End of year 2011

[ailbhe]

It's been a hell of a year. I spent all of January and some of the next two months seriously suicidal, as in getting people to sit with me all the time and not keeping paracetamol in the house, but I also started to paint and sell my art, and that has been incredibly enriching for me. Also, I got suicidal and took lifesaving action, which is pretty awesome.

So there was painting and buying more art materials. It's a self-funding hobby, if my time isn't counted as a cost, and it takes up a fair bit of space, but that's ok. As a direct result of painting, we redecorated. I had long hated out kitchen, so we got a new one, in red. And we moved the kids to a bigger bedroom and redecorated the back bedroom for ourselves, and it's all done in a much less beige and respectable style than I would have otherwise; we have big red poppy stickers and an IKEA leaf canopy and all over the walls are paintings.

We went to Ireland three times, once for Linnea's birthday with her cousins (never again, she was very disappointed - she needs her friends for birthdays), once for the now-regular summer holiday with radegund which this year was a three-week Grand Epic Expedition involving three locations, ferries, trains, buses, and an emergency evacuation from a burning railway carriage (sort of). Then we went for my mother's 70th birthday celebrations in November. In fact, this year included a lot of fire - there was the fire on the train, the fire on the electric heater in my mother's house, and another fire in Radz's house.

We didn't get to London. We might in 2012.

The children are fab. Linnea is seven and a half and a bit, and reading, writing, summing up a storm. Emer is five and cooks and makes and arts and things. Astrid is 17 months and learning to TALK like a... talkie. A walkie talkie. She learned to walk, too. She's so great!

We basically have a handle on their behaviour and our expectations. They are endlessly creative and usually helpful and kind. They love each other very much. They seem to have loads of friends.

And no-one was seriously ill, unless being suicidal counts.

2011 was pretty good. 2012 will be better.

Comments

[sfred]

I meant to send you a message but will do it here instead - my sister and her partner love their Ailbhe painting (the moon one, that I gave them for Christmas) and it is at the top of their stairs, so I get to see it whenever I visit (which was my cunning plan in buying it for them).

[rmc28]

Being suicidal counts as serious, really. I am so pleased for you that your art is so fulfilling.

I would love to meet in London in 2012.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

And no-one was seriously ill, unless being suicidal counts.

Um.

[ailbhe]

It was easier to manage than post-viral fatigue? and didn't last as long.

This still looks bad. But.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

I was also going to say Um. But I was very impressed with how you handled it. You have been something of a role model for me in that regard.

[ailbhe]

In how what way who? the screaming-for-help bit?

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

You identified that you were suicidal, named it, said it was a problem that you wanted to go away, and asked for help until it did. I don't know what better a person could do in the circumstances.

[cherade9.livejournal.com]

What she just said :-)

[pauamma]

That (in an articulate, well-targeted way, as I recall) and the public acknowledging.

[ailbhe]

There's still a part of me - bigger before I had lunch - which thinks I should have overcome it through sheer force of will, unaided.

posted and edited

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, actually. :)