December 29, 2006 • Print This Post
Yup, it’s that time of year. Everywhere you turn, someone is wrapping up the events of 2006. Pick a focus, any focus–-the year in romance novels, the year in politics, the year in fashion, the year in off-color desk toys, whatever you want, you can find it. But Time Magazine thoughtfully chose a very special individual for it’s Person of the Year–-me! (Well, okay, us – all of us, via the Internet, where everyone has a voice – or so the story goes.)
And I could certainly give you a very professional list of my writing achievements and failures this year–-my year in writing, let’s say. But life is a lot more than that, and sometimes the smallest moments are the most important.
Thus, I give you Amy’s 2006:
• I discovered that I am really, really not cut out to live where it often snows for days on end, sometimes accumulating in feet instead of inches. I don’t think Florida is necessarily for me, either, but I have begun to discover what all those old-time authors meant by chilblains.
• Planning a child’s birthday party takes a kind of patience and dedication usually attributed only to … I don’t know, Benedictine monks maybe. What began as a simple outing to an indoor mini golf place turned into a labyrinthine issue of RSVPs, goodie bags, and missing cakes—saved by Mr. Sunshine’s happiness when all was said and done.
• A fourteen-year-old’s broken nose costs a lot of money to fix properly. That is all.
• My own birthday doesn’t require an elaborate party, but a bakery cake and a few phone calls and cards from friends are really appreciated when I’m wondering where the hell my thirties went.
• A Little League game in which your child is pitching for the first time—and giving up walk after walk after walk—is a good place to perfect the art of biting every last one of your nails down to the quick.
• Bathing suit shopping never gets any easier. Period.
• Summer is not the same without a new Harry Potter novel to read. Do you hear me, J.K. Rowling?!
• Traveling 640 miles in a car with three children—one way—deserves a medal. Or possibly a Nobel Peace Prize.
• School starting up again really is the most wonderful time of the year.
• Halloween just isn’t the same if someone doesn’t puke up too many mini candy bars after trick-or-treating.
• A three-year-old who’s just had a nightmare will get in bed with you, even if it means climbing Everest and swimming the English Channel to do so.
• Rereading the opening chapter of Little Women is still the best way to start the Christmas season.
So that’s my year in epiphanies and lessons learned and moments savored. What was the best—or worst—part of 2006 for you?
Posted by Amy Garvey @ 11:32 am • Filed under: Amy Garvey
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It is hard to single out different things, but I guess the two most significant ones for me would be that my sister was declared cancer free and my daughter had her dream of being an author realized and has some stories coming out……I am sure there was more highs and there were lows as well, but these are the two that stand out the most for me.
This year was a difficult year in that my father-in-law passed away. He was very ill for a very long time so it is definitely a selfish thing on my part. I lost my job, but I realized that I love to write and actually have a little talent, or at least my closest friends think so. I am grateful for all the wonderful books that I have picked up this past year. But most of all I am thankful for my kids, they make me so proud everyday.
Here are my lessons learned or epiphanies from last year,
1. Where have all the cold winter days gone to? I live in the North. I am used to 10 degree weather, 2 feet of snow, icy driving conditions, etc. This December has been rainy, warm and sunny. Is spring around the corner or what?
2. When you reach your forties, one birthday is just like any other birthday. Just now my husband came in and asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I said to him, “I haven’t even thought about it. I don’t know.” Here my birthday is just a couple days a way. Goes to show you how much I think about my special B-days!
3. The simplest things in life are the best! My husband marvels at how little money I spend. I don’t need much to make me happy. Reading a book by my favorite author is like heaven to me! My husband wanted to know what I wanted for Christmas. Nothing came to mind. Then, I thought, “Oh, there is a book by my favorite author you can buy.” Hey, it doesn’t take much to make my day special.
4. My husband asked me, “Want to go for a walk?” “Sure!” I said. Wow, what wonders a walk can do for you, espeically with that special someone!
5. What is it with all the abbreviations people have to use in their e-mails anymore? Why can’t they just spell things out so all of us forty-somethings can understand? This is my pet peeve.
Happy New Year everyone!
The year started bad for me because I lost my translation job, but that was the only bad experience during the last year.
In May I attended my first RT convention, met a lot of my online friends and celebrated my birthday there.
I decided this year to go back to university to get a teaching degree, because with my Master degree I can’t teach here in Germany.
In October I got a wonderful new job, I work now as an editor for the largest German romance publisher and I will soon also work as translator for them.
The year start bad, but it ended very good for me, if you ignore some health problems.