Looking back at the past
year and especially comparing it with some previous years, I find it
rather uneventful. The highlight was Staffan's seventieth birthday
and the wonderful surprise party when twelve out of twenty of the
immediate family arrived just in time for lunch, without Staffan
having the slighest idea. I enjoyed it. He had to admit that he did
too.
Two children turned forty
this year. It's weird. No new grandchildren. Errrm... actually, a new
bonus grandchild. Red-haired too. And Kory has moved to Sweden and is
repeating my struggle for acceptance. She has just been offered a
good job.
I spent a good part of the
year working hard, first finishing a book, then revising another book
(and now revising the first book). I also wrote a number of articles
and chapters that I had promised to write long before, hoping that
something would come in between (but it never does). Several articles
and chapters have been published – see full info on my academia page.
I have been good and said
no to many things. Sadly, I even had to cancel a few things,
including a trip to Canada with all expenses paid. But I attended a
conference in Stockholm and a symposium in Chichester; Morag read my
paper at a conference in Venice, and I did two virtual lectures. I
have guest edited a special issue of a journal on Tove Jansson. I
have hosted two symposia. I examined two PhD theses, one in Norway
and one in Exeter. I have written gazillions of recommendation
letters and promotion reviews. All colleagues I reviewed got their
promotions.
I have been elected Fellow
of the English Association. I can put FEA on my business card.
Some doctoral students
have successfully completed their theses, and all of them have got
excellent jobs. I have four new PhD students this year, and it seems
that at least four are coming next year. We are growing. We are
gaining reputation.
I didn't travel much this
year, which was a clever decision. I was in Stockholm twice, and
obviously I had to go to Norway and Exeter for examination and to
Chichester to give a paper, but apart from that, I only went to
Norfolk twice, both time for pure recreation. I should do more of
that.
Apart from the family
invasion in August, we didn't have many visitors this year. A
grandchild stayed a few days because her parents allowed her to go to
London for a concert on condition that she would stay with Granny. My
faithful childhood friend came for a week – that's when we went to
Norfolk. And a very good old friend and colleague from Stockholm came
for a few days, deciding on the spot. I said, casually: “When are
you coming to visit me?”, and ten minutes later she got back with
the flight number. This is why I like my friends. We also had a visit
from Sweden's most eminent UFO-logist, and I wish I had recorded our
conversations that night.
I have read some
good books, but I have already done a separate post on them. I have
only seen one play, and it was hilarious. I have seen several good
movies. Amour
made the strongest impression.
We haven't done any house
improvements, but I have worked a lot in the garden, clearing our
little ditch that I call a brook. I have planted one new rose and
made a new flower border. The strawberries were all eaten by deer,
but we had two magnificent harvests of raspberries.
I haven't bought any new
clothes or shoes this year.
I have made some fantastic
dollhouses and room boxes.Visit my dollhouse blog.
I have started exercising
again, and my coach makes me work hard. I haven't been very good
recently with my power walks, but I have a goal and must reach it
because I am training for a purpose. But it is too early to talk
about it.
This is the first time in
thirty-two years of our marriage that we'll have a child-free
Christmas.
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