Months and months of books and stuff...

[byslantedlight]

Way back in the dim and distant beginnings of 2016, I had a plan. My plan was to keep up with lj, and especially to keep up with book reviews and fic reviews and all, and start doing a monthly round-up of life because I always enjoy other people's, and that way I might not be continuously spinning my head around wondering where the months have gone. And then 2016 started actually happening, and... *headdesk* I did manage a post at the end of January but I didn't unlock it (it's unlocked now if anyone's interested, but I'm going to bung the catch-up on here too, just cos. *g*) Also - I didn't make resolutions as such, but I did decide that I was going to remember to do things that I like, including going to the cinema, and exploring the world! And of course writing... So how've I been doing...? (You might want to skip this post unless you like lists like that too... *g*)

January
Books
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (bookgroup book - excellent!)
2. Truckers by Terry Pratchett
3. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (Books1001 book - excellent)
4. The Humans by Matt Haig
Lots of fanfic!

Writing
Pros - A Little Snow in London
Pros - signed up for Pros Bingo Challenge
Pros - signed up for Picfor1000
...but didn't write anything...

Cinema
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - liked it!
The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Part II - watchable
The Dressmaker - very good

And Where Did I Go?
Fonthill Bishop
Stonehenge
Old Wardour Castle, Dorset

Other Stuff
- New CST in more local town - she didn't convince me.
- Same CST running weekly meditation sessions - I came away from the first one with a bad back and neck that didn't get better for ages!
- Started going to a weekly writing class/group in more local town
- Volunteering etc. at Stourhead
- Did taxes!
- New Big Work Project in offing
- a Pros post every day for a week! I enjoyed that - how lush to see my flist all full of lads and posts again!

February
Books
5. Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
6. Death by Silver by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold
7. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - I wanted to like this more
8. A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold
9. A Seditious Affair by K.J. Charles
10. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
11. Shopaholic takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
(There may have been flu-ish comfort re-reading...)

Writing
Pros - signed up for the Big Bang this year, cos...
...but didn't write anything...

Cinema
Room - very good
The Winter's Tale (Shakespeare) - recorded live performance. Interesting, but if something's live I'd rather see it live...

And Where Did I Go?
Avebury
Hive Beach, Dorset

Other Stuff
- Writing group/class continues
- New Big Work Project begins
- Flu! (19/20 Feb, for the record...)

So, there we have it - the start to 2016. So much for my plan to go away at least for the weekend at least once a month! Stoopid rain and cold. Stoopid flu. Well, there's still a couple of weeks left in March, right? *g* My cinema-plan was going pretty well until The Flu. Lots of reading. *g* But I haven't written anything this year! At least nothing Pros-y. A couple of villanelle poems for the writing group/class, which was fun. Nothing else finished though... I have kept up with my 366 Photo Project so far though - a photo taken and posted every day so far this year!

So... definite room for the year to improve, I reckon! Maybe starting with... hmmmn... Does anyone else fancy posting Pros for a week again? Maybe we could do it every couple of months, just to remind us that they're still out there, fighting the good fight, on their bikes, in the sunshine... *vbg* Go on - if I do it, will anyone else? *g*

PS - yeay, feeling perkier again today! Have-at-you, flu! *g*

Comments

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

I would love to do another Pros for a week. Also really admire you keeping track and writing down all of these details. I must start to do this too. I currently just have a paper notebook that everything goes into. But I never go back to see or sort or condense. Great ideas.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh yeay - well let's you and me do it then, even if no one else does. *g*

I'd admire me more keeping track and writing everything down if I did it more often and properly! *g* I admire other people who do it, but I always seem to be steps behind. Until now! From now on, I shall do monthly posts! *vbg* (Bear in mind, too, that I have no one else to look after or pay attention to, so... *g*) I always meant to keep paper lists too, but they always petered out after a very short while as well - so I admire you for keeping those! (I'd love to see any lists you did have a chance to post about though... *g*)

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

My notebook is mainly everything I need to remember or want to remember - directions, phone numbers, appointments, to do lists, notes from things I hear, everything my brain is too full to take on. I've been doing an index as I go along so i can find things easier, and I filled up two notebooks already - usually I am very good at starting a notebook and then it lies untouched for a long time... so I am happy. But it is necessity - too many important details that I must remember, esp. with J's treatment. I love knowing always that I have somewhere to jot things. I know its value because I feel completely lost when I forget it at home or can't find it.

