·
I was admitted to hospital twice this year. Yip,
twice. In June my eye infection got so bad that my ophthalmologist wanted a CT
scan. It’s one of those pricey scans that is mostly covered by medical aid, if
you’re admitted to hospital. So I booked in on a Friday and expected to be
discharged on the Saturday. But the admitting doctor decided that a high dose
of cortisone was necessary and only let me out on the Monday. I was booked off
work for the rest of the week. Then in August my gall bladder decided it was no
longer happy with the accommodation I was providing – it wanted out. Again, I
was booked into Wilgeheuwel on the Friday, had my first operation in 25 years
on the Saturday and was released on the Monday. Again, I was booked off work
for the rest of the week.
·
L-Sis joined A-Sis in England. This one was
bitter sweet; it was something she wanted desperately and she worked hard to
achieve it, so I am really happy for her. And I am enjoying having my parents
to myself for a while. But I do miss her.
·
Four grandmothers died this year; one of them
was mine. One husband (not mine) lost his life in a motorbike accident, and one
step father (also not mine) was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It’s been a
long time since I’ve had so many friends deal with death.
·
I discovered a love of waterfalls, thanks to a
trip to the Augrabies falls in March. It was mesmerising and soul-restoring to
watch the water swirl over and around the rocks, and the roar as it rushed past
drowned out even that little voice in my head that has a tendency to be
negative and annoying. I got a second chance to fill my soul with the sights and
sounds of falling water last month when I visited Karkloof Spa.
·
I put a hard-learned life lesson into practice.
It’s one of those scary lessons where my every instinct rebels against it, even
though those instincts have led to disaster in the past. But I know better now
and even though it takes me forever to action, the results so far have been
positive.
·
I joined the iWorld. Thanks to Dad, I now have
an iPhone and an iPad and I’m thoroughly enjoying them. I am guarding both
neurotically since they are expensive to replace and the possibility of
upgrading either will only come in two years when Dad potentially gets his new
devices.
·
I won two competitions – a pair of sunglasses
from Car magazine, and a Balm Balm
mini facial kit from my favourite blog, Living Lionheart.
·
I completed two organised walks – 8km in the 702
Walk the Talk and 5km in the Avon Breast Cancer walk. Yes, I was completely
exhausted after both, but it felt good to accomplish something.
·
Six babies (none of them mine) were born this
year. There was possibly something in the office water cooler and people were
freely imbibing. There are two more due just before Christmas – twin girls to a
first-time-mommy colleague.
·
I discovered the joys of cooking. My baking is
better – because the recipes are specific – but I enjoy cooking slightly more,
even though there is a lot of guesstimating. But I feel that if I had to, I could feed a family a decent
meal three or four nights a week. The rest of the week they’d probably get
toasted sarmies or chicken nuggets.
·
I grew my hair this year. I cut it short when I
was 16 and rather liked it. But I got lazy about visiting the hair dresser and
it turns out that most people think I should keep it longer. Not sure I love
it, but it is pretty hassle free, so it’ll stay, for now.
2012 has been
a tough year for me – emotionally draining, stressful and often disappointing. So, here’s
to a wonderful new year filled with all the good stuff.
