Well, it's now been 11 days since the Big Engagement, and I'm pleased to say I've started to calm down. Once or twice, I've been so tranquil as to almost have non-negative feelings about the event.
While it is clearly, in many ways, a curse to greet all happy events with terror and despair, I must also admit that it has its good points.
For instance, it is widely known that if you spring any kind of Joyous Event upon me, you must give at least 3 days' notice before expecting a positive reaction; by the time I re-surface, most of the celebrations have been and gone, so I'm useful as a kind of second-wave celebrant (I say 'celebrant'; that may be over-stating it a little, even after a few days in bed). And once I DO get happy, I have stickability; I'll remain happy for a lot longer than those fly-by-nights who'll grin like Cheshire Cats at anything. They'll move on to their next Good Thing; I've worked hard to get to this point, and I am sticking the HECK with it.
Also, I strongly believe that people who are happy upon command are shallower kinds of individuals; it takes Someone Special to become utterly destitute when anything good happens. There is an (admittedly highly-strung) underground network of us anxious types, and we really are Quite Something.
Thirdly, I have always believed that everyone has to do a set amount of worrying in their lives. I'm just getting mine out of the way in one large block of 35 years. Come June, I'll be chilled out and unflappable. You wait.
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
An Important Announcement
So, yes, the other thing that happened in 2012 was that Boyfriend Smile asked for permission to become Mr Smile, and I granted it.
Now this is all well and good in theory, but then of course one realises that one has committed oneself, so we're (by which I mean, I'm) just getting over the freaking out phase.
We have made some plans already, and hopefully the nuptials will not be too far off, but the best thing is that this means I'll no longer have to have Boyfriend Smile coming round every evening to be entertained; instead he will actually live here (I'm not moving house; he's coming here), and can entertain himself without my help. So I should have more time to blog and so on.
I would promise not to bore you all to death with the wedding details, but I'm sure you will appreciate that I'm so unlikely to mention it that it's more likely you'll be begging for details. We'll see.
Now this is all well and good in theory, but then of course one realises that one has committed oneself, so we're (by which I mean, I'm) just getting over the freaking out phase.
We have made some plans already, and hopefully the nuptials will not be too far off, but the best thing is that this means I'll no longer have to have Boyfriend Smile coming round every evening to be entertained; instead he will actually live here (I'm not moving house; he's coming here), and can entertain himself without my help. So I should have more time to blog and so on.
I would promise not to bore you all to death with the wedding details, but I'm sure you will appreciate that I'm so unlikely to mention it that it's more likely you'll be begging for details. We'll see.
Books For 2013
Right, this isn't THE post for today, but I've set my reading challenge for 2013.
I'm not sure whether the widget automagically updates as I read things, but we'll see. This time I've gone for 35 books, up from last year's target of 30 (I managed 32). The previous year I only aimed for 15 and managed 17, so you can see I'm upping my game this time round.
I have some books I'd like to read. They are:
Novels:
Nathan Coulter
Wolf Hall (started)
Great Expectations (started)
The Poisonwood Bible
The White Tiger
Middlesex
A Place on Earth
East of Eden
Housekeeping
Bleak House
Brave New World
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Non-novels:
The Radical Disciple
Prayer (the Philip Yancey one)
Something about discipleship... suggestions are welcome
I may, of course, read entirely different books, depending on what catches my attention.
Further suggestions are welcome.
Edit [2nd Jan, 2.40pm]: Following further suggestions, the following have been addded:
How to Train Your Dragon
The Island
The Cross and the Switchblade
I'm not sure whether the widget automagically updates as I read things, but we'll see. This time I've gone for 35 books, up from last year's target of 30 (I managed 32). The previous year I only aimed for 15 and managed 17, so you can see I'm upping my game this time round.
I have some books I'd like to read. They are:
Novels:
Nathan Coulter
Wolf Hall (started)
Great Expectations (started)
The Poisonwood Bible
The White Tiger
Middlesex
A Place on Earth
East of Eden
Housekeeping
Bleak House
Brave New World
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Non-novels:
The Radical Disciple
Prayer (the Philip Yancey one)
Something about discipleship... suggestions are welcome
I may, of course, read entirely different books, depending on what catches my attention.
Further suggestions are welcome.
Edit [2nd Jan, 2.40pm]: Following further suggestions, the following have been addded:
How to Train Your Dragon
The Island
The Cross and the Switchblade
Monday, 31 December 2012
2012 Review of the Year
I love a review of the year, and 2012 is no different. Blogging has been sparse, but this has mainly been Boyfriend Smile's fault, and I have a Plan to rectify this in 2013, so don't worry.