For posting, besides just time issues, I always fall down on the "why on earth would I assume anyone would want to see ___ about me and my life?" but then I really DO love to see everyone else's entries about personal things! Just, well done, *you*, and keep it up! because your posts are lovely (besides all of the other reasons!).

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do have one of those! It's not quite that organised yet - I keep meaning to have pages for books that people recommend, and things I want to remember to do, but they all end up going on separate bits of paper in there... The diary bit is dead handy for scribbles about when the gas ran out so that I can check how long I might have left to go on the next cylinder, or what the GP said... it pics up bits of fic ideas in scribbles too, that I forget to go back to...

And yes! I know what you mean about wondering why on earth anyone would want to read about my dull life, but then I think oh-well and post anyway, cos it's kind of nice to write posts etc. too. And then bonus - sometimes people do comment, and I get to talk to them, and it's lovely. And it's also good when my flist is filled with other people's posts too - I like to read what people are thinking and reading and watching and doing too... so please do post if ever you get a chance (plus you tend to write lovely posts! *g*)

[caffyolay.livejournal.com]

Looks like you got quite a lot done, despite catching that awful lurghy. So pleased you're starting to feel better. I spent all of February making tea and coffee for workmen, I didn't mind but it's such a relief not to have to do it any more. Got lots of reading done though. :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I must admit, it doesn't feel like I got an awful lot done, though I suppose there was full-time work on top of all that, so with the flu it's probably not so bad. But I should be doing stuff! More! Better! Just... stuff! I guess mostly I'd like to be out travelling and adventuring, and I'd like to be writing too, so I feel a lack of things if I'm not managing them.

Isn't reading a saviour? *g* Glad to hear your house is calming down a bit now - hope you're pleased with it, too!

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Would love to do the Pros-a-day thingy again but the timing is terrible and I don't think I could manage it right now. If you're thinking of doing it every couple of months, though, I should be right for next time.
You've got through a lot in two months, especially allowing for the time you were sidelined with the flu.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Rats for terrible timing - but I guess it's not always going to be good timing for everyone. So yes, let's do it more regularly, and then you can play next time!

It doesn't feel like I got alot done - I think because I feel cooped up here at home, when I like to be out and about more. But then I've felt rather like that for the last year, so... here's to getting out more soon!

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Oh good catch-up, thank you! I often get to the stage where there's too many twiddly bits to post about so I just quietly forget all about them - or else do a humungous post that I feel guilty about, although why I don't know because I like other people's :D

Rats to the nasty flu *throws rats at it*

And you have reminded me that I really must (and want to!) fill up some of my Pros Bingo card, which I love.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Rats to the nasty flu *throws rats at it*
Heeee! *dances gleefully at rat-throwing*

Too many twiddly bits is exactly where I get up to - and so I usually do the forget-about-it thing too, but I went for the humungous post this time, and then nodded along all yesterday when no one replied. But it was just tape-delay, and here people is! *g* I like people's posts like that too, but it is the whole guilt-thing, which is weird...

Oh, and Pros Bingo! Lots of people signed up, and I was hoping for flurries of people filling in cards, and getting all inspired off each other, but we don't seem to have got there somehow... Must. Try. Harder! I have writing group tonight, so if I can finish work and get there and all, maybe I'll be inspired to try a square when I get home. They don't have to be much - drabbles, they could be... they're totally fillable, I know they are! And yeay for Jojo filling!

[freetraveller15.livejournal.com]

I really like your lists, by month. Concise but full of things too. And you did manage a lot of stuff, considering the flu, the full time work, the taxes 😲!
Do you normally find that as days get longer and milder (hopefully) you get more energetic to go out, visit places etc even if the leisure time available is the same?
I often have a short period between end of winter and beginning of spring where I feel apathetic, with very little energy, sort of dazed (!), then thankfully this period ends and soon I'm finding myself eager to fill my days with lots of exploring, sightseeing etc and often blame my work from keeping me chained to my desk when I should be out :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Though it doesn't feel like I managed much - I guess cos it's all been in the same place, and I like to get ooooout!

I never used to think that the longer days made me feel more energetic, but I have a feeling they might do now, just cos I feel like I've been too unenergetic for words this winter! Although when the nights get reeeeeally long I feel like that - there's something magic about midnight twilight, and I love being really far up north for that. Maybe I should try and go up north this summer, just for the sake of it! Oh - the Orkneys, I've wanted to visit the Orkneys for years! But then, as you say, work has to be fitted into it all too...

[freetraveller15.livejournal.com]

If you get to visit the Orkneys do post some pictures! If they are as magical as the isle of Skye (where I've been, though only for two days), they'll be worth it... :)