Review of 2012- from where I stand

• Most memorable national event: Definitely the London Olympics. I'm not a sports person myself, but so enjoyed watching the grit, determination, skill and humanity of the atletes. A wonderful event, made possible by a host of willing volunteers. Thank you to you all.
• Most memorable family event: the birth of our first grand child who is a real joy.
• Most unusual thing I did this year: Pulling a fibre optic cable through a marshy nature reserve with about 100 volunteers to give visitors and scientists a better view of what was happening in the osprey nest on the reserve.
• Saddest moments of the year: when a 5 year old girl was abducted and murdered in a nearby town, when an 11 year old girl was shot by the Taliban for championing education for girls in Afghanistan, and more recently when an Indian student was gang raped on a bus in Delhi and later died of her injuries.
• Personal achievements of the year: surviving a whole year of running my own company: selling two of my paintings at Easter; being instrumental in setting up two new local community groups; being elected as a town councillor; exhibiting at several conferences and managing the logistics involved without mishap;
• Most addictive TV programme: Downton Abbey. I started watching series 3 having not watched previously, and enjoyed it so much that I borrowed and watched the whole of the first two series as well!
• Most influential sermon of the year: In fact this is a series of 6 sermons preached by Alan Hewitt several years ago about the Biblical view of the role of women. He examines the Biblical evidence carefully and rationally and comes to the very liberating conclusion that God created man and women to be equal and that there is no scriptural basis for excluding women from any ministries of the church. Although I have not felt oppressed in previous churches, I nevertheless felt very liberated by hearing him say what I have always really believed to be true. This series is having a deep impact on my awareness of the oppression of women globally.
• Best Christmas present: We gave each other new wedding rings, having "expanded" out of our previous ones. A very good gift to celebrate 31 years of marriage.
• Best film of the year: Untouchable. I've watched lots of films on DVD which are not necessarily this year's films.  Untouchable is a film from this year and well worth seeing.
• Moments that I want to bottle and keep for ever: Seeing otters in the river close to home- my first ever sighting in the wild; the amazing autumn colours this year; my grand daughter's smile;