• 2^nd year in my role as Head of Library Services and kicked some big goals along the way, with more plans already in the works for the new year
• The Kid started at a regular school in Year 10 and there were plenty of ups and downs but fortunately the ups came out on top and fingers crossed we are through the worst of the bumpy road and I won’t have to send her to juvie for respite…
• The Kid has now got a QATSIF scholarship to help out with her senior schooling which is useful
• The Kid has also joined Surf Lifesaving and qualified as Surf Rescue and Bronze Medallion – big achievement for her! Now she’s out and about on the beach in her red-and-yellow being a caring and competent human bean.
• I presented (paid!) at a seminar with some very positive feedback from well-regarded colleagues (please for some more paid gigs!)
• My blog continues to grow – around 10 000 visitors from almost 100 countries- about half from Australia – and somewhere around 150 posts and I also contribute to another highly respected children’s literature blog on a regular basis- thank you to all my regular visitors!
• Money has got tighter but that just means we get more creative I guess – though raising a teen is not conducive to being frugal it seems – and hey at least we don’t need to spend much on holidays 😉… however…
• A couple of nights away in Noosa, then a couple more in Caloundra and a couple more coming up in a week or so – our holidays are close by, economic and relaxed
• Confirmed that you can effectively be a productive teacher-librarian remotely as well as onsite – we got lots done working from home in fact
• Covid may be the biggest pain-in-the-arse ever but it heartens me to see so many of my friends and colleagues remain upbeat, positive, caring and considerate for others. 2022 may not be shaping up to be any better in this respect but as the damned virus adapts so do we and I have confidence that we, the positive ones, will come out on top over the nutters, doomsdayers and ignorant twats.

That’s pretty much my year in summary – how about you? I hope you and yours are well and safe.

Happy New Year to one and all – wishing you the very best for 2022!