Wish

I've adopted a fairly defeatist attitude towards New Year's resolutions. I know I'll break them within a day or two of the new year, so I've stopped making them altogether. Invariably, even pledging to stop making the same mistakes over and over again is something that just seems to be too difficult a concept for me to grasp. There are always things I'd like to do better, or at least differently, and I figure that's an ongoing process, rather than one that's specific to a new page of the calendar being flipped over. Last year was also a farce (even though you can usually find something funny in a farce), so I was two minded about its end. Part of my brain would have liked an overblown smashing farewell to 2011, while another part thought its passing deserved little more than deflating a worn out old whoopee cushion.

The first useful thing I've done this year is finally put together a diorama I was given for my birthday last year. Tatebanko is an old Japanese artform where three dimensional scenes are created from paper. One of my very observant friends got me The Scream by Edvard Munch. While I was living at home, a framed print of this picture hung above my desk, and an inflatable figurine of the painting's protagonist sat on the corner of my desk. Both have come with me to the main room of my flat.

Although I've developed a bit of a tremor (probably just as well my days of small animal surgery are behind me), the cutting, folding and gluing is enjoyably meditative. Thankfully, the folks at Tatebanko.com provide very straightforward instructions, with some helpful tips for the order in which each bit of the diorama should be put together. I was worried I'd end up looking like the frustrated IKEA customer with the scrunched up mouth.

I'm also surprised at how willing I've been to actually let the glued bits dry properly before continuing. Usually I can't stand seeing anything lie around 'in progress', it needs to be completed in one go. Hence the whole process has taken a few days with all the stopping and starting. The finished product will probably end up on my bookshelf and I'm happy with how it's turned out, despite a few bits refusing to stay glued down as tightly as they could be.


Next up is getting through the remainder of the Monty Python's Flying Circus box set that mum got me several Christmases ago. And no, I can't provide a good answer as to why it's taken me so long to sit down and watch it. Like Dan Kelly though, this stuff always puts me in a good mood.