Goodbye 2018, won't miss you

Summer

2018 sucked.

I tried to think of a nice, stress free day this year...still searching.
Maybe I have died and this is my hell...

I can't think of a single thing I've done just for me, just to have fun.

I haven't been on any trip or little break...unless you count 2 hospital stays. And sadly I've realized that it's the longest vacation I've taken since I moved here...9 years ago.

At the beginning of the year I was so thrilled that my horrible dayjob was coming to an end. I had planned a little goodbye party...and it never happened as I ended up in hospital. 

I didn't go out either...as I basically have no friends left. Mom is increasingly difficult to live with...and it's only the early onsets of  Alzheimer, she tolerated my friends before (not that she ever liked any of them...) and I could go away (and that's what I did most of the time, to be honest) but now it's really no longer possible. Maybe I shouldn't have given up...but it's really hard to live with someone who keeps being mean to everyone. 

What is really scary, is that I  see no way out of this. I need a miracle now. 

A young dashing Diego

I lost Floki the Wild in February and my old Diego in June.

Floki the Wild

I didn't see too many movies...but some were really good. Here's my top 5.

5. Deadpool 2. So refreshing, a superhero film that is not politically correct.
4. Christoper Robin. It was really sweet and moving without being over the top.
3. BlacKKKlansman. A very serious topic, based on a real story (a black guy infiltrating the KKK)      but really funny. And all those cool afro hairstyles.
2. The Shape of Water. Such an unlikely topic. A mute cleaning lady helping a strange water creature      escape from an army facility.
1.The man who killed Don Quixote. I like all Terry Gilliam movie. This one is no exception. It       works on so many levels. The film in the film, that references a film that never got made.

I read some good books. My favorite was Kotori (Little birds) by Yoko Ogawa.

I haven't been watching many series (well, I still don't have Netflix). I saw Stranger Things while in Hospital, I kind of enjoy The Good Doctor.
I am more into Podcasts these days.
My top 8 for this year:

8. Ted Radio Hour (from the Ted talks)
7. Stuff to blow your mind (all kind  of scientific and historic nerdy topics)
6. Stuff they don't want you to know (a bit like the previous one with a conspiracy tone)
5. Last Podcast of the left (paranormal and scary real stories about cults and serial killers)
4. Le Bureau des Mystères (in French, paranormal topics)
3. Open Minds UFO radio
2. Podcast UFO
1. Mysterious Universe 2020 update: I canceled my subscription and have stopped listening to that podcast. The  hosts have become increasingly racist (well, I guess they always were but it just didn't show before), making fun of the disabled and the content went downhill reaaaaaally fast too. Give that podcast a miss.

Oh and I've started meditation with the Headspace app. I wrote about it here.

Let just say that I've been holding my tablet pretty much 90% of the time LOL

And  my shops, you'll ask. Pretty much dead. I'll try new things in the  new year...maybe.

NEW YEAR and a look back on a bad year

2016 was an extremely tough year. I lost so many cats  that I spent most of the year grieving. The passing of Pepita was is extremely difficult to deal with. I love that little cat so much and she left such a big gaping hole in my life...I  find it almost  impossible to find anything positive in that last year.
Fleur died in April, Gazette in May, Pepita and Daget in August and Bruno the Fabulous lost his battle against cancer only last week.
To try to fill the void they left, I adopted  new cats. Little Chloé was abandoned pregnant on a parking lot. She gave birth to 2 kittens, Pookie and Floki. I adopted the 3 the last week of September. They settled in fine...Chloé is still terrorizing the  poor Diego though. I have no idea why he is so scared of her as he is 3 times her size...and usually gets along well with everyone.
Bruno was a little jealous but he liked the kittens, he would eat with them and check on them. He was a kind cat.
The kittens are very rowdy. I've never had such destructive kittens before...but they are very sweet and do enjoy a snuggle or 2.
I didn't travel as much as I had hoped for. I only went to Scotland in August...when Pepita died. And it rained the whole time so the whole trip is just like a blur in my memory.
I got myself a day job...which is incredibly boring but pays well and is close to home...and it is fortunately temporary...so I make do.
My ear issues are just getting worse and worse and I ran out of doctor options.
But my shops did pretty well despite the lack of attention I gave them in the last months.
Financially I've never been this comfortable...but not being very materialistic, I'd happily give that away to get my kitties and happiness back :(
I hope 2017 is less harsh and that I get my drive back...because right now everything seems tough...too tough.
I hope I see more films this year, that I read more books...and that I start enjoying traveling again.

Pookie, the silky one

Floki, the coarse one

Mom Chloe

In 2013

I have never been big on dates and anniversaries, New Year is pretty much like any other day...well, a nice day during which I eat out that is.
But this time I decided to quickly look back on what happened  this year.

The good.

Philibert the cat moving in.

Am I close enough?

Pepita being fabulous.

Getting a new camera at long last...as my previous one was holding together with a rubber band and I had to remove the batteries with a knife.

Finally sewing again...

A day at the seaside and a giant fruit waffle...

My shops finally picking up (still a long way to make it my day job but getting there)

2 trips to my favorite pet rescue! 

Salade niçoise

Cauliflower gratin

Birthday cake for my little cousin

Huh, ok, I don't remember what that one is...probably spinach quiche

Cooking a lot more. With my autoimmune ear problem I got a lot pickier about what I eat. Add to that that most processed food companies have been increasing the amount of stuff I won't eat in their food...down to Canada Dry which sneakily decided to replace some of their sugar content with stevia (most soft drinks now contains various horrible and toxic fake sugars).

Making lots of new things for my shops.

I look pooped but that was a loooong day...

Attending my first prostest for animal rights  organized by the Sea Shepherds in Brussels.

My health not getting worse. No horrible vertigo attack, no day stuck in bed... probably due to the change of diet too. Though I tried various things in the past, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free...nothing made any differences. Since I cut down on meat, I have noticed I am less dizzy, my hearing is getting a lot more stable, even hyperacusis is a lot more tolerable. My goal is to stop all meat in the new year...not just for health reasons though.

Finally finishing the workroom (well, still no heating but that is beyong my control...damn you crook plumber).

And finally I started enjoying blogging again!

The less good and the bad. 

Losing all hopes of getting my money back from the crook plumber and tiler and thus still having no bathroom after more than 4 years now. ( if you've never had house issues you have no idea how draining that can be).

Having  been bad at keeping in touch with my friends yet again. Sorry :( I always blame the ear issue for making me terribly unsociable...and really not much fun being around (forget the old  quiet even tempered me, I snap ALL THE TIME NOW).

Sorry if I have been telling you what to eat or not eat, or to stop smoking. But it only means one thing, I care about you!

Losing Doudou. Poor doudou had been sick for a long time and he went OTRB on December 23. But he had  a long happy life :)

My new year resolutions. 
Oh, wait I never have any. I am just planning on getting underwears that actually fit this year ;)

Lots of Christmas stuff in
-my Etsy (in English,et en Français),
-  Dawanda (English,Français and Deutsch) and
- Alittlemarket (en français) shops.

SHOP EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! Don't wait till the last moment!

Please order BEFORE the following dates to avoid disappointment
Belgium: Dec 17th
Europe: Dec 10th
Rest of the world (USA, Canada,Australia...): Dec 3rd

IMPORTANT
These dates are RECOMMENDATIONS only based on our experience with shipping during the Christmas period. Packages sent to countries outside Europe are occasionally delayed by customs, this is out of our control and we request that you factor this eventuality into the delivery time. It does not happen often, but it can happen.

All my items come in a giftbox!