2022: A Year in Review

 

It's the last day of December, and you know what that means. Every blogger has to look back and make a post-year recap.

My theme for this year was :2022! Try something new!

I'm a writer, and I confess to loving alliteration.

I had big plans for ALL KINDS of new things to try this year. I don't think I got to even half of them. But that's okay. There were a few new adventures, some big and some small.

New food! I tried sushi for the first time. And guess what? I really liked it! The Slurping Turtle in Ann Arbor is an excellent restaurant, and I have enjoyed the sushi (and ramen) twice.

Wasabi!

We played some new board games this year! This one is fun and fast, and if you love color (of course you do!) you will enjoy this one! We also played Azul, a fun tile strategy game.

We became empty nesters this year! That transition has been relatively smooth. It's not as though Sam went away to school across the country. He's only 15-20 minutes down the road. And with my Indiana sons visits and Sam's visits, the nest never feels all that empty for long.

Sam's loving his college campus life, and I think he may have made the Dean's list for his first semester, too!

We went to our first Big Ten College Football Game! We had a great time, and I know we will go to more of them next year. GO BLUE!

We found a new boarding facility for Jemma, and she seems happy with it. I mean, who wouldn't be happy when Santa and Mrs. Claus come to visit?

We enjoyed our Michigan Hops Passport this year. It gave us a lot of opportunities to explore other towns and their microbreweries. Fun date nights!

My writing expanded a lot this year. This month, I wrote a feature that was published by a major national news site. It was a great way to cap the year!

I hosted some new fellowship events at church this year, and they seemed to be well received. Crafternoons, cookie swaps, soup socials. My term with fellowship will be winding down in six months. It's been a lot of work, but it was also a great way to practice hospitality. I think we all became a little rusty in the hospitality department thanks to the pandemic.

Looking back in the crafting department, I can see that I added a few new techniques. I used more stencils and embossing folders and background stamps. I played with wax seals and heat embossing. I incorporated crafting into lots of things beyond card making, too.

I started doing a LOT more walking this year. Typically, I try to fit in a 2.5-3 mile walk every morning, and then another one mile walk with Jemma every night. My morning walk has been a good motivator to get my steps in, and I can listen to podcasts as I pound the pavement.

Did the year have its challenges? Of course. Moving my husband's Dad and his wife into assisted living, helping our aging parents, COVID and the flu, juggling all the duties at church. It was a lot. 

But it was also filled with so many blessings. Sam's graduation and his acceptance to U of M. My award from the Toledo Press Club. A vacation to the U.P.  and trips to visit our sons in Indiana.

We give thanks to God for all of His blessings, and look forward with hope to the new year ahead.

Happy New Year!