Not really much news to report - I had a pretty good day yesterday, catching up with some housework, as well as making some icons.  Had a chat with Christine and caught up with each other's Christmas news ... so, yes, a pretty good day overall.

So thought I would do the end of year meme that I snagged from kazzy_cee ... she has also been the one who has provided the daily questions, and already we have January & February questions organised for us - Thanks so much

So ....

1.  What did you do in 2024 that you'd never done before?
Went on holiday with someone I knew.  We didn't actually plan it, but just both booked ourselves on the same WWI trip back in August.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Never made any - and won't be making any tonight.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, but next year the answer will be different!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not close to me, but Brenda's brother committed suicide, which affected us all a lot.

5. What countries did you visit?
Egypt, France & Belgium

6. What would you like to have in 2025 that you lacked in 2024?
Visiting a bit more of this country ... I only went back to places I knew, as well as a weekend in Suffolk.  So need to plan more days out, and maybe long weekends away.

7. What date from 2024 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
25th April - started an online correspondence with someone who has become a good friend.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Finally finishing a jumper that I started during Covid!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting back to other handcrafts, as I had promised myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Fractured right wrist on Easter Sunday
On-going chest infection over the last 2 months.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I, at long last, got my 2 grandmother's wedding rings customised as a necklace for me.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Sue, who I occasionally cover for ... she has to share a desk with someone who can make a mountain out of flat ground (she doesn't even need the molehill!!).  I am lucky that when I cover Sue, I leave when Ali arrives, so we don't actually overlap for too long.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Politicians everywhere... *eye-roll* ... I left kazzy_cees answer in, as I agree with it!

14. Where did most of your money go?
Holidays ... although just a trip to the supermarket can be scary!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My trip to Egypt ... and, it didn't disappoint, I would go again

16. What song will always remind you of 2024?
Can't really think of one - I have had a pretty low-key year, muic wise.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder?
About the same.
ii. thinner or fatter? I've lost a few pounds

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Handcraft, travel

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating

20. How did you spend Christmas?
By myself, other than the Church service

21. What LJ users did you meet?
None, this year

22. What were your favourite TV programmes?
Legomasters Australia, Strictly Come Dancing, Great British Bake-Off, Pottery Showdown

23. What was the best book you read?
The Bible

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
As I said, not really been around much music this year.

25. What did you want and get?
More jewellery, more jigsaws

26. What did you want and not get?
More holidays

27. What was your favourite film of this year?
Haven't been to the cinema this year

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
63
I went to Powderham Castle (the home of the Earls of Devon, and a few miles away) and then in the evening went to Tim & Claire's for a meal.

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

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2024?
Depends what or where I am doing/going.
I love an excuse to dress up, but mostly jumpers and skirts or jeans in the winter and sun-dresses in the summer.  Sadly I now have to wear a flatter heal after the leg injur of a few years back.

31. What kept you sane?
My faith

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
How politicians can lie and cheat ... and still end up the winner

33. Who did you miss?
I still mss Mum & Dad and Jiffy ... but this year haven't seen as much of Toni as in the past as she has had a busy year.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2024?
To enjoy whet I have, life rushes past rapidly

35. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
"Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow" ... words from a favourite hymn.




So that is a summary of 224 ... and now we are heading to 2025, but before we do that -



31. Have you ever been on a diet, or do you just try and eat healthily? Do you plan to start a diet in the new year?
I am not a dieter!  I just ry to eat carefully most of the time
Mum was always on a diet and it was hard to watch her struggle all her life. 





Right - Happy 2025 ... wishing you all the best for the coming year ahead.

Challenge #12

In your own space, resurrect an old meme. Have fun with it! Which is the goofiest meme you can think of? Put on your party hat and be silly!! Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


I used to do these from time to time, and certainly a great way to spend some moments (when you should be doing something else ... like housework!

So I did this one, that was one of the ones suggested -







You as the Dewey Decimal System




LOL - no, I live in the past, and can not make decisions at all!




