I'm slightly late to the party with this post. I'd like to say the delay is because I have been off skiing in Klosters , or because I was whisked away surprise holiday to the Caribbean, or because I started the year with a lottery win and realised that blogging about it would be just showing off.
But no.
I have been away staying with my brother and his family for the new year and a traumatic situation developed which left me with sweaty palms and heart palpitations: I could not get onto the internet!
So that meant no blogging (the previous posts had been scheduled in advance) but I'm here now, in person, and I've been tagged by Liz at Living with Kids, Sandy at Baby Baby and and Wendy at The Life Of Wendy Wife to blog my best bits of 2009.
This post seems a little past its sell-by date now, but it also gives me the opportunity to take revenge on a friend. (Mw-ha, ha ha...)
Here are the highlights from the year that was:
A wedding
My brother, Andy, and his girlfriend, V, got married in the Czech Republic in August 2009. It was a fabulous event and the 36C heat made a pleasant change from the UK.
We discovered that Andy and V met in a rather seedy bar in Stockwell, London. V approached Andy and asked him why he looked so miserable. Andy explained that he had just lost his job.
Not the greatest start to a beautiful friendship but suffice to say, life improved for Andy from then on. The two remain blissfully happy six years on.
Blogging
I started this blog in February 2009 out of sheer frustration and boredom. I had been doing regular editing work for a local university but then they cut their freelance budget. I'd also recently qualified with the Publishing Training Centre but then discovered there was no work in the publishing sector either. The recession was starting to bite and I was left with only two clients and time on my hands. So I started scribbling.
I came very close to giving up blogging in September for no reason in particular, but then an invitation came to take part in the Pampers/UNICEF 'Gift of Life' campaign. One fabulous visit to London later and everything had changed, I had the blogging buzz back and have continued ever since.
Marketing, Public Relations and Branding
No, this has nothing to do with PR companies and bloggers! Last year I decided I wanted to return to the business sector in some capacity. I have a business degree and decided to specialise in marketing, public relations and branding. I completed my first module with the Chartered Institute of Marketing in November and start the next module in February. It is many years since I studied, revised and sat a three-hour exam, so for me it is quite an achievement, although my brain still aches from it all.
Learning to Drive
Finally, at the age of 36 I sat in the driving seat of a car for the very first time. Certain people did now think I was capable of driving but I finally plucked up the courage to ignore them and with some renewed self-belief I just got on with it. 17 hours of lessons later, my driving is progressing really well. I should pass my test this year which I'll be listing in my highlights of 2010!
Friends (Virtual and Real)
I have made some fantastic blogging friends this year (they know who they are, yes it's you, and you, and you...) and it's been great to be able to meet some of them.
I have also continued to build some great friendships in the real world, which includes my fab sister-who-is-not-really-my-sister-but-she-might-as-well-be Jo Beaufoix. Despite posting 'stuff' like this I still adore her, in fact that is why I adore her, she's nuts.
I promised the aforementioned trouble-maker a revenge post.
So what do you do when Cision's most influential mummy blogger in the UK quotes you (completely out of context) in a blog post and likens you to a marshmallow.
You do this:
And this:
And then this:
Even the Cookie Monster is shocked:
But Bill Gates is laughing:
Hope you are all having a great New Year's Day!
