What in 2009 did you do

[Highway61]

that made you feel really good and/or accomplished?

I'll start...When my buddy came this past spring to give birth (as she did every year), she was killed two weeks later by a car. I vowed to find her baby. I rescued "Angel" (with the help of a friend). I visited him all summer on a farm with 23 other orphaned fawns. This past October he was released back to the wild and "adopted" by a herd. God, I will miss them both!

[kentauros]

1. I can't say my story compares in any way,

but I traveled internationally on my own for the first time. It was the multiple flights from Hell!!1! but I still survived and had a wonderful time in New Zealand (with my NZ-girlfriend.) :D

That's a great story of yours, too :hi:

[Highway61]

6. That is amazing!

I have to say, I don't think I would have the courage to do that. New Zealand? If the GOP takes control again down the road, it may be where we are heading. I heard it is beautiful.

[kentauros]

10. It is beautiful.

Although Australia is good alternative to escape the GOP, too :)

Here's a sample of my short stay:


Auckland from the ferry



Leaving Matiatia Wharf on Waiheke Island


:D

[Highway61]

12. whoa, that is breath taking

did you find it expensive? ie: food, housing, cost of living etc?

[kentauros]

35. Not too bad on expense, since the exhange rate at the time was about

0.67 NZD to 1.00 USD. The NZ dollar has gotten stronger in the last six months, though.

Part of my reason to visit was to satisfy ICE here for us meeting in person before we can start any paperwork to immigrate her here. I was employed when I went and lost my job about two weeks after I got back due to the economy. I don't think ICE allows any immigration to take place if the sponsor isn't employed.

She's told me that things like electronics cost more there than they do here. I don't know why other than maybe how much more gets sold here versus in NZ. Their population is only about 4 million for the whole country. That's less than the area where I live now (Greater Houston Area is around 5.5 million) ;)

[Highway61]

47. 4 million people

in the whole country is a plus. I met a woman in Maine while grocery shopping. Bush had just gotten "elected" (I say that with a big grain of salt) to his second term. She was in her early 60's and she said she and her husband were moving to NZ...just couldn't take it anymore. I tip my hat to her and still think of her and how they must be doing. Beautiful country. Thanks for the info.

[Bertha Venation]

2. I remember your posting about that.

:yourock:

I started singing again. :incredibly happy:

[Highway61]

9. Thanks Bertha

and Happy New Year to you.

[tk2kewl]

3. completed construction of a new energy star home for my family

Still got a few things to paint inside but its more or less done.

[Highway61]

7. OMG

That is beautiful....just beautiful. Talk about talent. You have it tk2kewl. You should be very proud...

[tk2kewl]

11. thanks

my wife and i designed it and GCed it. I did quite a lot of the work myself with friends. Now we have to figure out how to pay for it. the bank cut us off about 1/4 of the way into the project thanks to the subprime BS and we are up to our asses in CC debt. We should get our mortgage soon and stop the bleeding.

[Highway61]

13. Best of luck

We're pulling out of Bank of America and yanking our savings from HSBC. Going local credit unions all the way. We've had it with the "big banks".

[tk2kewl]

25. we will be getting our mortgage from a credit union as well

and i hope to move everything else from chase to the credit union :thumbsup:

[bigwillq]

4. Wow, what a story.

And what a pic! :hi: Thanks.

[HopeHoops]

5. Geeze, that makes me sound like Charlie Brown in last Sunday's strip.

If you didn't see it, Lucy asks what Linus and Charlie Brown are bringing for show-n-tell. Linus explains how he copied portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls and most of the strip is him talking. Then Charlie Brown says he had been going to show "this little red firetruck" but thinks he'll forget it.

My 2009 didn't involve anything even close to what you did. And as an animal lover, I say "thank you".

[Highway61]

8. and Charlie Brown often ends up the hero

My life is pretty uneventful. That was just a highlight (or miracle) that I happened to be present for. There are little miracles that happen every single day. We just have to look for them. I am sure you had many...and if you reflect back I bet you'll see a few :)

[fizzgig]

14. i'm glad the little one was accepted by the herd

and thank you for making sure he got taken care of.

i don't feel like i really accomplished much this year, but i did get married and that made me feel damn good :)

[Highway61]

15. Congratulations!

If being married makes you feel good now...hold onto your hat. It only gets better :)

[Kali]

16. helped a few fellow human beings in some small ways

the man from Puebla still sticks in my mind. 5 days walking alone in those shoes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4126884&mesg_id=4127379

[Highway61]

18. Oh Kali

I must have been absent during the time that was posted. That made my heart ache to read about that poor man. What a beautiful person you are and bless you for helping him.

[Ptah]

20. .

:thumbsup:

And Happy New Year, Kali!

[MorningGlow]

17. I remember the deer!

So glad it worked out well. Good job, you! :hi:

In 2009 I wrote the first 50,100 words of a novel--my first in 15 years--and I actually plan on finishing it and getting it published somehow, some way! :)

[likesmountains 52]

19. Volunteered at the New Orleans Free Health Clinic in November.

It was a very enriching and humbling. I wish I could quit my paying job and spend all year volunteering at clinics.

