In the midst of all the year-end summaries and “wrapped” metrics and “best-of” lists . . . I bring you my own annual tradition: The Lightning Round.

Here we go!

                   

Most unsettling thing that happened (aside from the election) . . . The tornado that hit (too close for comfort) in May. (It ushered in The Summer of the Tornado Warnings here in my corner of the world. A continuing theme . . . )

My biggest health scare . . . A corneal ulcer back in March that threatened my vision (and was really uncomfortable).

Nicest thing I did for myself . . . I subscribed to a weekly floral bouquet delivery from a local flower farm. Beautiful flowers at my doorstep every week from late April to October!

My Top Five Books for the year . . . Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout, James by Percival Everett, North Woods by Daniel Mason, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, and Orbital by Samantha Harvey. 

Best investment . . . Tom and I purchased annual Mug Club memberships at our favorite local brew pub — and we took advantage of our “member benefits” all year long with (mostly) weekly “dates.”

Biggest surprise . . . Cutting my hair. Which I hadn’t really thought about doing until the very morning of my appointment when I was going in for a routine trim.

Best knit . . . That black sweater. I wear it all the time and I’m thinking about making another one. (And . . . what do you know. I never did add it to my Field Notes . . . I’ll do that soon.)

Favorite thing I created . . . My art journal.

Best thing in the garden . . . My exploding Satomi dogwood tree! It was stunning. (And apparently, not a deer delicacy.)

Biggest garden disappointment . . . Those f*cking deer.

                   

Something I thought I would miss a lot, but don’t miss at all . . . My contacts. I had to give them up forever once my corneal ulcer healed. After wearing them for fifty years, I thought I would miss them. But nope!

The book I recommend to people most often . . . The Wedding People by Alison Espach. This book has broad appeal, so it’s a good recommendation across the reading spectrum.

Favorite TV series . . . Say Nothing, Shrinking, The Diplomat, Bad Monkey, Nobody Wants This, Hacks, The Lincoln Lawyer, Van der Valk, and All Creatures Great and Small.

Favorite cultural zeitgeist moment . . . The 2024 Summer Olympics.

Blessing in disguise . . . Needing to replace a section of our fence after it blew over in a spring storm . . . which led us to adding some “fence extensions” later in the fall. (Keep your fingers crossed.)

A book I really didn’t like but read to the end anyway . . . The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk.

Best audiobook I listened to . . . Be Ready When the Luck Happens, read by Ina Garten herself. (She’s charming.)

A risk I took that worked out well . . . Texting an old friend. We’d been out of contact since the pandemic; now we’re getting together on the regular!

Total game changer for me . . . REALLY cutting back on the news (even the headlines). This makes so much difference in my day-to-day life and state of mind.

Something that made me cry that I didn’t expect would make me cry . . . Seeing/sitting on my mom’s bench in the Meijer Japanese Garden. (She’d just love it.)

                   

Not prepared for how cool it would be . . . Riding a Google bike around the Google campus with my Google daughter.

Emotionally hard work at first, but easier as I got going . . . Sorting through my extensive fabric stash (collected for over 30 years) — and giving away 3/4 of it. (Letting go is easy once you allow yourself to begin.)

Best thing about blogging . . . Read With Us! (Don’t forget to RSVP for the upcoming Zoom call; see sidebar for details.)

Best advice . . . “If you don’t like it, just cut it up or paint over it. Who gives a shit?” (Said one of my artist friends when I was complaining about a painting I was struggling with.)

A new toy I’m (still) delighted with . . . The new “hose minder/hose winder” we got for the garden.

So much work/So worth it, though . . . Our semi-annual Solstice parties. (They keep getting better.)

Magical moment . . . Letting JoJo out late on a summer evening and hearing a Great Horned Owl in my garden.

Something I said I was going to do but didn’t . . . Intentionally focus on eating more protein. (Oops. I did not.) (There’s always next year . . . )

Things I tried for the first time (with pretty good results) . . . Sashiko stitching, starting my own seeds for the garden, and gel plate printing.

Finally pulled the trigger . . . I have new living room furniture!!! (Just delivered last week.)

Big behind-the-scenes accomplishment . . . I have weaned myself off one of my RA drugs. (And I’m doing just fine!)

                   

Feeling good about . . . My Cup o’ Kindness blog posts in December. They turned out . . . pretty well, I think. At the very least, the process helped me find my way out of a real funk. I thank all of you for your kind words and support along the way.

Carrying into the new year . . . Gentleness. I plan to approach the new year quietly, without many expectations. Hear that, 2025? I’m coming in  . . . gently. And with hope.

My wish for you as we head into the new year . . . As always, all the good things, my friends. ALL the good things. I thank you for being here and hanging out with me, and I’m wishing for a 2025 filled with hope and joy and good health and happiness for us all.

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And that does it for my 2024 Year-in-Review! I’ll be back tomorrow with a little New Year’s greeting.