Life: It Goes On - January 1

Happy New Year! In the past couple of days I've been seeing a lot of memes that talked about what a dumpster fire 2023 was; I found myself nodding in agreement. Yes, yes, I thought, 2023 has been terrible. And then I looked back at pictures from this year and was reminded of all the wonderful things we did in 2023 and all of the fun we had. Was it the best year of my life? No. But it wasn't the worst year by any stretch of the imagination. It's so easy to get caught up in the mood of social media. Instead, I'd like to focus on the good things from 2023 so I can go into a new year feeling blessed and happy. 

Best Books of the Year: 

My reading slump continues (although I recognize that what I call a slump is still quite a few books by most people's standards); I only finished 56 books in 2023. Here are some real standouts.

• The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchette
• Crook Manifesto by Colton Whitehead 
• Beartown by Fredrik Backman
• The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Growl
• A Fever In The Heartland by Timothy Egan
• All The Beauty In The World by Patrick Bringley

Best Movies: 

We didn't get to the theater too many times in 2023 but I'm certain that these two movies would have stood out even in a crowd.

• Barbie
• Oppenheimer

Best Television: 

As you know, a lot of our television viewing is sports related but we also really enjoyed some series in 2023, as well. I finished Grace and Frankie, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Queen Charlotte this year. 

• The Nebraska volleyball match that set a world record for attendance of a women's sporting event. Until that very last match, the entire season was a joy to watch, but that match in the football stadium gave me goosebumps. 
• Ted Lasso - we are parsing out the final five episodes of the series to make it last longer
• Shrinking with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford is so funny but also deals with heavier themes
• Wednesday

Highlights: 

• Our trip in June to Alaska. I'm already planning a return trip, hopefully timed to see the aurora borealis. 
• A trip to Duluth/Superior to visit my sister and her family
• Helping Miss H move into her first place of her own. I had so much fun flipping furniture so that it would work for her and making sure she had everything she needed to make the place comfortable and very much a reflection of her. 
• Live Broadway touring shows: Six, To Kill A Mockingbird, Tina, and Les Miserable
• Two new tattoos, one symbolizing hope and the other family. 

Looking back over all the big things (to say nothing of all of the little things that brought joy to my life in 2023), helps me going into the coming year. Here's to a year filled with even more great books, great movies, great television, and life highlights!