The End of 2013

The End of 2013

     There has been so much going on this year and a lot of it wasn’t good. Grandma was in and out of the hospital this year (same as when I was younger) and ultimately lost her long battle with EVERYTHING in late October of this year. Thanksgiving and Christmas just weren’t the same without her this year. So many things will never be said because of her passing.

     I know that she’s in a better place. Her heaven; however, it doesn’t make it any easier for those of us left behind. We’re all still trying to find our footing without her. Even those of us who argued with her over stupid things; whether you loved her or hated her, you still loved her. You couldn’t help but love her. She was kind and gentle. Loving to a fault.

     January was much the same. Working and sleeping. Grandma in the hospital. February wasn’t much better, Valentines Day was nice. March, April, and May continued the tradition of Grandma’s hospital visits and continued up until August when she didn’t go in at all. September marked the first time (in a long time) that I didn’t get to spend my birthday or anniversary with Grandma or see her at all. She was in the hospital for two weeks that time. From the beginning of September to the middle of the month.

     October was the beginning of the end.

     The last time I saw my Grandmother was at the beginning of the month. She had gone to her bank and taken me with her, and it was the last time I saw her alive. By the time I had arrived in her hospital room, she was gone. It’s the first and last time I will be that close to a newly dead person.

     This year was really hard, as I said. Not only because we lost Grandma, but because we lost everything. Carlos and I lost our home. I lost the home I’d lived in for the last 10 years and four of those were with Carlos. Brandy lost her mother. I became a mother (to Brandy) and Carlos became a father (to Brandy). We’re still trying to a hang of that.

     Unfortunately, we didn’t have the nine months one normally gets when getting a child. We won’t get to witness her first steps or her first words (yes, I know that I did, but Carlos didn’t get to share in that with me or her). We won’t get to witness the first time she uses the potty like a big girl (again, I know I did, but Carlos didn’t). I’m sure there are people that want us to fail at it and we’re not going to.

     We found an apartment, it’s probably not the best neighborhood, but the apartment is great. We love the place. Finding it was an adventure. Moving into it was an adventure; we actually put off moving in as long as we could so that we’d have beds in the apartment and wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor! Not having a TV or computer or living room furniture was one thing, but that floor sucks!

     Oh yes, I nearly forgot! I participated in NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) and won! I received my T-Shirt and can’t wait to wear it. I will have a list of what I published this year in a separate post. November also saw the end of GZine. I’m hoping that once I get things settled, then I can start again. Maybe something different. Who knows.

     On TV things weren’t much better. Yes, I’m going to include TV shows in my year end blog. SPOILERS BELOW!!

     So, Once Upon a Time got a spin-off and it’s called—for it—Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It was meant to be on during the summer, but got a full season request. It’s not faring well. While I love the concept of the show, it was too rushed and should have been done as originally planned so they’d have the time to work out the kinks. Time for re-shoots and re-casting if necessary; plus its on Thursdays and that’s never been a good slot (as far as I know at any rate) for shows on ABC (aside from Grey’s Anatomy).

     OUAT went to Neverland and met not only Peter Pan (who is evil), but also Rumplestiltskin/Dark One/Crocodile/Mr. Gold’s Dad! Then at the mid-season finale, Rumple kills his father and himself in the process! But not before his Dad, parading around as Henry, casts the Dark Curse once again. The only way to stop the curse is for Regina/The Evil Queen to give up the thing she loves the most: Henry. She as the Curse spreads through Storybrooke, Emma (arguing as only Emma can) and Henry leave Storybrooke and as the camera pans behind them…Storybrooke is gone.

     Jump to a year later and Emma and Henry are living in New York. Captain Hook returns to The Land without Magic (our world) and kisses Emma. She doesn’t recognize him! Then the screen goes black. Coming in the New Year, we’ll have the Wicked Witch of the West and a trip to Oz. Oh yeah, and the rest of our beloved OUAT gang? They were sent home!

     Carlos and I found a new show that we love, The Blacklist! James Spader is amazing as Red Reddington is fantastic casting. With everything that happened with Grandma, we’re waaay behind, but we’ll see all the episodes. Now would be the perfect time (I believe they’re all online), but Carlos wants to wait and do a marathon after the season is over.

     I also fell in love with Sleepy Hollow! Tom Mison is a wonderful Ichabod Crane. I’ve always loved Sleepy Hollow and the tale of the Headless Horseman. With this version of SH, however, the Horseman is one of the Four Horseman of the Apocolypse and Ichabod is resurrected to stop him along with a female detective. This show mixes fiction with history so well; it’s hard to believe that Sleepy Hollow is a real place!

     Back to OUATIW (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland). It’s a love story set in both Victorian Era England and Wonderland: while in Wonderland Alice falls in love with a genie named Cyrus whom the Red Queen tosses over a cliff. Grief stricken, Alice returns home (finding her father has remarried and had another child while she was gone; time passes differently in Wonderland) and is then sent to an asylum. She keeps rambling on about Wonderland and everyone, including her father thinks she’s nuts.

     You find out that the Knave of Hearts (Will Scarlet) has escaped Neverland and enters Storybrooke, only to return to England, rescue Alice, and return her to Neverland to find and free Cyrus before its too late. The mid-season finale (I think is what it was) finds Cyrus free from his curse of being a Genie and shows us (not the cast) that Will is now a Genie.

     Speaking of shows I love, American Horror Story! AHS is in its third season and it’s great! I haven’t seen many of the episodes because I didn’t have cable for awhile, but from what I’ve read I can’t wait until it’s available to watch on Netflix so that I can watch all three seasons back to back and compare!

     This incantation is subtitled Coven and it’s full of witches and voodoo priests and priestess! The location is in New Orleans, the hub (apparently) of witches and all things voodoo. I can’t wait to see this more in depth.

     NEW YEARS RESOLUTION: Not a traditional one, but one nonetheless. I plan on trying to complete every novel I have in the works (taking a month off for National Novel Writing Month in November). I also resolve on NOT starting any new novels (with the exception of collections) until November. I also resolve to try and blog more and to use Twitter more. Gotta get those sales numbers up!

     See you all in 2014!