Looking back over 2017 and forward to 2018

This time last year I did a 2016 review post (complete with post archive) and set some intentions for 2017. Bhahaha. Yes, well, best laid plans and all that. Let’s say we had a few ups and downs.

Just to set the scene, for those of you who are new followers. I started here on Steemit in August 2016, and mainly post about food and recipes (especially for people with allergies, or following special diets), nutrition and healthy lifestyle. But I’m also fond of posts about music, other types of entertainment and general thoughts about life (especially life in New Zealand).

January 2017

The first thing of note this year was that we had no summer. Basically, it rained from winter 2016, all through spring and summer of 16/17 and through winter 2017. (Luckily, we have been having some summer this year.)

We also had to make some changes in how we ran our online business, which meant less time for Steemit, darn it. But I still found time for a variety of Paleo themed posts, including one about cashews, more in my “60 years of favourite music” series and started a series on seated exercises for seniors or the disabled. I got to be a judge in a Culinary Challenge contest, and naturally chose the theme of Paleo.

February & March

We got a day or two of summer, my community choir took to the streets of Wellington in the Cuba Dupa festival and I tried my hand at writing some short story fiction. I also made a presentation to a Parliamentary select committee against water fluoridation.

April

This month included my birthday and Easter. I made myself a birthday cake, and @woman-onthe-wing made me one as well. Birthday outings included a trip to the Weta workshop and a show called Voices from the Front, about Gallipoli. I posted two recipes for Easter buns for my gluten free or Paleo followers ~ Paleo Easter Buns (coconut-almond flours, gluten and starch free, lowish carb) and Even yummier Paleo Easter Buns, and celebrated New Zealand music in honour of Anzac Day.

Although I didn’t post about it at the time, some long dead shares suddenly got resurrected, giving @sift666 and I a few $k to put into Bitcoin and other cryptos. At this point, 8 months later, we’re very happy we did so!

May & June

May went past in a blur of tax returns and fatigue…

But in June, we searched out some of our fellow kiwis on Steemit, and made some new friends. A chance conversation led to a couple of posts on how to feed babies with allergies - Real food for babies – Part 1 and Real food for babies – Part 2. I posted some new grain free recipes, including Cashew Porridge, Grain Free Apple Cashew Walnut Muffins and Carrot Cashew Blender Bread.

July

Winter set in, the fatigue continued and I got a sore throat. I went to a local Blockchain meet up (this post also has the latest list of kiwis on Steemit), and posted a variety of winter recipes, including No potato fries / NZ sweet potatoes and “Use up those vegetables that you bought and never used” winter soup.

August & September

The year got tough. My dad, who had been living in his own wee flat in a retirement village was hospitalised. This involved a lot of travel throughout the month, for various members of the family, as well as the worry about his health, and what we could do to support him.

2003.Dad 70th landscape.jpg
this picture was taken by @sift666 at his 70th, back in 2003

On the up side, I celebrated my one year anniversary on Steemit.

Then at the start of September, on the evening before Fathers Day, Dad slipped away. Eight days later, @sift666’s dad, who had been in dementia care for two years, also slipped away. Two funerals in less than a week.

When you have your own business, and people rely on your products, you can’t just shut up shop for a week or two. So we carried on, one foot in front of the other, just in survival mode for some weeks.

October & November

We carried on, as ya do. On Steemit, I was conspicuous by my absence – not posting or commenting and barely reading. But I did check in each morning to get a smile from @meesterboom and read stories by @dreemit and @michelle.gent.

One highlight in October was my annual trip to the Wearable Arts award show with some girlfriends. And at the end of November, @sift666 and I celebrated 29 years together.

December

We made it to the end of the year. The sun came out for more than a day, for the first time in 18 months. I went away down to the Marlborough Sounds with some of my family for some time together. I meant to post about it, and maybe I’ll do a look back at it in the new year, as it really was a special time for us all.

I started experimenting with new recipes again, and posted my first recipe in a long time (low carb cream cheese cookies), along with a recap of some festive treats for special diets.

We found a NZ bullion exchange that takes cryptos, and bought our first bit of physical gold. Merry Xmas to us!

Our first Xmas with no dads has been and gone. An aunt and uncle also left us this year. At dad’s funeral, two of my older male cousins and I were reflecting on the new truth that we are now the senior generation in the family, with only a handful of the previous generation left. Time comes for us all.

But that said, a new phase of life is still life. To be lived to its fullest, with the special joys, gifts and challenges of its time. So, me, I’m looking forward to 2018. New lessons, new challenges, new teachings to share.

Last year, I set some intentions that never quite worked out. So this year, all I intend is to remember this – much as crypto investments and gold are fun things, our true wealth is our health, our families, our friendships, our zest for life.

To those of you, my dear friends, who have had sorrow in 2017, be glad of heart as we journey onwards together. For those of you who have had joy, yay, let’s have even more of it next year. xx