momentous events – K.Ridwyn

New Year, new start

Welcome back, dear Reader!

Last year was a ‘photo’ post each week, which challenged me to improve my photography skills. Which worked… to some extent. In fact, I even considered challenging myself further and committing to a years’ worth of “selfie” posts (because those ones are like, a zillion times worse than actual photos. Well, for those of us who remember a time before the internet was even invented. Am I right?)

But no. Perhaps next year. But I’ll still attempt to include a photo with each post this year. Let’s see how we go with that, huh?

But today’s post is still about challenges. Specifically, the Goodreads challenge I set myself last year. 3 books per week. That’s 156 books in the year. Which seems a lot.

And I made it!!! So proud of me 🙂

Admittedly, numbers of those were the picture books which I ended up reading to my classes after being made redundant mid-year and being blessed enough to get Teacher Librarian work in July. But still 🙂

So. Goodreads challenge this year. 208 again – because I can! and it’s only 4 per week. right? – but the aim this year is to have only one picture book per month. Perhaps two. But no more than 24 of those 156 will be picture books. Because, well, why not? 🙂

How about you, dear Reader? Are you planning on reading books this year? How many? And if you’re also on Goodreads, want to connect?

Oh! And I almost forgot. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

– KRidwyn

48/52

Miss14 graduated Middle School last week. Her Graduation Dinner was a truly enjoyable occasion, honouring the efforts and achievements of the young men and women who had made this milestone in their journeys.

She wore her first ‘formal dress’ with high heels, and was wearing jewellery and perfume.

It was a beautiful evening! I laughed, I choked up, but mostly I was proud of the young lady God had given to Hubby and me to raise.

What a memorable event. I trust your own week is just as memorable, dear Reader 🙂

– KRidwyn

40/52

I’d been saddened over the last couple of years at noticing human encroachment (ie litter and worse) at my favourite writing spot. I’d even given up going there… for months.

Imagine my surprise when this greeted me the other day:

Evidence of humanity’s more disgusting habits: gone!

I like it when things go well.

Have a beautiful week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

28/52

A new semester starts today.

For 4 out of the 5 in my household, today marks the start at a new school too.

Exciting times!

(Feel free to guess the kidlets’ schools from their uniforms…) And have a ‘new’ week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

25/52

I wrote last week about my operation… well, kinda.

So I had surgery on the Tuesday, and had Wednesday and Thursday off work, and returned Friday – which also happened to be my birthday.

One of my incredibly wonderful colleagues decided she’d make me a cheesecake – both to cheer my up after the operation and for my birthday.

Made.

From scratch.

Using Oreos – SOOOOO scrumptious!!!

And all for me 😀

Wasn’t it pretty? And it tasted even better than it looked! I am so lucky!

Here’s wishing you a blessed week too, dear Reader!

18/52

Hubby and I were given two of these ‘Burlingbrown’ water bottles last year. I promptly fell in love, and to mark it always and forever as MINE and not his (or anyone else’s!) I taped purple stars around the outside, above the logo.

Then took it to work and promptly lost it.

Sigh.

A fortnight passed. Lucky Hubby didn’t mind too much when I appropriated his for my use…

Months passed. Still no water bottle with the pretty purple stars. Double sigh. I had abandoned hope.

Then just the other week: cue elation! I found where I’d left it: on a co-worker’s never-used desk!

And that’s my story for the week. Here’s wishing you a ‘found it again’-ful week yourself, dear Reader 🙂

– KRidwyn

11/52

I know, this year I decided to challenge myself on the blog by taking photos and posting them here – in an effort to shame myself into taking better photos. So this post is a bit of a cheat – the photo was taken by a colleague of mine.

It’s my son. 9 years old, on school camp where he was away (by almost 200 kilometres!) from home, for a whole school week.

He has autism, if you have been reading this blog for a while.

So this was hard for me.

His first ever more-than-one-night sleepover away from me.

And here he is, on a giant swing, and having the time of his life!

I’m so incredibly proud of him.

And also teary. It’s a bittersweet thing.

How about you, dear Reader? What made you emotional this week?

– KRidwyn

9/52

It’s been four years in the making. But the Repressed Races series has come to…

Yay!!!

And now: to edit. Sigh.

Have a week full of closure yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

8/52

So I’m pretty impressed with myself:

I’ve managed to keep this happening since mid-January! According to the 21-day rule, that’s a new habit now, amiright?

It sure feels like a good habit to have 🙂

Have a fantastic week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

It’s fast running out…

My middle child graduates from Primary School in a few weeks. I’m not ready for this to happen.

She’s ten. Young for her grade; she was bright enough to be accelerated a couple of years ago, and she’s been blossoming ever since. And I’m immensely proud of her for that.

But I’m also aware of the potential problems. She’s small (and cute! Mummy bias here) and possibly more naive than her peers. And yet, mature, for all that. She continually surprises me, with her reactions to events and the considered approach she takes to life. She’s an amazing kid.

And she’s graduating Primary School. Entering the big bad world of High School. Although not really. She’s entering the Middle School which I’m Head of, so it’s not too bad. And it never will be, as long as I have something to do with it! I’m looking forward to having her in my school, even though it means I personally will have more offspring in secondary than I’ll have in primary school, and I’m not particularly comfortable with what that says about my age! But I’ll need to suck it up, I guess. Cos I can’t stop it, no matter what I do.

Sigh. Carry on, one day at a time. Realise that there’s a milestone here to be celebrated… one that’ll never happen again.

Enjoy, and remember. Be like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who “treasured these things in her heart”.

Amen, LORD.

And have a memorable week yourself, dear Reader!

— KRidwyn