It was a year which started with the introduction of Boyfriend Smile, of course, and therefore with anxiety, panic and all manner of emotions which one* goes through upon a sudden unexpected change. But we soon settled in, lost the haunting fear that it was all going to go pear-shaped, and began to eat again.
[* i.e., me]
Initially we went on a lot of dates, before realising that we both hated going on dates, and after that we started staying in, which was much better.
This brought us through the winter and into the spring, when we started chasing the Olympic torch around Belfast and were somewhat Jubilant.
The summer, of course, brought much excitement, what with the Olympics, and the beginnings of a Wenlock obsession which appears to have spiraled entirely out of control. Still, as Mama Smile keeps saying, at least we're not killing old people or doing drugs.
Also in the summer, we had a number of Outings, such as to the museum, where we played in the drawing area and took photos of ourselves with stuffed animals. We also went to the Titanic Museum with Mama and Papa Smile, which was very nice, and to be recommended.
Then came the autumn, and Not Much Happened and then it was Christmas, and Not Much Had Happened.
I am pleased to note, however, that I completed my Reading Challenge, which is really the Main Thing. Here are the books I read:
As you can see, I had challenged myself to read 30 books, and managed to read 32, thus achieving a lifetime best of 106% (I would have liked exams in school a lot more if I could've got more than 100%). Next year I'm hoping to manage 35, although I admit to cheating slightly by being almost finished several books today, thus giving me a head start.
Jayber Crow was asking us all which books we enjoyed (as well as suggesting a number of titles which may well make their way onto 2013's Challenge). Of those I read, I liked Room (Emma Donoghue), The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) and Five Children and It (Edith Nesbit). I also enjoyed My Family and Other Disasters by Lucy Mangan, who I consider a kindred spirit.
I did not especially enjoy Peter Pan (JM Barrie), but that might have been because I am too old.
The only film I saw in the cinema was War Horse, which I liked (I saw this with Boyfriend Smile when we were still going on dates).
So that is almost everything from 2012, apart from One Other Thing, which I shall tell you about tomorrow.
In the meantime, have a nice start of 2013.
It was a year which started with the introduction of Boyfriend Smile, of course, and therefore with anxiety, panic and all manner of emotions which one* goes through upon a sudden unexpected change. But we soon settled in, lost the haunting fear that it was all going to go pear-shaped, and began to eat again.
[* i.e., me]
Initially we went on a lot of dates, before realising that we both hated going on dates, and after that we started staying in, which was much better.
This brought us through the winter and into the spring, when we started chasing the Olympic torch around Belfast and were somewhat Jubilant.
The summer, of course, brought much excitement, what with the Olympics, and the beginnings of a Wenlock obsession which appears to have spiraled entirely out of control. Still, as Mama Smile keeps saying, at least we're not killing old people or doing drugs.
Also in the summer, we had a number of Outings, such as to the museum, where we played in the drawing area and took photos of ourselves with stuffed animals. We also went to the Titanic Museum with Mama and Papa Smile, which was very nice, and to be recommended.
Then came the autumn, and Not Much Happened and then it was Christmas, and Not Much Had Happened.
I am pleased to note, however, that I completed my Reading Challenge, which is really the Main Thing. Here are the books I read:
As you can see, I had challenged myself to read 30 books, and managed to read 32, thus achieving a lifetime best of 106% (I would have liked exams in school a lot more if I could've got more than 100%). Next year I'm hoping to manage 35, although I admit to cheating slightly by being almost finished several books today, thus giving me a head start.
Jayber Crow was asking us all which books we enjoyed (as well as suggesting a number of titles which may well make their way onto 2013's Challenge). Of those I read, I liked Room (Emma Donoghue), The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) and Five Children and It (Edith Nesbit). I also enjoyed My Family and Other Disasters by Lucy Mangan, who I consider a kindred spirit.
I did not especially enjoy Peter Pan (JM Barrie), but that might have been because I am too old.
The only film I saw in the cinema was War Horse, which I liked (I saw this with Boyfriend Smile when we were still going on dates).
So that is almost everything from 2012, apart from One Other Thing, which I shall tell you about tomorrow.
In the meantime, have a nice start of 2013.
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Young Apprentice Is Back!
So. Young Apprentice is back next week. Thursday night. 1st November.
I'm not sure whether I'll blog it or not, because:
1. I'm quite busy at the moment, and
2. I always feel a bit bad being snarky about kids. Even if they are annoying and pretentious.
So we'll see.
But I shall definitely watch, I can promise you THAT.
I'm not sure whether I'll blog it or not, because:
1. I'm quite busy at the moment, and
2. I always feel a bit bad being snarky about kids. Even if they are annoying and pretentious.
So we'll see.
But I shall definitely watch, I can promise you THAT.
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