This year was dominated by two events - one good; one bad.
The bad one was the round of redundancies at work. Although I retained my job, I was affected by the pain of the process and the circumstances of my work suffered.
The thoughts of being unemployed concentrated the mind wonderfully but also made me very aware of expenditure. This came at a time when we were committed to paying off for the two sofas we took possession of last year, paying for the sash windows to be fixed in February and paying for a Baltic Cruise in July.
So, it's perhaps understandable that we have curtailed many of our usual activities this year. What's more remarkable is just how much we have packed in, given the circumstances. Once again, I've not included anything that scored less that four stars during the course of the year.
So, let's reminisce about the Arts.
There really has only been one film of any note this year. There have been many in the three star category, none in the four star and one that outstripped the rest. So, the award goes to
a great film in any year.
Ross and I have only been to one theatre event this year and that, though, good was not memorable enough to rate one of these awards.
There's been quite a bit of media which I have responded positively to this year. However, you'll notice that none of it is very mainstream. Where I have responded, it has mostly been where the content has had some spiritual nourishment.
The nominations are
And the award goes to
because it is one of those few programmes that I shall be happy to return to time and time again.
Once again, I'm splitting this category into Fiction and Non-fiction.
In the fiction category, it's good to see that, although there is one book by an old friend, Alexander McCall Smith, the other nominations are all for authors I have read for the first time this year.
The nominations are
And the award goes to
because, in Robertson Davies, I have found another author who speaks directly to me and gives me great pleasure intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.
In the area of non-fiction, there's an interesting mix of history, spirituality and practical self-knowledge.
The nominations are
And the award goes, by a gnat's whisker, to
because I loved the way that it combined the political and military with the social and spiritual.
I have only attended six operatic performances this year. That's strikingly few in comparison with all previous years of this Journal. Partially, the cruise was to blame as it fell just when the Buxton Festival took place and when Welsh National Opera were in Llandudno for their summer season. However, the other reason was that I simply took it upon myself not to afford going to much that Opera North, Welsh National Opera and English Touring Opera have had to offer.
However, within those six were two performances that would have been outstanding in any year. Because they are chalk and cheese, I cannot place a card between them and so the award goes to
and
the former for pure joy and for making me laugh at a time when life wasn't funny and the latter for creating a disturbing picture of mob rule in a close-knit community.
Despite the pleasure of seeing Robert perform with the company Troika Ranch in a multi-media dance piece called 16[R]evolutions, I can't really say that the show merited the award and so it goes unclaimed this year.
There have been a few music events this year. Southport Bach Choir did not make it to the final cut but Crosby Symphony Orchestra did continuing a trend for me of moving away from large to smaller scale events. That said, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is in the process of re-invigorating itself under its new Music Director.
So, the nominations are
However, the award goes to
because it has remained a constant part of the soundtrack of the year ever since I heard it during the Baltic cruise. I love its elegance, its jauntiness, its bittersweet quality, its wistfulness. As we have been celebrating 250 years since he was born, it is good to hold dear this quintessential piece by Mozart.
It's a mark of Ross's influence upon me that I continue to attend a large number of high quality Visual Arts events. This year's contenders are a high quality, eclectic mix whose only link is the deep spirituality running through them. Making a choice from this list of nominations is not easy.
And the award goes to
because I was simply not prepared for this jaw dropping permanent display. It is one of the many reasons why Ross and I would like to re-visit Oslo sometime.
My view of the year, looking back, is that it has been constrained by fears of losing my job, fears of being without money and fears of becoming depressed. So, I didn't really expect there to be much to record in this section. And yet, as I read back over the EJ, I found that it was a year of riches at least the equivalent of the ten which have preceded it.
For example, there have been a number of wonderful experiences this year.
Now admittedly, three of those which I have nominated come from our Baltic cruise but that simply reflects how much those three weeks dominated the whole of the year from preparation to reminiscence. In many ways, it totally distorted the way that the year might have otherwise panned out.
Nevertheless the award goes to
because it was a truly magical experience on a very special holiday.
We have also managed a number of improvements around the homestead.
The nominations are
And the award goes to
because this project has been on the drawing board for a number of years now and it is sure to provide pleasure for a number of years to come.
I'm pleased to say that Ross and I continue to be intimate with each other. After more than ten years together and with me now well over 50, you might expect for us to have let go of childish things. But no. It's not as rambunctious as it once was but it has depth and gentle maturity - like an aged oak-casked wine.
Two incidents stand out from the year as a whole and provide the nominations.
And the award goes to
because it was naughty and nice.
There have been a number of good meals this year - some we've cooked for ourselves and some when we've eaten out. Some have been with family; some have been by ourselves. Though there have been a number more my nomination are
And the award goes to
because it was a special moment during a special holiday.
I'm going to stretch the definition of this award. Quakers, members of the Religious Society of Friends, tend to refer to each other as Friends. This year I am going to give the award to me for
and therefore being the best new Friend I've met all year.
In 1996, 1997 and 1998, I gave this award to Ross. After three years on the run, I felt that it would be good to spread it around a little. Well, after eight years, I think I can make an exception again and give the award to
for being a life partner.