So, as well as doing that I also went over to Blogthings and looked at What Flavor Jam Are You?. I do love Plum Jam as my #1, but ........
Ironically I don't like Cherry Jam, however that is probably closer to who I am.






Well that was a fun way to waste some time on a Saturday afternoon!

So, why not me!!!!

You can get card with your statistics here!

LJ2020

Overall a bit of an up & down week. Today I actually did a couple of hours of hosework, and although I then sat and chatted to Auntie Mary on the phone, it was obviously too much as I ended up sleeping for a couple of hours just now. So, although I thought I had been a good girl, I had obiously done too much. However at least I have a clean bedroom, and kitchen.

As I will probably dip in and out this month thought I would did in and out of the meme as well, if I see a qustion I like. Yesterday's was

What was the #1 song the year you graduated from high school? Did you like the song? Do you still like it?



23rd July 1979 the #1 was The Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays .... I didn't remember and had to check, but it always makes me smile when I hear it, now.  And I do remember most of the words

It also made me wonder what the #1 was almost 4 years later when I graduated from college. So on 1st July 1983 -



Rod Stewart – “Baby Jane”.  I have never really been a Rod Stewart fan, so the song "came & went" from my brain!

In managing to keep working, even though it's only a few hours 4 times a week, I haven't really done much else - so sorry, both in not catching up with you all as I had planned, but also behind in the meme ... so here is catch-up time.


( Q&A cont )

As to other news, with illness and "pandemic" there is no real news.

Day off today - so have wasing on the line, ready to iron later. Have made a couple of icons for the new comm somein30 ... and after I have done this I will give my bathroom a good clean, but that will be it.

I spoke to my GP yesterday and he is going to refer me to the Chronic Fatigue "people", although he doubts they will be able to help as I am doing most of the things that I should do ... still worth seeing if there is anything I am missing.

I still have Jiffy with me ... but poor boy is very skinny now, as although he is still eating, it's very little. But he is stillhappty to have a couple of short strolls, and loves cuddling up to me overnight, so some positives in the sadness of seeing him age.

The family are all keeping well, except for nephew #2 who managed to dislocate his knee playing football. So that's a worry at present, but work are being good at supporting him, so that's important.

... although I realise I have also lost a day!

I turned on the pc yesterday to post (but now know I had lost the previous day as well).  However I made some icons, and then was going to meme when I decided to play a game of Spider ... and saw there was a solitaire I hadn't tried, and somehow lost an hour playing "40 Thieves" ... and then it was lunchtime!! So it wasn't really my fault, was it???

Anyway, as I have now found out I have 3 days here

17 If you were given $1M, with the stipulation that you must spend it on yourself within one year, how would you spend it?
I would travel - having bought a new car, new clothes, have the house decorated etc.
I would also take my family & friends anywhere they want on my travels ... as that would still be spending the money on me!

18 What do you daydream about?
Travel - places to visit

19 What was the first song you ever memorized?
I think it was Lily The Pink by The Scaffold, released in 1968 when I was 7 (not at all PC, btw)

Had a good weekend - hope you all did so, as well.

Met up with a friend from Church on the Saturday morning in her garden, so it was good to spend some time with a friend.  Something we used to take for granted, now it is special ... but maybe that's good, as well.  It makes me appreciate people, and "events" more.

Anyway - here's the meme catch-up


12 Do you experiment with your hairstyle often, or do you have a classic style you stick with?
LOL - On my graduation Day, in 1983, I was just 22, and other than the colour, the style is the same as it is now!!

13 What’s your favorite childhood story or fairy tale?
I have such fond memories of Rupert Bear ... as Granddad used to cut them out of the paper, and Grandma would read them to the 3 of us.  So it was not so much a favourite story, as opposed to a family memory.

But also look at the last book on my list.

