persuaded me to try again and we started going to the pool once a week so I could regain my confidence in the water, and it has worked. I reached the stage where we felt that I needed to sign up for some swimming lessons and I'm now about halfway through a beginner's course ... and best of all, I am enjoying it. I've been learning front crawl and breaststroke but am concentrating on front crawl as the leg movement for breaststroke isn't easy on the knees! I still have a way to go to feel truly at ease with the swimming, and I haven't yet reached the stage where I'd want to go to the pool on my own but, in a relatively short time, I have proved to myself that I can swim, that I enjoy it, and that I won't drown!

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year? I don't set the traditional resolutions but choose to set myself specific goals to achieve during the year. 2023's goals have gone as well as I could expect considering that ill health on and off through the year has affected what I was able to achieve. I've already started looking at my goals for 2024 and will write about them in a separate post.

Did anyone close to you give birth? No.

Did anyone close to you die? No, not this year, thankfully.

What countries did you visit? 2023 has been a 'stay a home' year and I didn't do much travelling at all. I did visit some new places in England, though, and enjoyed a lovely holiday on the Isle of Wight, as well as short breaks in Four Marks, and London, 

What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023? I'd like to have fewer days feeling ill, be able to do more travelling, and to have the confidence to act on some of the opportunities that are opening up for me.

What date from 2023 will remain etched in your memory and why? There isn't a date that stands out for me this year. 

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Well, the swimming is definitely on the list but I don't know that I'd call it my greatest achievement. That honour goes to rebuilding my friendship group and at the end of the year I have increased the number of people I can call 'friend' by four. 

What was your biggest failure? As I always say, I don't like to look at things in terms of failing as it's too negative and I am trying to live a positive life. One aspect of life that hasn't gone as well as I would have liked is actually the same as last year and this is what I wrote then:

"I repeatedly plan to do something the next day and then don't do it. This is simple things like going out to take some photos, maybe treating myself to elevenses at The Nursery Cafe, going to the cinema ... just ordinary everyday stuff that at one time I would have done and now I don't and it makes me feel that I'm missing out." 

It's continued to be the same throughout 2023, mainly due to ill health, but it is an aspect of life I want to focus on and improve in 2024. 

Did you suffer illness or injury? Yes! There are the ongoing eye problems, now monitored every six months, as well as the worsening of the cataract in my right eye which is not bad enough for NHS intervention but which is seriously affecting my already poor vision so I'm hoping to resolve it privately next month. My knee has got progressively worse and I now use crutches to get around, so I have been referred to a consultant for treatment, possibly a knee replacement. The worst thing has been the changes in my migraines and I now have daily migraines ... thankfully that seems to be responding reasonably well to the medication and a decision will be taken at the end of January on further treatment.

What was the best thing you bought? This has been the year for buying clothes, something that was long overdue. 

Where did most of your money go? On new clothes, a replacement mattress, theatre trip to London and a holiday on the Isle of Wight. Oh, and the pergola my neighbour built for me.

What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting the pergola built to finish off that corner of the garden, going to see Osborne House on the Isle of Wight (it's been on my to-do list for years!), and yes, re-learning to swim.

Compared to this time last year are you:

• Happier or sadder? happier. Much happier!
• Thinner or fatter? about the same, so still too fat
• Richer or poorer? richer 

What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I'd done more socialising, more photography, and more travelling.

What do you wish you’d done less of? Being ill! Wasting time when I felt well! Turning down invites for no good reason!

How did you spend Christmas? It was much the same as last year in that friends having Covid impacted on some of the arrangements. I spent some time on my own and then had friends to stay for a couple of nights and I liked how it all worked out this year. 

Did you fall in love in 2023? No, I didn't fall in love but I have met someone special who has quickly become an important part of my life. At the moment we are still friends rather than being 'in a relationship' and are taking it slowly.  Who knows what the future will bring. 

What was your favourite TV show? I haven't really been watching the TV much this year. Instead I signed up for Netflix again and recently have been binge watching 'Better Call Saul'. Prior to that I watched the complete series of 'Breaking Bad'. 

What was the best book you read? I haven't read anything that stands out as being the best book but I did enjoy Richard Osman's 'The Last Devil to Die' and Sanford Greenberg's 'Hello Darkness My Old Friend', about his friendship with Art Garfunkel.

What was your greatest musical discovery of 2023? I don't have one this year. I haven't really listened to much music this year, and any time I have it has been old favourites.

What did you want and get? I wanted the pergola in the garden and, thanks to the generosity of my wonderful neighbour, that's now in place. I also wanted to make some new friends and I'm so pleased that I have been able to do this ... it's made a huge difference to my life.

What did you want and not get?  I still didn't manage to redo the kitchen and it's not even on the list for 2024 at the moment.

What was your favourite film this year? I enjoyed Barbie, and also rewatching Last Christmas, but that's all I can think off. I didn't go to the cinemas as much as in previous years, which is why I'm struggling to think of any titles!

What did you do on your birthday? I celebrated with friends and family, mostly 

meals, all of which I really enjoyed.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Less illness and more getting out and about and enjoying myself. 

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023? The same as always 

... whatever is comfortable and fits!

What kept you sane? As in previous years, it's the support of friends and family. Also avoiding the media scaremongering and reducing that amount of TV I watch. 

What political issue stirred you the most? The state of the economy. The behaviour of the government. The war in the Ukraine and more recently between Israel and Gaza.

Who did you miss? Ced. Always.

Who was the best new person you met? I've already mention him earlier in this post.

I'm not in a position to give out too many details except to say that he has made a huge difference

and my life is immeasurably better since I met him.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023. I am content to spend time alone and I enjoy my own company but I need to spend time with other people more than I ever realised.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. I can't think of one so I will say the 

usual ... Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life!