Happy New Year

At the end of the year it’s great to look back at our accomplishments but this year I’ve been feeling somewhat unaccomplished, despite publishing four books. So inspired by a post I saw yesterday, I decided to look back at all the things that got me through 2022.

In no particular order…

Reading in a bubble bath. Many bubble baths.

Sleeping in on weekends

Penny snuggles

Driving to the west coast and back with my sister. Long talks about everything. Stops for photo ops. So much good food. Bicycling around Kelowna. Wine tasting in Kelowna. White knuckle driving on the highway to Tofino. Getting lost so many times. Visiting our uncle and having the best fish and chips in Victoria. Walking in Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island. Seeing whales from the ferry. All the flowers in Butchart Gardens. The Rocky Mountains. Drinks on a rooftop patio in Banff.

Planting flowers in the spring. The joy of seeing things grow and bloom.

Long puppy walks in the summer.

Runs along the creek. The freedom of wireless ear buds and a pocket in my shorts for my phone made me so happy.

The quiet of a snowy walk in winter.

TV shows —Ted Lasso, Succession, The White Lotus, Emily in Paris, Only Murders in the Building, the Bear, the Crown, Uncoupled

Friday Zoom meetings with author friends

Traveling – flying again, the people watching in airports, day drinking in airport bars, discovering the joy of Uber, seeing author friends in person again

The beach – floating in the ocean beneath the sun, lying in a cabana, sand under my toes, drinking margaritas on the beach, warm tropical night air

Warm summer days on my deck with a good book, or sometimes napping, on the comfy new furniture I got this year

Warm summer evenings on my deck with a glass of wine, my small fire pot, and a good book

Books! So many good books!

All the wonderful replies I got to my newsletter emails from readers

Watching the Jets play hockey – and winning

Talking about hockey and romance in livestreams with hockey author friends

Exchanging funny memes with my daughter because we both know what the other likes

The thank you I get from my son every night after I make dinner

Staying in bed all day on Boxing Day

My Facebook reader group who support me and lift me up and are all such beautiful people

The reactions from people when you give them a great gift

Music – hours and hours of Spotify

Visiting Elm Creek with my uncle, where he was born

Sitting around the outside fireplace at my sister’s lake house with the family and laughing so loud the neighbors mentioned it the next day

A facial that was so relaxing I could barely walk after

Writing a screenplay

Zooms and wine with PG Forte

Avoiding COVID for another year

How my son wore a mask IN THE HOUSE when he got a cold, to protect me, when people are bitching about wearing a mask ANYWHERE

My sister’s dog Lulu

Dogs in general