Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 Year End Meme

I got this meme from Michelle, at Bleeding Espresso, who first saw it at Sundry Mourning, who originally copied it from Gwen’s Petty, Judgmental, Evil Thoughts back in 2004.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

I became a "professional" food blogger and learned that it's not something I enjoy doing.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I make goals, rather than resolutions. I'm getting close to meeting some of them and haven't touched some of the others.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes! Gorgeous Aiden Van Erik Tyler was born!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, sadly.

5. What countries did you visit?

Bermuda, Canada

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A quiet year with no major family traumas.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 20th - the Inauguration - what a day!
March 26th - the day my mother moved to Michigan.
May 26th - the day my mother moved to her new home in Michigan.
July 5th - the day Aiden was born.
September 22nd/23rd - the days Sarah and Amy turned 25, respectively. YIKES.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting a yoga practice, as odd as that might sound.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I'm trying not to put things in these terms.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Ugh - let's not even go there.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Three books by four friends: Luisa Perkins's Comfortably Yum, Karen E. Olson's The Missing Ink, and Charity Tahmaseb's and Darcy Vance's The Geek Girls Guide to Cheerleading.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
many ordinary people with their heart in the right place (I'm using Goofball's answer here, because I like it!)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Intolerant people. Those who claim to be one thing, but behave in ways that show they don't stand for what they say they stand for.

14. Where did most of your money go?
The basics.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The local food/artisan food movement in Michigan!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

"At Last" sung by Beyonce to the new First Couple.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
happier, same, same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
reading books (ditto Goofball again - it's true!)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Food blogging

20. How will you be spending New Year?

with family at home

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Um... well, continued to be in love?

22. How many one-night stands?

Um....N/A

23. What was your favorite TV program?

Glee

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't think hate is a useful emotion.

25. What was the best book you read?
Really hard to say - I loved many.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Again, hard to say. I like Owl City at the moment, but only in small doses.

27. What did you want and get?

Some more free time or permission to myself to take it.

28. What did you want and not get?

Enough of that time. Health and life for loved ones of friends who died.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

I can't pin this down, either. Maybe Julie and Julia, just for Meryl Streep/Stanley Tucchi.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

For the big 5-0 I sat in a small ship's cabin waiting for maintenance to do something about the black bilge water coming up through our bathroom pipes. Then we had a nice French dinner in the evening. It wasn't my favorite birthday, despite the French dinner.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Fewer crises for family and friends. More political change in the U.S. than what has actually happened. I'm worried our system is irreparably broken.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

Health care.

33. Who did you miss?

Not seeing enough of my exchange daughters/son.

34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"Eat rhubarb wet from the rain
Beautiful fruits all the same
Pears, oranges, and grapes from the vine
Children it is the earth's time." From "Children Play with Earth" by Arrested Development

35. I wish you all a happy satisfying healthy loving 2010. Have a good celebration and a fun start of the new year. All best wishes to you all!!!!!

25 comments:

Luisa Perkins said...

Wonderful answers! I feel honored to be mentioned. Have a fantastic new year!

WIDNEY WOMAN said...

I truly enjoyed reading!! You've been a wonderful bloggy friend/surrogate bloggy mom. I hope 2010 is phenomenal for you!!

Brian Miller said...

nice. happy new year!

Charity Tahmaseb said...

I loved reading this, and like Luisa, I feel honored that you mentioned us.

Jen said...

Luisa and Charity - I was honored to read your books! Yay! ;-)

Widney - You've been a wonderful bloggy friend as well, and often my daily hit of humor - you just express things in a way that always makes me smile. I hope 2010 is wonderful for the Widneys as well!

Luisa, Brian and Charity - And a Happy New Year to all of you, too!

Dru said...

This was very inspiring to read your words. These will be great memories.

Happy New Year!

Mariposa said...

Love this! It's 2010 here already but I think I'm gonna grab this later for fun. :)

Happy New Year to you and to your family Jenn!

