This will start out bitter before it gets better, overall I can say personally for me and I suspect for the rest of world that year of 2008 has been one of the most insane years of my life, in small breathtaking instants wonderfully audacious and full of intense joy, but I am sad to say a great deal of it has been rather bleak, at these moments I recommend you turn off the news and go find something you enjoy, small pleasures are what we have. I am hoping though that all this upheaval has brought the charitable in us all, I have donated food this year and whenever I pass ringing bells of donations I have given, I don't make much money and as a grad student I am at the low end of income as it goes, still at least at the end of the day I know I still have my compassion and sympathy.
Just a reminder, keep up with what is happening at your local library, at times of economic hardship, library use in the community goes up and yet they are often the first things to go with the economic fall. Don't let this happen when the economy is in down this one of the few places that give back to the community in amazing ways: job help, internet access, language learning facilities, activities for children, entertainment.
And now on to my discoveries of 2008:
Animals and People
-Rex, my family's adorable sweet German shepard
-My kitten, who I will be getting on January 5th, my mother's birthday
-My wonderful friends and family who have been there when I needed them.
Books
- a mercy by Toni Morrison
-A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink
-Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
-The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook: 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufman
-Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson
-Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
Food (all homemade)
-Dulce de Leche
-Risotto
-Polenta (I finally got it right through my rice-cooker)
-Kimchi fried rice
-Tapioca pudding
Famous
-Christina Hendricks aka Joan Holloway on Mad Men, because she bucks the trend of the anorexic beauty, and is beautifully not that!
Music
- 19 by Adele
- The Decemberists
Online
-Generous Swappers
-Cuteoverload.com
-Google Reader
-Tastespotting.com
-The generous bloggers who come to my little blog who offer words of encouragement and share their thoughts.
Perfume
-Ambre Russe by Parfum d'Empire
-Amour by Kenzo pure parfum
-Bois des Iles by Chanel
-Infusion d'Iris by Prada
-Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d'Empire
-Sensual Amber by Bath and Body Works
11 comments:
Hi Jena- Thanks for your lists- I enjoyed reading what brought about discovery for you in 2008. It was a bittersweet year- so many good things with so many bad... but your advice is spot on... turn it all off and focus inward on on the positive things. Let's hope 2009 is better!
Hope you have a very happy 2009!
Arwen
2008 has been a strange year for lots of people I think. I enjoyed reading your best bits of it! I hope 2009 is a very happy year for you.
Daily, I think you found the jackpot word to describe 2008 "bittersweet."
You too Arwen!
Rose, here is to hoping that 2009 is a better year for all of us. Glad you enjoyed the best of's.
Jen,
Your list was a delight to travel through...and offered particular happy discoveries for me. (Rice cooker cookbook! Will look for it on Jessica's Biscuit...do you know of that website? Good prices on a slew of cookbooks and related books, including barchef-ery, which was an emerging interest before perfume took over for me).
I think most years offer contrasts...'08 has been particularly, ridiculously obvious in them. Look how it is closing out for my area, weather-wise: Friday, nearly a foot of snow on the ground, record low temperatures. Saturday, rain, snow melts by end of day, record highs, flood warnings. Sunday, back to freezing, though no longer record lows. Grass is green, though.
Sheesh.
I wish for you and all who read your blog not only some obvious joys, but ease in finding ALL the joy in 2009. :)
Scentscelf, trust me the rice cooker cookbook is awesome! I had never heard of Jessica's Biscuit and now I am over there and going gaga (you bad woman ;-)).
That's me, the imp of enabling. ;)
Dear Jen,
Happy New Year. May life be sweet and perfume yet sweeter.
Thank you Cait :-)
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