If you’re reading this, thank you. I’ve not been the most reliable newsletter writer, so I appreciate you holding on. Grab yourself a cuppa, a mince pie, or whatever your little treat of choice is. I was going to do a reflective email, but I won’t. I’ll do that in January.
I took a break
I’ve already written about how, when a big contract came to an end in August, I took a wee break. My break got extended longer and longer because I didn’t put a huge amount of effort into looking for work, realising that I was actually pretty exhausted. This turned out to make sense, because in October I found out my auto-immune condition was fully in a flare and I was clinically severely anaemic.
I tend not to talk about this much, but since mid-October, I’ve had what seems like 34908340 appointments with the GP, in different hospitals, getting bloods and trekking back and forth to the chemist. And you know what? I’ve never been so glad to have had a quiet inbox and no client work. I also know how privileged I am to be able to take this time off.
I don’t make resolutions
Because when I inevitably fail to stick to them, I feel like shit and end up in a cycle of guilt and shame, which is guaranteed to make me resent doing the thing, whatever it is. This happens with things I enjoy too, which is why I don’t do Morning Pages. It’s a toxic trait.
My period of recuperation has made me reassess certain things, mainly my exercise choices. I got a free trial to ClassPass, and did a tour of yoga and reformer pilates studios in Edinburgh. And now, I’ve decided to pay for the monthly membership so I can keep doing the things.
Also, the credits on ClassPass can be rolled over if left unused so that takes the ‘chore’ aspect out of it. If you want to give it a go, here’s a referral link. You’ll get extra free credits, and I’ll get a little something, too.
Daire & I are having our own weird Christmas
Our tree has black tinsel on it. None of the decorations match, one of them is a pink stegosaurus. There are two sets of lights: one bright white, one warm white. It’s too broad and wide to really fit in the space we’ve put it, but it’s ours. It’s shedding pine needles constantly and I love it. Is it aesthetically pleasing? Not particularly. Our home is maximalist and our tree is in keeping with that style. We’re not eating turkey at Christmas, because it’s a faff. We’re not having sprouts because they stink and really do taste disgusting.
Have we been stressed out of our trees in the run up to the ‘big day'? No. We’re going to go for a run on Christmas morning - I’m going to start running again, and I’ve decided Christmas Day is the day to do it. (I don’t know why - my brain thinks it’s a good idea.) Daire will be going for a 5km run, and I’ll run for either 5 minutes, or 1km non-stop, whichever I can manage. We’ll see.
The stuff I’ve enjoyed doing the most in 2023:
Visiting Castle Dracula
Running my PB in a 10km
Doing a writing horror fiction course with Kirsty Logan
Going to Beamish outdoor museum
Our friends’ wedding
Setting up my Limited Company
Thought Bubble Comic Art Convention
The stuff I’ve enjoyed reading the most in 2023:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
Shy by Max Porter
This Is My Body, Given For You by Heather Parry
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Foster by Claire Keegan
So Late In The Day by Claire Keegan
Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV
The stuff I’ve enjoyed watching the most in 2023:
📺 The Bear S2
📺 Friday Night Dinner
📺 Taskmaster S16
📺 Big Brother
📺 The Jinx
🎥 Oppenheimer
🎥 Barbie
🎥 Leon: the Professional
🎥 Spider-man Across the Spider-verse
🎥 Paddington 2
🎭 JM Coetzee's Life & Times of Michael K
🎭 John Robertson’s The Dark Room
🎪 La Clique
🎪 Brave Space
🎤 Michelle Brasier: Reform
🎤 Marjolein Robertson: Marj
Happy Christmas. Love how you used your year. Right with you on new year resolutions.