14 What are your Top Ten favorite books?

• The Bible


• Rilla of Ingleside (slightly my favourite of the Anne series by LM Montgomery)


• Changes (my favourite of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher)


• Mary of Carisbroke (by Margaret Campbell Barnes)


• The Following of The Star (by Florence L Barclay)


• When We Were Very Young (by AA Milne)


• Just So Stories (by Rudjard Kipling)


• I never Knew That About England (by Christopher Winn)


• Selection of WWI poetry (I have a couple, but one if my go-to of them)


• Noddy at the Seaside (by Enid Blighton) ... that was my favourite book as a child, and in fact I could actually quote the whole book as a 5 year old!!

Worked this morning, now I have letters to write!!

10 Would you sign up to be a colonist on another planet if it meant you would never be able to return to earth?

Well if I have visited all the places I want to see on this planet ... and I can be teleported there, yes ... more places to visit!!

However, as the icon states, hopefully Cadbury will have opened a factory already!

I know, I was absent yesterday! However after work I had an appointment with my Sports Masseur ... and I was really tired afterwards (that doesn't usually happen, but that was my yesterday)

So, work again this morning, and now I have a couple of questions to catch up on -

7 Have you ever called in sick to work when you weren't actually ill but didn't want to give the real reason?
I have always been self-employed (now I work for the NHS but on a zero-hours contract) ... so, no, I have never taken a sickie ... lack of pay is not the best of things for me

8 Have you ever talked to yourself out loud in public?
I talk to myself all the time, so I suppose so!!!

Well I need to get on and get some ironing done ... I did the washing yesterday, but it got wet during the day in a showeer, but all OK now.

How did that happen!

We have misty rain here, but Jiffy is much happier. No, he doesn't like the rain but the heat was really getting to him - he even missed lunch on a couple of days!

These last 10 days seem to have flown past. I spoke to my doctor at the beginning of the week, and he has signed me off this month - however I may end up back at work sooner. 4 days out of 5 I am now 101%, but on that other day I do dip, which is why my GP is happy to let things ride. However I spoke to one of my managers last week (yes, I am on Staff Bank, but basically only work in the one department) and they are hoping to re-start clinics in the next couple of weeks, once they have worked out the logistics. yes, I will be well enough to work as it will be 3 hours each morning. That also means that after 6 months I won't suddenly be leaving Jiffy all day. So, I wait to hear further on that.

At the beginning of the last week I met up with one of the physiologists I work with. She has been working 1 day at the hospital, 1 day at home and 1 day off. So we met for a walk. She popped over lunchtime as she was only in for the morning today, adn we plan to meet for a walk again next week before the clinics re-start.

I actually finished last week by going to a funeral. Although only 10 people are allowed, as one of the daughters refused to go unless her husband and 3 children could go (despite having nothing to do with Eric for 4 years), they gave the seat to me. He was Mum & Dad's neighbour, but every 6 weeks (until the last couple) I have popped in while Jiffy was having his haircut. They and M&D were great friends - I shall miss seing Eric again, although know that he is now in Heaven so will see him again in eternity.

Sadly I was very upset with the funeral ... not just that I couldn't hug his widow, or the rest of the family who I know so well, but was upset with how the pastor did the service. Eric (&Heather) have been members of the Church all their lives, yet it was the new pastor who took the service. There wasn't a eulogy, and even weirder there wasn't a Bible reading. The first hymn was played as we walked in, so as I tagged on the back I missed that as well!

The one advantage is that "whenever" he is going to have a couple of benches dedicated to him on Dartmoor ... one from the parks people, and one from the family, so hopefully that will be a more meaningful time. But, I am still annoyed!!!!

Wow, I have rambled a bit - sorry! And, I must finish last month's questions -
30 Make a list of three things you can do today to be kind to yourself.
a) I did rest in bed and read before getting up
b) I had 3 different veggies with my lunch - mushrooms, carrots, leeks
c) I am not going to play solitaire on my tablet this evening while watch TV to rest my eyes ... I shall start a new jigsaw instead
31 If you could acquire a talent without any extra effort, what would it be?
A photographic memory for dates - I love history, but forget dates and places. I love linking places I have been to history ... and get them muddled

Well done if you are still awake!

Hope everyone os keeping well and safe ... Take care x