Wandering Around Talking To Rainbows

Bliadhna mhath ur! Here we go again for another revolution around the sun.

It’s been a year. What else can I say. There were high points and low points but overall, it’s just really been a year.

Books wise I read the usual amount of non-fiction books but I barely read any fiction. I’ve been collecting physical copies of the Murderbot Diaries books, and re-reading those as I acquire them but I don’t think I’ve finished a new-to-me fiction book since April. I didn’t even watch that many films this year I watched as many films over the film festival as I did the whole rest of the year. Though I did acquire and re-watch a bunch of films that I already loved and that was a unmitigated success. I got back into writing fic via that medium, and even the films I didn’t end up writing fic about got reviewed for the film blog. I didn’t write as much more than last year as I would have expected given the summer/autumn fic flowering that I had, but it did rescue the year from being the absolute writing disaster it would have been otherwise. (I wrote 30,000 words between the end of July and the end of December, 13,000 of which were fic - and that’s just the stuff I finished.) I didn’t make any sound art this year, but I did a lot of fun going sound recording in new and interesting places - and this year’s big sound related victory was unexpectedly actually seeing dolphins off Chanory Point with a friend and because she was there to be my spotter, I was able to wade out far enough into the firth to actually record the dolphins with my hydrophone. (Also I got myself some dive boots, which makes actually making hydrophone recordings easier as I can just wade in to make a recording rather than worrying about falling in trying to keep my feet dry.) Hydrophone recording is pretty much the only form of sound recording it’s possible to do in a social fashion - I have gone bird sound recording with a birder before, and that works but only because you’re both committed to the cause of not scaring off the birds, you’re not exactly chatting - so as the friend I went with is into wild swimming I see a lot of potential for fun on that front. That was the wider success of last year. My overall resolution was to do more - crafting, spending time with friends, travel, reading, watching films etc - and on the fronts of sound recording, crafting and spending time with friends it was a roaring success.

Resolutions Kept
Do one 'arts' thing a month (go to a gig or an art exhibition, see some theatre/opera/ballet)
Grow some different herbs/vegetables (mushrooms were a success, garlic is still a work in progress)
Listen to a new-to-me album each month (an absolute joy!)
Learn/get the hang of amigurumi making (tension is still a work in progress, but I have the skills now!)

Progress Made
Finish 5 outstanding/half-done craft or home improvement projects - 1/5
Built the storage unit for my bedroom
Finished my big patchwork blanket
Got New Boiler Installed
Complete 5 craft kits that have been lurking - 3/5



So what do I actually want from the year ahead. I want to no longer feel like I’m living in crisis mode. I need to get back into a position where I can love my job again, and if that’s not possible any more, I need to start seriously looking for a new one. Get more joy in my life. Prioritise the things and people that bring me joy. I did some excellent work prioritising taking care of my physical well being this year - lots of good cooking, going swimming, got back into going to the gym and started doing strength work, got regular massages, taking care of my skin and hair - and I think this year’s priority has to be mental health.

Resolutions for 2026
Make some sound art - figure out what’s getting in the way of this and prioritise sorting that
Finish another 5 outstanding/half-done home improvement projects - 1/5
Pick any 3 incomplete resolutions from last year and do them.
Finish 5 craft WIPs or make 5 stashbuster projects. - 2/5
Take a proper ‘chillout holiday’
Cook my way through my Japanese Home Cooking Book
Watch/re-watch the entirety of Guillermo Del Toro’s back catalogue.
Re-watch/re-read a source I love each month and write them up for the blog - 1/12
Start a new recipe notebook - started
Read ten books or watch ten films that have been on the shelf since before 2025.
Read all my lurking ebooks!