2016 was a very tough year for many people. And definitely I was deeply affected by the results of the presidential election, and mourned many of the celebrities that we lost last year. I was also affected by the hard times that family members and friends endured during the previous year.
On the whole, however, 2016 was a good year for me. I had quite a bit of success work-wise. I finally got the extra five hours that I've been requesting for years, which means more time each week to accomplish my yearly goals, and more money coming in too, as well as my full insurance being paid each month. I spent half of 2016 filling in for the vacant public awareness / outreach coordinator position, exhibiting at conferences and sending materials to events that I could not attend. I made a presentation to the largest group I have ever spoken to, about 40 people. Making presentations is not something I am comfortable with, but I enjoyed this presentation because it was during a Halloween party at an independent living center. I also created and presented an online webinar, and contributed to our agency's blog and newsletter. I was honored to be a recipient of the State Library's Employee of the Quarter Award for the second time.
Socially, I had the opportunity to spend a day in San Antonio with friends, visiting the Museum of Art and the public library. I had third row seats to see the amazing James Taylor in concert, thanks to the generosity of my roommate. I also saw the band the 1978 in concert, and visited the Circuit of the Americas 360 concert venue for the first time. I saw the Star Trek experience at the Long Center. And in November, I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival with wonderful friends who are family, and I had the thrill of riding an elephant for the third time, and dressing in costume for the festival for the second time.
May of 2016 was a momentous month for my family. First my middle niece graduated with honors from Texas A&M. Then a few weeks later my oldest niece married the love of her life in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. Only a month before, the city of Houston and surrounding areas experienced historic flooding. Two days before the wedding, there was more flooding, and severe weather. But the wedding weekend was beautiful, sunny and warm. Family flew in and drove from across the country, and a wonderful time was had by all. I haven't been to that many weddings, and I know I'm biased, but their reception was one of the most fun nights of my life. We all danced for hours. They say that a wedding reception is only as good as the people in attendance, and those people came to party.
I had some goals that I set for myself in 2016, and I'm pleased that I achieved them. I wanted to read at least two books per month, or 24 books during the year. I read 26. I wanted to recap every episode of "Dancing with the Stars" during the fall season, and I did. Although I didn't have a set goal for blogging, I did blog more in 2016 than I have any other year since I started blogging (I think!)
Health-wise, I continued my quest to stay as active as possible, try to drink more water, and cut down on sugar.
I haven't made a lot of specific goals for 2017. I want to read at least 24 books again. I want to continue to be as active as possible. I want to work on my mental and emotional health as well. I strive to be mindful and live for today, not worry about tomorrow. I want to be productive and successful, and focus on my own definition of those values, not someone else's definition of my productivity and success. I hope that in 2018 I will be able to make another blog post that outlines the highlights of 2017.
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