I’ve already blogged about My top blog posts/pages in 2016. Here are my blog stats for 2016:
These numbers have been gathered from either AWStats Software or WordPress’ Jetpack Site Stats.
The numbers continue to grow, year on year. Not bad for a little blog.
Write soon,
Antony
 |
Goals for throughout the year: Read & Review at least 20 books.I have read 19 books this year and reviewed 17 of them. The two books that I have not reviewed yet, will be reviewed in January 2017. See my Book List 2016 for a list books that I’ve read this year, along with links to reviews I’ve written for each book.
|
To create more time for creative projects.
I am more than happy with my creative output this year. I’ve reduced my working hours, so that I can still afford to live, but so that I have more time for creative projects. I have also been careful about how I use the limited time and energy I have to get the most out of it. This combination of working less and using my time and energy better has significantly increased my creative output.
To complete 2 creative projects.
I’ve completed 12 creative projects this year. This is a massive achievement when compared with my creative output in previous years. For more details of my creative projects see: 11 Creative Projects That I Never Intended To Do… This Year and The Finished Project (candle making project).
To get up-to-date with my financial obligations and continue to reduce the balance on my debts.
I am up-to-date on my mortgage and other household bills. I have continued to reduce the balance on my debts. I have paid monies back to family that I owed monies to.
Save up for and buy a new rug and corner sofa for the living room.
I still need to do this. The sofa is getting in desperate need of replacement. Both of these will be goals for 2017.
To give up smoking.
I’m still working on this on a semi regular basis.
Monthly Goals
January
Start a new creative project.
I published my latest short story Soulmates, here is an excerpt:
I also wrote two blog posts that I’d been thinking about and planning to write for at least the last few years: 5 Wise Quotes from Albus Dumbledore and A Tale Of Overcoming Adversity.
Take it easy.
This didn’t really happen. This year has was exceptionally busy. Most of time due to circumstances beyond my control.
February
See Mary Poppins with Mum, etc.
Done. I blogged about it here: Mary Poppins Live at The Palace Theatre, Manchester: Marvellous, Magical and Magnificent.
March
Treat yourself to a reiki treatment.
I haven’t had a single reiki treatment this year. At the start of the year it was due to lack of money. Towards the end of the year it has been due to my Reiki Pracitioner changing where she works.
April
See a sunrise.
This has been a goal for the last few years. I think I need to take a day of annual leave off work to experience this next year. So this will be a goal/new experience for 2017.
May
Celebrate your 30th in style, including a night out in Newcastle and a family meal.
I didn’t manage the night out in Newcastle, but did do the family meal which was wonderful. I blogged about the family meal here: My Thirtieth Birthday.
June
Visit Chester Zoo Islands Exhibit.
I actually did this in May, as part of my birthday celebrations. See A Day Trip to Chester Zoo.
Start a new creative project.
One weekend in June I wrote, edited and then published an article on The History of the National Health Service (NHS). It was a creative project that I have been thinking about for sometime and I was proud of myself because I had finally done it.
July
Spend time in nature. Go for walks in places of natural beauty.
I visited Astley Hall Park with my friend Simon. I would have liked to spend more time in nature during July, but the variable weather influenced what I was able to do.
Visit a botanical gardens.
I visited Southport Botanic Gardens (Churchtown) with Simon in August.
August
Visit a castle, one that you haven’t been to before.
Okay, technically I didn’t visit a new castle this year. But I did do a tour of acient sites along Hadrian’s Wall with Simon. See The Hadrian’s Wall Adventure (Part 1) and The Hadrian’s Wall Adventure (Part 2). A goal/new experience for 2017 will be the finishing off of The Hadrian’s Wall Adventure, meaning that Simon and I will have followed the wall from one end of the country to the other.
September
Read in the horror genre. Maybe some Stephen King.
I read Under The Dome by Stephen King, which I reviewed here. I also read The Stand by Stephen King, which I reviewed here. Although I’m not sure that either of them was in the horror genre, I’ve ticked it off as completed.
October
Celebrate Samhain.
Celebrated Samhain in style with my friends Simon & Chrys. Great food, drink, fire, music and company.
November
Take it easy.
I tried to do the bare-minimum in November. This was probably why there were only a few blog posts in November.
December
Bring people together to celebrate Yule.
Yule fell on a Wednesday, which made it difficult to arrange a get together. Perhaps I will put this on future goals when it lands on a weekend.
This year I’ve completed 14 of 22 goals/new experiences for 2016. That’s over half and not at all bad when you consider the 12 creative projects I’ve completed this year, along with how busy the year has been otherwise.
Blog soon,
Antony
As the dark, cold, winter nights draw in and signal the end of the year I’ve took some time out to reflect on the places that I’ve visited this year.
 Birdozwald Roman Fort – Photo Opportunities, especially on the outside of the fort. |
In May my good friend Simon and I did the first half of our tour along Hadrian’s Wall.
We started at the Cumbria end of the Wall and worked our way along, stopping at several historical sites along the way. In one day managed to enter Northumberland, stopping at Walltown Quarry and Vindoland Roman Fort & Museum. If you want to see exactly where we went, along with photos and essential info for each place see The Hadrian’s Wall Adventure Part 1 and The Hadrian’s Wall Adventure Part 2. |
Next year we are having another day out, starting at Vindoland Roman Fort & Museum and working our way along to the end of Hadrian’s Wall.
 The Elephants. |
As part of my birthday celebrations I invited family and friends to spend the day with me at Chester Zoo. I really wanted to see the Islands Exhibit.
