At the end of each year, I always take a moment to examine the ups and downs I experienced. What follows is my personal and professional review of 2019. I:
* Produced/edited hundreds of breaking news stories about the presidency — and impeachment — of Donald Trump, the investigation into Russian election interference in the 2016 election, another government shutdown, numerous mass shootings (including 3 in one week), Brexit, the wildfires in California, Australia and Brazil, Hurricane Dorian, the protests in Hong Kong, immigration and the continued forced separation/detention of children at the border, the college admissions scam, the run-up to the 2020 election, dozens of celebrity deaths and the birth of a royal baby.
* Penned 21 journal entries.
* Passed the 58,000th tweet mark on my personal Twitter account (@jadewalker).
* Updated The Written Word and The 10th Muse mailing lists.
* Maintained two Instagram accounts: @thejadewalker and @catsofjade. Finally became verified.
* Wrote 3 short stories.
* Submitted a photograph into the Manchester Art Contest and saw it framed and displayed at a local hotel.
* Entered a contest to win a writer’s retreat in the UK.
* Read 60 books and numerous magazines.
* Watched 46 films and dozens of TV programs.
* Went leafing in the White Mountains.
* Traveled to Quebec City for the first time.
* Spent a weekend in New York City.
* Participated in The Society of Professional Obituary Writers, the New Hampshire Writers Guild, the New York City Writers Group, the South Florida Freelancers Group, the Authors Guild, PEN America and the Silent Book Club, Manchester, NH chapter.
* Helped coordinate ObitCon 2019 and the Grimmys contest.
* Created my second sourdough starter.
* Hosted three friends, six cats and a puppy dog in our home.
* Bought new glasses.
* Suffered through A LOT of dental work.
* Tried to get more sleep. Failed miserably, due to stress.
* Finally had a gas line installed in the kitchen and purchased a beautiful new stove. Also replaced our furnace.
* Planted a container garden and continued to decorate the back yard/deck with a dining table and chairs, a badminton net and a hammock.
* Started composting.
* Donated my hair to Locks of Love.
* Decorated the front and inside of our house for Christmas and mailed 40 Christmas cards.
* Suffered from at least 45 migraines and lost 67 days of my life to pain. Average headache duration: 34 hours, 56 minutes.
* Raised a litter of kittens into adulthood and cared for our two older feline beauties.
* Mourned the deaths of our 9-year-old dog Duncan and our 17-year-old cat Dany.
* Celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.
* Turned 46.
Goals for 2020
* Change careers.
* Avoid library fines.
* Organize the pantry.
* Plant more flowers and veg in the garden.
* Sleep at least 7 hours a night.
* Work on my fiction.
* Read at least 60 books.
* Practice hygge.
* Win the lottery.
