Noodles just posted something I found rather compelling, and she in turn got the idea from a friend who had done it as an email to her loved ones, and I decided that I would do the same for my first post of 2010. I do tend to get maudlin rather than snarky at times like these, so just bear with me here, as I list my 10 greatest achievements of the last decade, in rough chronological order:
1. Created and published my own literary magazine, BrickStreet: A Journal of the Arts. A friend and I put it together ourselves, and I learned how to use Quark Xpress in order to do the layout myself. The experience made #3 possible.
2. Gave birth to my amazing daughter, Harper.
3. Quit my soul-sucking job in the retail optical biz, and, one week later, landed my dream job as assistant editor of a local magazine.
4. Gave birth to my beautiful little demon, Devon.
5. Had the stupid idea to start my own jewelry business from home, which ultimately didn't work out so well, BUT I created and built my own website, even though I had no idea what I was doing and no prior experience. More than anything, I am proud that I carried the project through to completion and did it entirely on my own.
6. Taught myself to quilt.
7. Started this blog.
8. Landed an even better job as assistant editor of another local magazine, for twice the pay and even better experience.
9. Gained roughly 60 pounds, and lost nearly 30 of them in the last year and a half. (I'm still pretty fat, though, and all that CHEESE added at least 2 pounds back)
10. Got published in Quilter's Home magazine, a gig that looks like steady work for as long as I come up with stuff for them to publish and there is a Quilter's Home magazine to be published in. I once complained to the current co-Editor-In-Chief, Jake Finch, about having to provide a picture, and her response was, "Dammit, woman! I am trying to make you famous!" Who would have thought ten years ago that there would be anybody interested in making me famous, or that it would come via a blog about my lousy sewing?
And, really, who would have thought ten years ago that any of these things would happen? The Aughts have been a hell of a ride. I can't wait to see what the next decade has in store for all of us.
Oh yay! I love your list! I'm raising a glass (ok, a glass of water which I'm using to chase down my Tylenol that I need because I'm hungover) and wishing you the best. Bring it, new decade!
ReplyDeleteFirst Happy New Year!!! second if its a picture you could still use the cartoon since we all know you as the cartoon. Or the rather lovely frazzled mom pose with you eyes squished shut from the Dec 19 blog. Okay don't hit me Your my idol teehee.
ReplyDeleteMaudlin is perfectly acceptable in times like these - something about "snarky" and "new year" is somewhat depressing.
ReplyDeleteYou've had a hell of a year, holy smokes.
I, for one, am extremely pleased you've started the blog and are well on your way to becoming fabulously famous - someone with your wit surely should be. If it's your "lousy sewing" that gets you there, so be it!
Happy new year, much health and clear sinuses surely must follow.
Now see, if I'd actually read "decade," as you wrote, rather than "year," as I've been conditioned by 1000 blog posts to read, I would have seen this remarkable list is the product of ten years' work, not one.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me feel *slightly* less of a slouch - but god not by much.