We made it. A new year. What it brings will be interesting but let’s stay positive and be the best people we can be and it will all work out.

Evan and Emm’s short trip to see us was really nice. We had a lot of good food, time by the fire pit and we learned that our declining Otter Pup LOVES a good fire so we got more wood and will be out there tonight with her, barring wind.

Right Now:

I have a break from student ministry as the students are on winter break, but I am hosting the online service this morning from home! PJs, coffee, maybe some toast.

I am also writing a message on the topic of forgiveness. What does forgiveness mean to you? Anyone care to share?

This Week:

I am still off from work this week. The campus is back but I took an extra week, which seemed excessive but not so now. I’ve read some good books, cooked some stuff, taken walks, and still haven’t cleaned out the garage. Maybe this week?

Reading:

2025 kicked off with  my first book, The Brothers Karamazov. I’ve been gently warned that it’s a heavy book to kick off the year but you know what? I am loving it! It’s surprising me like Of Human Bondage did. The characters are so interesting and the way the story is laid out, even more so. I am into Book 2 and am reading it two ways, on Hoopla via my phone, late at night, under the covers and by day, with my physical book.

I am also reading Bright Young Women for club. REALLY good so far. Immediately grabbed me.

Also listening to The God of the Woods.

One night, at the end of the year I was waiting for the new year to start my first book but was without reading material in bed so picked up Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst. It’s non-fiction, Christian and so, so good. If you’ve ever felt left out of something, or lonely, oh my goodness, this is a book for you. I have highlighted so many passages.

Watching:

Squid Game, season 2. This season is so different than the first season. More playful with a lot of young characters. I am enjoying it but on the last episode now. Season 3 will be its final season and will hit this year.

Grateful for:

• That the Otter Pup is still with us. Every day is a blessing. She is not in pain but we are taking it day by day. She loved seeing Evan and Emma. Really enjoyed them being here.
• Books in many different formats. I have never in my life utilized so many different formats but I am loving them all, ebooks on my Kindle, my phone, physical copies and audiobooks.
• That my hair is now looking more normal after I chopped it! I cut off all the long, dangly transparent pieces and now have a cute bob. But my hair is curly now post brain surgery.
• This last week of vacation.

Happy New Year, you all. Let me know what you’re up to.

Hello friends! How are you? I am doing pretty well. I am officially on vacation now. Nothing huge planned, a short visit with both kids from 12/23-12/26, and a goal for me, to clear out the garage.

If The Girl comes home after graduation for a bit,  we are going to need that garage for storage and right now, it’s pretty full of her stuff AND The Boy’s stuff. They are adults now so let’s call them Emma and Evan. 🙂

Right Now:

I am hosting for the online service and then student ministry. My favorite time of the morning. Gosh, I love those students.

This Week:

I’m all partied out. My book club party, two work parties and a christmas light tour are all behind me. This week will be spent lounging, reading and preparing for Evan and Emma’s visit. Did I tell you that Evan is bringing Root Beer, his cat! The last time I saw her was right out of Kansas and she was itty bitty. Looks like she loves Seattle.

Reading:

I’m trying to read all the books before the end of the year. I just finished 1984 for the read-along. Part 1’s discussion is posted. Part 2 and 3 will post before the end of the month followed by my formal review of the book. It was a re-read but man, there is so much to say.

Also reading:

• Burn by Peter Heller (love Heller but this one is a little harder to bite into. Kind of episodic at the moment).
• The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (picked this one up off of Hoopla when I was too lazy to go downstairs to get my Kindle. It’s delightful!)
• All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (releases Jan 7th, dystopian, post-apocalyptic goodness).

This  might be it before the end of the year as I want to have them reviewed too.

First book of the year?

I have no idea! I’d like it to be a memorable one. Infinite Jest has been on my shelf forever. It’s 1100 pages long. Maybe it will be my first book of the year. It’s a beast.

Watching:

My husband rediscovered his Adam 12 DVD collection so we’ve been watching that, back to back. It’s so nostalgic. The LA streets of that time were so uncluttered and some of those businesses still exist today.

I’m about to breakout my Bob Newhart Christmas collection. Now that’s a really fun time.

Grateful for:

• Vacation time. I worked retail when I was younger and never had holidays off. I am so lucky and blessed to be able to enjoy that time off now.
• Martha Stewart’s Giant Ginger Cookies that make a handful of people very happy. I make them every year and they are the PERFECT holiday cookie and massive!
• I started to write a book a long time ago, right before COVID and lost the file. I knew it was in the Cloud somewhere but not in Google, not in Box, not anywhere which made no sense. But I was testing something for work this week and found it in OneDrive! It’s all rubbish now that I’ve put some distance between it and myself but it has me thinking about writing again.

What’s going on in your world? Any exciting plans? Books that you are looking forward to?