Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

Christmas is done and New year is looming. I feel like it’s been a mad rush to get 2022 over. Pandemic! Renovations! Phd Thesis! Bad knees! Fostering a now 13 year old. Christmas! What a year!

I went for a walk early this morning before it got too hot. I let my mind wander and think about what I want for myself from now. I figure I need a planner with goals. Okay so I know that’s not going to last. Me with a journal with a ‘to do’ list. Right? But even knowing I’m not very consistent, I feel I need to think about how to get the most out of my day, work out my goals for writing, health and life and try to fit it all in. I’m thinking a planner/journal is how I can attempt that first step. Otherwise I walk around with all these things in my head, like a heavy sack of regret, because I haven’t done half of them or have only half done them.

We’ve broken the back of the renovations. A few little things to do. There’s the total ruination of our backyard…can’t really call it a garden and my half done garden beds and free floating pond that never got installed. There’s craft. I’ve got a quilt I was trying to finish in June and it’s still there waiting for me to finish it off. Sigh. It will get done. I just can’t do it all at the same time, no matter how my brain thinks.

That’s the other thing. Something weird happening with my brain. My memory is shot. I mix up words. Matthew thinks it’s just stress but I worry it is something more sinister. A brain scan a few years ago tells me I’m ok. I was worried then too obviously.

This year I have my Phd novel to edit and prepare for shopping around. Another Jemima Hardcastle novel, Amber Rose, to write. There are other projects but they are the two main ones.

I go back to work early February. I’ve been on foster care leave and I needed it. My son has been here with his wife for a few months before they head to Singapore to live but he leaves early February too.

Did I mention we have a wee little kitten? Gin our big cat has finally softened towards it but now we are a two cat household. She’s a joy.