what do you do?

so far, only my friend helen ™ has contributed to the discussion i started on new year’s eve, but there’s still time for you to answer, too: what’s your most memorable year (good or bad), and why?

for me, it was 1997.

a lot happened that year…

i turned 18, voted for the first time, witnessed the first change of government since i was five months old (gosh, i was hopeful - what a bitter disappointment), fostered a cat which had kittens (which we looked after and weaned and found homes for), took my a-levels, moved to my grandparents after our house sold and we had nowhere to go (the day before my last a-level exam, natch), my dad separated from his second wife, i went to rome the week princess diana died, moved away to university, made a new group of friends, got so ill with glandular fever (which wasn’t disgnosed ’til months later) that i couldn’t speak and could hardly swallow, had the drunkest new year in recorded history (antibiotics and alkehol don’t mix) and held hands (that’s all) with my soon-to-be boyfriend of five years.

…for starters. 

i’m jealous of dooce’s xmas present (scroll down).

awwwwwwwww.

inspired by the coming new year, my local paper did a huge spread with people from my region answering this question, which i thought was great. (most impressive was how many people answered ‘2007′.) so now i’m asking you -

what was your most memorable year, and why?

i’ll contribute my answer sometime in 2008 (which isn’t too long now). (or is here if you’re in some parts of the world). (eek).

happy new year!

before i start, i just want to share that i’m wearing slipper socks with large 3D santas on them (£3 from dorothy perkins and a total bargain). i’m saving my snowmen hair clips, tree earrings and large red glitter ball bobbles for tomorrow: less is more.

i hope you’re all having a great christmas eve and that tomorrow is as fab as can be, whether you celebrate or not.

now for the final yay!…

the whole shebang.

the big day: from opening presents with my lovely mum in the morning, to putting on my green jumper and all my christmassy accoutrements and eating more food than i ever thought possible, seeing relatives, giving and (YAY) receiving presents, christmas songs and films, everyone being in a good mood, chocolate and wine and falling asleep on the sofa in a coma-like state.

christmas eve and day and boxing day… it all gets a big fat yay!

gorming.

i’m planning on spending a lot of the next two weeks lying around looking gormless, not thinking about much, achieving much or wearing much in the way of non-pyjamas. i’ll read, eat, sleep, watch DVDs and just generally gorm.

i hope you can do the same.

yay!

strictly come dancing.

the final is TONIGHT and i can hardly wait! except i can, because i don’t want it to all be over for another year.

i kind of wish there could be three dancers as there would have been if things had gone as planned, but STILL. this should be a very good show, one of the best finals for years *cross fingers*. i really, really, really hope alesha wins (vote well and often, people!) but i wouldn’t begrudge it going to flavia. i mean, matt. (but really flavia). 

at least once it’s finished there’s still the xmas special on tuesday, a programme about the series next friday, and i’m going to the live show in february.

YAY!

christmas films.

from the ‘just a little festive’ to the full-blown ‘redemptive power of xmas’, christmassy films have always been a huge part of my festive celebration. from little women to sleepless in seattle, it’s a wonderful life to elf, miracle on 34th street, the santa clause and many, many, many more, i’ll sit through anything from an art house drama to a schmaltzy shmaltzpile of sentimentality, all in the name of jesus  christmas.

what’s your favourite?

christmas lights.

i put my pink heart-shaped ones up at my bedroom window today.

yay!

carol concerts.

is there anything that can get you in the pre-christmas mood more effectively than a rousing good carol concert? in my opinion, nuh-uh.

that’s why i was so disappointed when we missed last week’s concert after my mum’s car broke down. it’s also why we booked to go to another one, an even BIGGER one, tonight. (and we’re going on the tram, incidentally…)

yay!