Thistlemoon said...

Great meme Jen! Here's hoping 2010 is a great year for you and your family! Filled with good times together!

Jen said...

Dru - some will be great, and some were... er, best forgotten! I hope you have a lovely start to the year!

Mariposa - HAPPY NEW YEAR! We still have a couple of hours to go. Enjoy! This was a fun meme to do.

Jenn - thanks so much! Here's to a great year and a great move for your family!

Susan @ SGCC said...

What great answers! Happy New Year to you, Jen. I hope 2010 is all you ever dreamed of!

Betsy said...

I enjoyed reading this! :-)

Happy New Year to you and your family!

Ivy said...

I enjoyed reading the meme and learning more about you. All my best wishes to you and yours. Have a wonderful and happy 2010

Jeanie said...

I would love reading this even if we hadn't met last week, but that makes it all the more fun and interesting!

I send you wonderful wishes for a beautiful 2010 with lots of books, lots of family, lots of fun, good health, good food and wonderful times!

April said...

I too am afraid that the system is irreparably broken, which is why I haven't written as many political posts this past year. I'm keeping my hope quieter to try and avoid the noise.
Love you, Jen!

painted maypole said...

really enjoyed this. and i have to agree on Glee and Julie/Julia... Stanley Tucci and Meryl Strep were perfection!

Jen said...

Susan, Betsy, Ivy and Jeanie - throwing those same wishes right back!

April - I know. It's been a hard and very confusing year in that sense.

PM - I did, too. I guess their kind of romance is my kind of romance. (Except for the fact, as it was pointed out to me, that she's very self-centered when he loses his job and is far more devastated about leaving France). But the acting was certainly perfection!

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Jen, Happy New Year. I love experimenting with food (when I can afford it), I love researching food history and cultural influences. But I also found myself not being as enthusiastic about blogging about it all the time. When I realized that making my family (my priority) come first was upsetting me about not having the time to blog, I had to re-assess the whole blogging thing. Now I just blog when I want to share something great that I've discovered or really want to share. I think I've finally put food blogging into perspective. Sorry about the rant, just wanted to share. My best wishes for you for 2010. ♥

Goofball said...

yeaaay you played as well :) (and hmm you cut the same questions out as I did ;) ).

I wish you a year without family & friends drama's !!!!

Jen said...

Teresa - my thoughts EXACTLY. And that was my problem, as well. Also, I began to hate cooking - can you imagine?? I'm glad you found clarity as well.

Ellen - no one was being dramatic - it was more health and similar issues. And thanks so much! May both of our families have a healthier 2010!

Tui Snider @mentalmosaic said...

Interesting replies! I may do a belated version of this meme on my own blog. I didn't realize that about you and the food blogging.

Here's to a fantabulous 2010 :)

~Tui

Acedog said...

I admire the effort it takes to complete such a list of questions. I hope at the end of 2010 your answers bespeak joy!

Jen said...

Tui - yes, it was an interesting experience! I have to catch up with what you've been doing, too.

Acedog - thanks so much! I already feel that 2010 is starting off in better light.

Mae Travels said...

I think your professional food blogging experience is a lesson to a lot of us: doing something because you love it is really different than getting paid to do it. Thanks for documenting the process of this lesson for us.

Impertinently, I wonder -- do you know this quotation from Mark Twain or maybe from Moliere? "Writing is like prostitution; first you do it for love, then you do it for a few close friends, and you end up doing it for money."

Momisodes said...

What a great idea for a year-end post. I loved reading this about you. I had no idea you started a yoga practice! Congratulations.

2009 was quite a year. I often thought of you and your mom.

I hope 2010 is a wonderful happy and healthy year for you and your family.

sophia said...

I think Julie and Julia was my favorite movie of 2009, too. Esp with that dynamic duo Meryl Streep/Stanley Tucchi!!