We were away this week, so although I read the prompts I didn't post. Have decided to do so now so that I can come back and reflect. Continuing in 2022: Weekly time set aside for crafting. I"m a bit of perfectionist and would rather not make something if I don't think its 'good enough'. This quote by Ira Glass has really inspired me: “All of us who do creative work get into it because you have good taste. There is stuff that you just love. But there is a gap, where for the first couple years you are making stuff, what you are making isn’t so good. It’s really not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, your taste is still killer. And your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you, like you can tell it is still sort of crappy. A lot of people never get past that phase, a lot of people at that point, they quit.” It’s only by going through a volume of work that you are going to actually catch up and close that gap, and the work you are making will be as good as your ambitions.”

@Ethel MertzSo sorry about your sister. @theelfqueen and others. I hope you were able to find some joy in the day.

If [person at the table] were to dissappear, what do you think they'd be doing and where would you go looking for them? Give your most imaginative answer. If you could invent anything, what would it be? Why? If you could direct a movie, I'm which genre? Potential plot? Costumes? What made up word should be in everybody's vocabulary?

Thank you from me too @Granny_Weatherwax! Ive never reflected on a year from so many angles. My word for 2022 is "Relationships". Still deciding on a phrase, but considering "consistent small steps".

I had established a good habit of walking every day, then had Covid and I just haven't been consistent in daily exercise since Sept. I'll repeat myself in the coming days as it's top of my list for 2022.

I've not done any new behaviour consistently enough to call it a habit yet.

Dd named her car 'Geartrude'.

Using an oximeter when we had Covid. Our dr recommended checking every 6 hours. I am so glad we did! I had 'silent hypoxia' and would not have known how ill I actually was if I hadn't been monitoring. I was never out of breath, even when climbing stairs or vacuuming. I did feel very lethargic and ended up needing oxygen for five days.

Is he open to you calling this out? We've obviously had a lot of 'my brain works differently to yours' conversations in the last year since my dd's autism diagnosis, and a few more of 'Dd is more like you than you'd like to think LOL!'

I used to share an office with a colleague who's parents were from Scotland. I knew every time one of them phoned as he immediately switched to a Scottish accent. For the rest of us it was 100% South African.

I'm not an anxious person myself, so it also took me a very long time to recognize and deal with in my family members. I still find it very hard to actively listen and not immediately go into problem solving mode. That seems to be my default setting.

Dd's diagnosis of autism which we got a few weeks before her 17th birthday. It explained so much.

I love the happy colours!

I didn't learn any new skills at work, but got to apply the managerial and technical skills I have in a new area of the business. My crocheting speed increased. I learned to proof-read my daughter's university papers to check that the correct style rules (mostly Harvard or APA 7th depending on the course) have been correctly applied (these cover formatting, in-text referencing, reference lists, etc). I tried a few new recipes in the hopes of improving my cooking skills, but I make 'functional' food - tasty enough because I'm following a good recipe, but I just don't have the aptitude to be creative in the kitchen. My eldest daughter, on the other hand, is an absolute wizz. She can open the pantry, haul out whatever's there and creates amazing dishes.

Well done for the progress you have made! I need to get on that wagon too.

That's me too. Its not really a goal, but I have tried to make a habit of crafting more. Its relaxing and even small projects are satisfying. I learned to crochet during the first lockdown last year and have about 5 squares left on a double bed granny square blanket, then I need to google how to stitch it together. I've not set any deadline for myself, hence the very slow progress. I've left it aside and then get going again in spurts.

You should absolutely be proud of yourself for conquering fears - the first step was the hardest!

I had to google Sashiko - it looks like a great hobby!

Your light display and the critters are magical!

Thank you MeMama! We've had wonderful summer rains and the garden responds immediately - three months ago the grass was dead from the winter frost!

We decorated the windows with crafted items.

I also met my new team at work - same company, different business area - and they are absolutely the best! I'm so fortunate to have great colleagues.

I didn't meet anyone new, but there are two people who were acquaintances before whom I've made a point of making coffee dates with when lockdown eased, and they have become friends.

I love that! So special for all of the recipients.

This year I really appreciated my close friends and family. I'm not sure if she is the first to say it, but I love what Esther Perel says that "the quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life". I made a point of nurturing some fledgling friendships.