Unfortunately not many people could make it on the day to share the experience. The Islands Exhibit was also rather disappointing. But the well-established exhibits were great. My favourites were: the Elephants enclosure, the Butterfly house, the Giraffes, the Chimps, the Flamingos, the Lions, the speckled Bear and the Black Rhinos. |
 Astley Hall Park/Grounds (3) |
In July Simon and I set out to one of our faviourate places – Rivington. But unknown to us, there was some sort of cycling event and with many roads closed we couldn’t work out how to actually get there.
So instead Simon directed me to Astley Hall Park. It was a place that I had never been to before and is beautiful. We had a walk around the park, stopping to take photos. Then we had coffee and cake in the on-site cafe. |
| I have wanted to visit a botanical gardens for sometime now. I wanted to meander inside a giant glass greenhouse full of exotic plants and trees. I even put it as a goal for 2016. So I did a Google search looking for my nearest botanical gardens, found Southport Botanic Gardens (Churchtown) and dragged Simon along.
It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. No giant glass greenhouse. But the weather was sunny and warm and in its own way it was totally charming. The small park was filled with trees from across the world. I just wish there had been some sort of guide to what species the trees were and where in the world they had come from. There was an unexpected aviary and a small yet delightful Victorian gardens. There was another cafe, so of course we stopped for coffee and cake. |
 The Victorian Garden (1). |
| York is known for its iconic Abbey and shopping. It’s a place that I had never been to until this year.
Simon and I visited York and Knaresborough. York is architecturally splendid and has building from various times in its long history. We did visit The Shambles, but didn’t really buy much. Probably the greatest thing about our visit is the fun we had together. We talked and laughed lots. Here are two photos of me being silly (click on any image for full size):
|
 York Abbey (from a distance). |
So these are the places that I’ve visited this year. I think it’s time to start planning for 2017.
Blog soon,
Antony
This blog post is cathartic for me. I always have books on my reading pile, usually about ten at any one time. For a while now, books have sat there looking at me, not being read. If I’m honest with myself, there are 5 books on this pile that I will never finish reading. Each for its own reasons.
So here are the 5 books that I will never finish and the reasons why I wont finish them:
 |
5. When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
The only thing that is good about this book is its quirky title. The main character Elly tells the story of her life in first person. Elly starts with her childhood, remembering it in such vivid detail that it instantly makes the plot unbelievable and makes her feel false. There was nothing likeable about her character. The plot had absolutely nothing captivating about it and it had no hooks that gave me the desire to read on. In the end I couldn’t get past page 64. Each page was painful to read and fundamentally bored me. |
 |
4. A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi
This book was sent to me by a Publicist. I don’t know why they thought I would enjoy it or why they thought it would be the sort of book they read. It’s about a rich woman called Priya, who has everything she could possibly want, apart from a baby. So she and her husband travels to a Southern Indian villiage to buy a baby. I felt that as they’d sent it me, I really should read it. Or at least give it a try. I read the first chapter, but it failed to interest me, so I put it on my to-be-read pile with the best of intentions. But I’ve never picked it up since. |
 |
3. Love Between Men: Seductive stories of afternoon pleasures edited by Shane Allison
This was another book that was sent to me by a Publicist and one I really expected to throughly enjoy. It’s an collection of gay short stories about passion, love, but mostly lust. The importance of the first story in an anthology can’t be under estimated. It sets the tone of the book and is supposed to light up the imagination of the reader. Unfortunately the first story in this book was full of jarring stereotypes, overt sexualised description and lacked any of the things that make up a good story: interesting characters, intriguing plot and immersive description. To be honest I’m not sure how this story even made it into the collection. Let alone became the first story in the book. |
 |
2. Rip it up by Richard Wiseman
Psychologist Richard Wiseman presents the As if theory in this book. So if you behave as if you are happy, you will become happy. Simliar to the saying: Fake it until you make it. The book focuses on positive actions, rather than positive thinking. Throughout this book he provides evidence that this theory works through referencing to a wide range of scientific studies. This book was provided to me by a Publicist and I had three main reasons for not finishing it. First Wiseman appears to believe that the As if theory can solve anything and everything. Indeed on the book’s back cover it states that the theory can be used to: lose weight, stop smoking and feel instantly younger. Wiseman states that the As if theory can be used to deal with depression. Very mild depression maybe, but to try and tell someone with severe clinical depression to simply act positive is bizzare and ultimately unhelpful. Second Wiseman is an academic but failed to write about any evidence that the As if theory doesn’t work in all cases. There was a distinct lack of mention of any research that was against his point of view. Third and finally this book is too long and begins to feel a bit repetitive after a while. |
 |
1. The Awakening by Yvonne Heidt
The Awakening is a great book. It’s about three women who call themselves Sisters of Spirits who help people who have problems with ghosts. Jordan is a cop, but when an evil masculine spirit starts causing trouble in her life, she reluctantly approaches Sunny (one of the Sisters) for help. Jordan starts to fall for Sunny, but the evil spirit wont allow happiness for any of them. The characters are interesting, the plot is well balanced with lots of peaks-and-troughs, the description is clear and Heidt’s writing style is captivating. This book was sent to me, by my request, by a Publishers Publicist. I read the first three quarters of the book and while reading the last quarter I found out through Heidt’s website that it was the first book in a trilogy. Having lost contact with the Publicist (it happens) I decided to stop reading the book, as it felt pointless to continue reading the book when I knew I would never get the opportunity to read the other two books. |
I’ve removed these books from the I’m Reading section of my sidebar on this blog.
Write soon,
Antony
