rowyn

In June of 2024, Lut died.

I have written about this extensively, especially on my Fediverse account. I don’t have much else to write about it now. I still think of him every day. I think about Terry and Bard often, too, though not daily. I am not over my grief, but it is easier to bear, I guess.

2024 was mostly about grief for me: for the loved ones I lost in 2023 and for the one I lost halfway through 2024.

Goals 2024

Continue caregiving for Lut: I have walked this road to the end.

Keep in touch with parents: I was not particularly good at calling my parents, but I visited them three times after Lut’s passing, in September, October, and December.

Publish one book: I published A Dragonling’s Family in October. I also posted the second epub for my Apothecaria playthrough.

Finish outlining two books: Outlined both Be That Way and The Secret Dragon.

Complete three of initial edits or first drafts: I finished initial edits (and final edits) for A Dragonling’s Family and finished drafting Be That Way. Technically, I also finished the first drafts for the last two books of my Apothecaria playthrough. I had not intended to count my Apothecaria playthrough for this goal but you know what? I also hadn’t intended for Lut to die. Sure, let’s count the super-long fanfic as two drafts.

Track food & exercise on most days: Completely lost interest in tracking during the downturn in Lut’s health and never tried to pick it up again.

Post monthly updates: My update for May was just a post about Lut’s passing, but hey, it was an update. I continued to do this each month.

Put month & year goal list in my bullet journal so I'll remember to look at it: So it turns out much of what I used my virtual bullet journal for was “tracking Lut’s appointments and care”. After his passing, I mostly stopped using it. I didn’t look at the page with the goal list, much less update it. I used it for a few things. For several weeks, I used daily checkboxes for five habits: Edit, Write, Draw, Exercise, and remembering my 4thewords streak. I started this in July with Spirit City and stopped at the start of September, shortly before my trip to see my parents. I stopped using Spirit City much around then and also stopped using the bullet journal checklist. Anyway, I didn’t do this one.

Be gentle with myself: Yes. This one was important.

I’ve sometimes done grading by bullet point. I didn’t bother with that one this time because 2024 was a crap year for me on a personal level and I did great. Look at me, not curling up into a ball of stress and grief for the entire year. Aw yeah. Good job, Past Me. You did great and I’m proud of you and the stuff you stopped doing wasn’t as important as everything you maintained. A+, absolute champion.

Stretch Goals 2024

Post 365 Apothecaria entries or until the story arc is complete: 2024 was a leap year so 366 entries posted, and yes, did this.

Illustrate 365 Apothecaria entries or until the story arc is complete: I had a three-entry buffer going into 2024 (entries for Jan 1 through Jan 3 2024) and a one-entry buffer for Jan 1 2025, and there were 366 days in 2024. So I illustrated 364 entries in 2024. The spirit of the goal was accomplished, tho.

Start another journaling game if I finish my current journaling game: I didn’t finish Apothecaria in 2024, but I started two other journaling games: Princess with a Cursed Sword and Lo/oper. I also did a kind of roll-your-own soloRPG inspired by other soloRPGs. I didn’t complete any of them but the goal was “start” so hey. Started. At this point, when I’m so fanatical about finishing things that I made a four-book fanfic while playing a soloRPG, it might be good for me to start things without finishing them.

Write 50 Blog Posts: I wrote 70 blog posts in 2024. This was very sporadic: 16 posts in January, a handful in each of February, March, April, and May, then just one each for June, July, August and September, and then picking up again with a handful in October, 17 posts in November, and slowing to a handful in December. I mostly blogged about my life. I’m fine with that. I like Dreamwidth as an archive of my life.

Outside of my goal list, I also moved from semi-retired at the start of 2024 -- working 7 hours per week -- to full retirement at the end of August 2024. I am the youngest of my siblings and the first to retire. Weird, that. I retired at about the same age that my father did. Retirement is good. Five stars, recommend to all my friends, much better than any of the stuff I could’ve bought instead of saving for retirement for 27 years.

I will make a separate post this year for my 2025 goals. I’m gonna have some.