Tuesday 31 December 2013

Goodbye 2013......

I don't think I'll miss you...

Gains And Losses


Some amazingly lovely things have happened this year and at least 3 of our children will end the year in a far happier frame of mind than they started with, but by God it's been hard!

I've had hard times before, money, health, relationships have never always been perfect, but never before have I had to work so damn hard just to keep it all together.

Running a household with 7 children aged from 3 to 19 isn't easy at the best of times, but this year I really did have to take on far more than I ever signed up for.

My broken leg and a catalogue of errors and unfortunate circumstances means that I'm still waiting for it to be fixed 5 months later. The simplest tasks day to day tasks take forever.You have no idea how often you crouch or kneel until you can't, and stairs have become my nemesis (I joke I'm a Dalek).

I've seen things I never want to have to see again, things I can't unsee. I have watched my partner and father of my children lying in a hospital bed seriously ill, I sat and cried with him while he had a lumbar puncture and thank heavens I have been given the opportunity to spend the last 6 months watching him recover.

One of my biggest gains in 2013 is this blog. Exactly a year old I could never have ever begun to imagine how far I'd come in only 12 months.


I could never have forseen the brilliant things I've been sent to review, the places I would get to take my family, the skills I'd learn and the lovely things people would say about my writing. I've worked with Britmums, Netmums, Mumsnet and Tots 100 and hopefully I'll add Parentdish to that in the new year.

Most surprising of all are the truly amazing friends I've made through blogging, my life is so much richer for having them. 


Goodbye's


Sadly there are always a few who don't get to stay with us....

Politics lost Jose Sarria, Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher. They'll all leave their lasting impression on all of our lives. Good or bad.

Roobarb and Custard, which was second only to Bagpuss in my eyes as a child, lost it's voice with the passing of Richard Briers and a few days later it's animator Bob Godfrey.
Ray Cusick, the inventor of the Daleks, and Mr Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK47, both left us in 2013 - I'm not entirely sure which we should have been more scared of.


Corgi lost 'Mr Corgi' Marcel van Cleemput - the designer of some of their most iconic models including the James Bond Aston Martin, the Batmobile and the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car, which sat on my Great Grandparent's mantle for my entire childhood with flattened wheels where they'd melted.

Music lost Lou Reed, fiction lost James Herbert and TV lost Marcia Wallace......and so Bart must say goodbye to Edna Krabappel.


 So long to Alan Turing's conviction. His royal pardon has come a mere 59 years too late
 
I lost my schoolfriend Chris this morning, he always started conversations with me online at 1.30am and kept me awake for the next hour or so, and I'll miss that - as much as he'd often annoyed me with it and stole my sleep. Earlier in the year I lost Sara who I met at antenatal classes when pregnant with our first children. Cancer took them both too early.

Goodbye to them all.

Turn the page.....but never put down the book.

Happy New Year to all of my readers -
I wish you health, peace and happiness for 2014 x



The Dalek illustration is by Nick Abadzis - you can find him here
The Bart and Miss Krabappel still is taken from The Simpsons
The Roobarb and Custard illustration is by Captain Howdy and based on the original illustrations by Bob Godfrey
 

22 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Catherine. I have every hope it'll be a lot easier than 2013! Happy New Year to you and yours :) xx

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  2. So many losses, I'm sorry to hear of those personal to you xx. Happy New Year, I hope 2014 brings health and happiness to you and yours xx

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    1. Thank you Jen. It's been great getting to know you in 2013. I wish you and your lovely family the same xx

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  3. I really hope 2014 brings you much more joy and a lot less illness! Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family!

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    1. Thank you Tami, and thank you for being such a breath of fresh air and friendship in my life :) x

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  4. Fingers crossed for good health all round this year.
    xxx

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    1. Indeed! Best wishes to the 3 of you, have an excellent 2014 xxx

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  5. Sorry for your personal losses. I hope 2014 brings you and your family health and happiness x

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    1. Thank you Angela, the same to you, and thank you for being a part of my life in 2014 - it's been lovely getting to know you and your family :) x

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  6. Oh my word, with 7 children, a broken leg and everything else you've been through: you're amazing. I'm sending you my very best wishes for 2014.

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    1. Awww, that's very lovely of you! I'm not sure about amazing - but definitely a bit bedraggled :D
      Thank you for the wishes, my best to you and yours too.

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  7. All I can wish for you this year is good health and happiness - you deserve it so much

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    1. Oh thank you Mary, that's such a lovely thing to say :)
      Happy New Year and all the best for 2014 to you too.

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  8. Ah Jen, big hugs, so sorry to hear of the loss of your friends xx

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    1. Gladly taken.....always happy to have a hug from you Pip xx

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  9. Definitely a rollercoaster of a year hun - here's to 2014 - let's rock the shizzle out of it :) xx

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  10. You are amazing Jenny!! I am sorry for the sad losses, the hard times and the broken leg! Wishing you a peaceful and happy 2014!

    Love this quote too "Turn the page.....but never put down the book." Thank you

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    1. Aww cheers Kel. Glad you like the quote. I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but I reworded it about 20 times before it felt right :)
      Happy New Year hon xx

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  11. "Turn the page.....but never put down the book."
    Sorry I stumbled across this post and didn't want to read and run.
    You are in my thoughts every day xx

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    1. It's not fair is it? How can last year have been so shit, and then this year is worse. I always try to count my blessings and look to the positives, but this hand I've been dealt is making that so hard. We have made plans for next Summer. We're going to have a Summer, we're going to take our children on holiday and we're going to get married. For 2 years August has been hell, and our lives are completely different now to what they were. We're different people to who we were. Our children are broken, we're broken, but by next Summer hopefully the gaffer tape and bits of string will have built something back xxx

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