[tblue]

23. You rock, baby!!! Life-changing, wasn't it?

What did you do there? Would really love to know. You're an angel!

[likesmountains 52]

29. I did blood and urine testing..checking blood sugar, cholesterol levels,

a number of pregnancy tests, and "dip sticked" many urine samples. My son volunteered as a patient escort and I believe it was truly a life changing day for him.

[Highway61]

27. That's wonderful

If there is a heaven there is a spot for people like you. The feeling of satisfaction is amazing...just amazing.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

21. my relationship with lisa has grown even stronger & that is an accomplishment :)

i wrote a supporting document for someone who was seeking asylum in the us. he won.

i organized a memorial for a friend who passed away. the community found some solace through this memorial

i finished my thesis.

i organized a protest of FIA for banning gay indians (SALGA) from marching in the India day parade

i helped my friend through her fight with cancer by validating her pain and just by being there constantly

i got my group to be more politically active by participating in the DC protest

all in all, i did what i could. which is really all you can say.

[Highway61]

28. My little story pales to

what you have accomplished. I tip my hat to you. You are an amazingly warm and thoughtful person.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

30. absolutely not. in that fawns life, you were critical.

and you did what you could. which, as i said, is all we can do :)

:hug:

[tblue]

22. Awww. Beautiful story!

You are an angel on earth. I absolutely love animals and people who help them are precious to me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Me, I got a paying job for the first time in 14 years in a whole different and much more suitable field (working with young children instead of high-paid yuppie adults, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I never really fit in). I also have been volunteering since last Jan. teaching ESL to int'l refugees and helping them find jobs. The bravest people I have ever met and, in many ways, the most fortunate. And I found out my mother is unable to do the things (mentally) she once could, and that's a very difficult thing to accept. I told my husband I have a toddler now, and it's my mom.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. by the way, your story is very heartwarming.

[femmocrat]

26. Happy to hear that the fawn is doing well. I hope he continues to thrive.

My only big accomplishment of 2009 was my garden. After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle last winter, I decided to grow a lot more vegetables. We put in a huge raised bed garden and plan to expand it this year.

While my tomatoes were just about wiped out by the blight, the other crops did fairly well. I froze a lot of veggies that we are eating over the winter and gave a lot more away.

This year I want to start more plants from seed so I'm learning about how to do that. :)

[Eyerish]

31. Let's see...

Drove with my honey and 2 kitties from MN to Nor Cal over the span of a weekend so that I could be closer to my ailing mother. We also moved into our new apartment during that same weekend. I got married at the end of October. Yay! Finally realized what direction I wanted to go in my life and we are in the process of putting some money down on some land.

2010 looks like it will be a good one.

I remember your original thread about your attempts to rescue that adorable little fawn. I was touched by your compassion and determination to protect that little baby.

Peace and prosperity to everyone in the upcoming year! :hi: :party: :toast:

[old mark]

32. Nothing so grand. We donated a lot of very good warm clothing

to a group who distributed it free to people who needed it. We will do this again in spring.

Helps us by getting rid of stuff we have no room for, helps others who need that stuff.

And no one gets paid for their efforts.

mark

[Forkboy]

33. Another year without killing a single person!

[azmouse]

34. I've been learning to can food.

I made my own pickles and jam, and put up some fresh fruit (apples, peaches)this year.
Next year I plan to do even more, like make homemade salsas, pickled peppers, etc.

[femmocrat]

37. I would like to learn that too.

I bought some books last year, but never invested in the canning supplies. Seemed really confusing!

I planted 90 cucumbers with thoughts of making pickles, but I got so few cukes that we just ate them.

[flvegan]

36. I might've done a thing or two for a dog or two.

[Highway61]

38. Thanks

The responses here were pretty amazing. All in all DU has some really good people with big hearts. Happy New Year!

[nuxvomica]

39. Writing a novel in Nanowrimo

I am still amazed that I wrote over 50K words in one month. I didn't know I had it in me.

[crispini]

40. Me too!

My goal is to finish my first edit in January. :D

[nuxvomica]

41. My goal is to finish my first draft

:hi:

[crispini]

42. Do you still hang out on the NaNo forums?

It's a bit slower, but I still drop in from time to time. It was fun! :hi:

[nuxvomica]

43. I do from time to time as well

I do it mostly to get my writing mojo going again. When I'm in the forums, I feel like I did back in the day -- November 2009. :D

[crispini]

44. Hee, right on! nt

[Boudica the Lyoness]

45. Thank you for finding her fawn.

That was kind of you.

[mdmc]

46. wow!

Great OP..
I've kept from being disabled and ran unsuccessfully for city council..

[UrbScotty]

48. I gave blood four times - achieving a 2009 New Year's Resolution!!

I also read several books.