Across the world, people gave thanks, and are about to celebrate religious holidays. We’re not much for celebrating or religion in my house, but, like everyone else, have some things to say before 2008 is over for good.

This year has had few highlights for me. I started it off by losing my job! Having said that, there have been good things.

I want to thank:

• David and Fiona for taking me under their wing in 2005. I like to joke that getting my job with you at collectZing took me five years (first contact was made in 2002!). Although I’m disappointed that we parted in January, I’m not disappointed with my relationship with you. You both taught me - with the help of Rita and Venessa - how to be a true journalist (up until then I was just an occasional writer), how websites work, and how much work entrepeneurship really is. More than that, everything I took from AH and cZ is used every day, with the building of my very own website. I hope you and your three lovely children have had a good year, and all the best for the next. 
• Kelvin and all the great folks at Puppets and Stuff. All of your kind words have kept me going when there wasn’t much going on. With your input, advice, and encouragement, I find myself actually selling products (I’ve never in my life had someone buy something I’ve made until now - or even show interest in something I’ve made), teaching puppet classes and being an online oddity in the Australian puppetry world. Thank you everyone! In particular, a big thanks go out to all those people who tested my patterns and gave me feedback, it was really invaluable.
• Gary Friedman, Hilary Talbot and anyone else I have met in Australia over the past year. It’s been wonderful meeting and learning from you all. Thank you in particular to Gary and Hilary for being so warm and friendly.
• Everyone who worked on UNIMA 2008 (a festival for which, UPDATE 30 July 2009: the site is no longer available). I actually miss being in Perth, and it was just such a great experience for me. I still can’t believe I learned how to make a bunraku puppet from a Japanese builder - something I’ve wanted to do for years. I literally planned my entire trip around that class. Amazingly enough, despite the $250 pricetag, I almost got more out of the $30 masterclasses I did for shadow puppetry, since it’s my new favourite puppet type and I think I’m going to spend the rest of my life making them (whereas I’ve gone completely off moppets). So thanks to Nori Sawa and Richard Bradshaw.
• Thanks to all of my customers! I started my online shop earlier this year, and thanks to all of you, I can be confident in knowing that I’m on the right track. I hope all of you are enjoying your patterns, parts and products that you’ve bought; and that anyone building a puppet is having fun!
• Thank you to those who participated in The Bump In Project; Sam and Jordan, Joanne, and everyone from Circus Catharsis. You guys are proof of the pudding that original theatre is alive and well in Melbourne - and fantastic! I’m so happy to be a part of your journey

Those have been the people I most wanted to thank…

Want more? Help build a puppet!