Happy Holidays! Hello 2024🥳
This is one of my favorites posts to write, because it gives me a reason to look back on my year and pick out the best parts and appreciate and enjoy them all over again. Not to say that my life is only unicorns and rainbows, but I try to move past the bumps as quickly as possible and focus on the positive. My motto continues to be life is what you make it. You’ll be as happy as you want to be. All in all this was a happy year for me. No major health issues for me or those closest to me - and the older I get the more I realize if you have your health than you are blessed indeed.
No deliberation on this one - the most amazing happening this year was that I became a grandma! Tom and Anna had a beautiful little boy and he is one special baby. Every baby is a gift and he is one we are all grateful to welcome to our family. They are doing a fantastic job working as a team and things are going smoothly. I am looking forward to spending time with their sweet family and getting to know my grandson.
Keeley and Matt are doing well and I’m able to see them fairly often and dog sit their sweet pup Monica. She is a 60 pound dog that underestimates her size and likes nothing more than to sit in your lap. They have done a great job training her so she’s really a pleasure to be around. Her ears are my favorite.
I traveled a decent amount which continues to be something I enjoy very much. I spent the month of February in Southern California starting out the first few weeks in Pacific Beach by myself. Then my good friends from Kansas City came out and joined me in Newport Beach and while the weather was a little rainy we had a great time. Deidre stayed out and went with me to finish up the last week in Santa Barbara. That was my first time in Santa Barbara and we both thought it was really beautiful. Lots of great hiking so it was a month of beaches and mountains - very fun.
Deidre and I spent a day in the wine country inland from Santa Barbara and Solvang was so cute! Known for its Danish-style architecture and good wine. Also stopped in Los Olivos which is just a few miles away. More great wine!
In April I headed to North Carolina for a family wedding - congrats Jack and Kristy! Always so great to see my brothers and their families and our super fun cousins.
May was a trip to Tahoe for some fantastic hiking with friends Liz and Peggy. The weather was gorgeous and we hiked almost everyday - Liz was a wonderful and gracious hostess and knows lots of great places to hike.
June was a trip to North Carolina for a fun baby shower. The theme was books. This baby has an entire library already.
Mid August I left for two weeks in Scandinavia followed by 12 days in France. Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and then Paris and the Alsace region seeing Strasbourg and Colmar. I still pinch myself that I was there. I loved it all. I saw and did so much - from the Fjords in Norway to the Dior Museum in Paris. I ate Plukkfisk in Bergen and fantastic croissants in Paris. Too many pictures to post so I’ll just pick one - my first view of a fjord. I was diligent about blogging almost everyday so if you’re interested in reading more details feel free to click back through my posts.
I miss Kansas City and my wonderful friends there so made a fun trip down in late October. Got to eat great barbecue and get together with lots of people I love. Thanks for being a great hostess Cheryl and even indulging my desire to go to the Eras Tour movie. I have become a total Swiftie so seeing the movie if you can’t get to a concert is an absolute must. We wore sparkles!
I’m not done traveling. I have quite a bit planned for 2024 including a big trip hiking the Alps! If not now when? It’s going to happen so check back because I will be blogging.
When I’m not traveling I keep busy here volunteering at Frank Lloyd Wright. I enjoy doing tours of the home and studio here in Oak Park, and learn something new everyday that I’m there. Keeley and I got the opportunity to get inside one of my favorite Wright homes here this last year and here is a picture from the outside. As gorgeous on the inside as it is on the outside. The Arthur Heurtley home built in 1902.
What else? I’m still tap dancing with Keeley. She continues to be the best in class and I’m not the worst. Both winning! We performed in two shows this year. Here we are in our New York New York costumes.
And most recently the Holiday Showcase - Walking in a Winter Wonderland. I love getting to spend this time with her 💕
I have always loved to read and like many people that dramatically increased during Covid. I find I enjoy reading more than I like watching TV so this year read 46 books. According to Goodreads I read 16,822 pages! Who knew? Usually I pick my top three favorites from the year but this year I just couldn’t narrow it down and ended up with my favorite five. Here they are:
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kindsolver
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
While I don’t make resolutions I did do something this past year that I wanted to share. Every week I took a piece of paper and wrote down the best thing that happened that week, folded it up and put it in a container. I did that every week and just did the last one today. Next week I will pull one of those papers out and read it, and then will do that every week. There was never a week when I couldn’t decide what the best thing was, and of course there were some weeks like when my grandson was born that clearly stood out as the best thing. Those big moments are easy to recall but I’m really looking forward to reliving the smaller moments that brought me joy too. I’m going to do it again this year because it has made me realize how many good things happen to us that we might not take enough time to appreciate.
Other things that brought me joy? The Chiefs won the Super Bowl!!! Another thing that brought me joy was Keeley and Tom meeting back in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead that the Chiefs won to go to the Super Bowl! Sibling fun! It was very cold but they had the best time! And I didn’t know they were doing it till they FaceTimed me from KC and I was confused and trying to figure out what technology they were using to make it look like they were together in KC!😂 We love the Chiefs!❤️
I love New Year’s Day. I get to crack open my new planner and start fresh with the hope that the year will be a good one. I never lose sight of how fortunate I am, and that there are many people struggling - now more than ever. I’ve learned many things from traveling around the world none more important than that as humans no matter where we come from we all have so much more in common than any differences we might perceive. I’m going to continue to try and spread kindness and inclusion because if we all do a little we can accomplish a lot. Sending out a wish for you all to have a good 2024 and beyond. Enjoy each day, because before you know it tomorrow will be yesterday💕
