Joanne's Year in Review

I shamelessly stole this from another blog...

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
a) Took two airplane trips with a toddler. That may not sound like much to you, but add diabetes into the mix and it is. It was seriously something I had been so afraid of doing because of all the bad things that could happen. But I forgot about all the good things that could happen too. Namely...
b) Met someone in real life that I had first met on the internet. Meri... she's good people.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't so the whole resolution thing, I'm not sure why, it's just too cliche I guess.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I can think of.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my wonderful Grammy Ann. December 21st. One of the first people I would call on Christmas morning would be Grammy Ann because she lived in the eastern time zone, and the rest of my family are in the west. I picked up the phone to call her that morning when I remembered she had passed away. I miss her.

5. What countries did you visit?
Unfortunately, never got to leave the U.S.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Please to have MORE SLEEP!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 21, when Grammy Ann passed away. I can't think of anything else.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping my daughter alive, and not losing my sanity in the process. Also the $8,000+ we raised for the JDRF walk. And designing the World Diabetes Day shirt that we had over 30 orders for.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Hmmmm

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just a touch o' the swine flu, thankyouverymuch

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My front loading washer and dryer. Man I am so boring.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Elise - she is so amazing, I know adults that could learn a thing or two from her.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Meh, moving on...

14. Where did most of your money go?
Probably Target. And Chick-fil-a. We also got to support some ministries that our friends are a part of. That was fun!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Trip to SF
meeting Meri
Elise's 2nd birthday, but first celebration
Our Team Elise video
JDRF walk , with more than 30 people walking for Team Elise.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Seeing how I don't ever listen to the radio (except for talk radio) and never get to listen to new music, I don't have an answer to that.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. Last year at this time was rough, diabetes-wise. It's still pretty rough right now, but we're dealing with it.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner... by about 5 pounds. It's called stress.
c) richer or poorer? Richer. Not just money-wise though...

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping and traveling.

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

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Got Elise up. Breakfast. Presents. Snack for Elise. More presents. Lunch at a friend's house which turned into dinner because we never got around to leaving. Who know South Africans could be so much fun???

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fall in love everyday.... awww (blurgh - the sound of vomiting)

22. What was your favorite TV program?
New show? The Good Wife. Old Show? Amazing Race

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate. There are people that make me very sad, but I don't bother wasting my energy on hate.

24. What was the best book you read?
Can't remember

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
See answer to question #16.

26. What did you want and get?
To get out of Texas for any period of time... and we did! Twice!

27. What did you want and not get?
A cure for diabetes

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Don't think I actually saw a movie... no wait, The Proposal. It was cute, but I hated that Sandra Bullock was supposed to be a Canadian from Toronto, yet she couldn't pronounce the name of the city properly.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 33 this year. Fred threw me a surprise party.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I spent 2009 in survival mode... just treading water. I would have liked to have accomplished a bit more, but what can ya do?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Bohemian-athletic-hippie. Boleppie.

32. What kept you sane?
Blogging and all my D-Momma friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Nobody.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hard to feel political when you don't have the right to vote. Perhaps it would be having the right to vote and not using it... idiots.

35. Who did you miss?
Family. Canada.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
In real life: Laura, Meri. In my computer, the on-line D community. There are none better...

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Life may suck right now, but it will get better. Then it will suck some more, but get better again. It's all about rinsing and repeating...

38. What are you looking forward to in 2010?
Perhaps a trip to meet up with the D-Mommas
A trip back home to Vancouver
Raising money for Team Elise
Starting a project that I've been thinking about for a year

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Worry not
mother of all that is
for what has yet
to be lived
worry not
the dawn will come
and there will be an answer
for everyone
worry not
don't stop walking
on the land
breathe in the air and hold out your hand
worry not
your truth is written in you
fly like you were meant to

worry not your time has come
the time of angels has begun
as sure as I stand
as sure as I sing
there is a miracle waiting in everything
-Worry Not, Liam O' Maonlai