Category: Stuff About Me

2022 in review…

I always review the year as it closes… list the books I’ve read, the places I’ve been, the things I’ve celebrated. I usually write it up in Christmas card letter style, but this year I haven’t gotten around to it! Here’s an attempt to recap 2022 before too much of 2023 is behind me as well!

ONE new job for me! In July our supervisor told us that she was leaving us and moving into another position. I applied and interviewed for the job of ED social work supervisor in August and started the job after Labor Day! It has been a huge learning curve but I think it will be good. One of the biggest perks is no more overnights for me. I was feeling those more and more the older I got. I’m grateful to still work in the ED and to support our team in a different way!

Work peeps!

TWO new cars for us! In late September the new MINI Countryman I built and ordered arrived stateside and I took ownership! I love the car. She’s Sage Green Metallic and is named Elphaba. She has great winter tires (thanks, Chris!) and with All4 I have been tooling around in this weather easily. And at the end of the year (literally, 12/28/22), Chris bought a 4 door Jeep Rubicon – the car of his overlanding dreams.

Elphaba

THREE Broadway shows during a NYC trip with Marissa in February! We went to ONE cabaret, TWO piano bars and THREE Broadway shows in the FOUR nights we were there! We saw Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in The Music Man; we saw Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in Plaza Suite; and we almost saw Patti LuPone in Company (thanks, Covid!).

February in NYC
Love 54 Below!

FOUR trips for us this year – 1) Me to NYC in February with Marissa 2) Chris to Wyoming for the BDR (Backroads Discovery Route) in June with Tyler, 3) Both of us on a road trip with Beth and Doug to Bourbon Country and Music City, and 4) Chris and I flew to see family in NH for his dad’s 70th birthday! A total of TWELVE states involved in those trips!

Road trip! Through Indiana!
Bourbon tasting
Nashville – Music City
NH for 70th birthday!

SIX movies in the theatre this year – that’s it! I saw Downton Abbey: A New Era (Fun to see old friends on a big screen!), Top Gun: Maverick (What a satisfying movie! Just so great!), Elvis (An amazing movie! The time flew…), Where the Crawdads Sing (with book club!) Bros (great fun!) and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (A cute movie I saw with Deadra so we could relive our Paris adventures!). Of course there were other movies that I streamed and loved – Coda (AMAZING! And award winning!) and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. We watched The Offer about the making of the Godfather, which led us to watch The Godfather… lots of good options at home, which is why we didn’t make it to the theatre often!

SIX grandchildren getting older! We didn’t ever get them all together in the same room in 2022 but maybe that will be a goal for 2023! Kaydee turned 11, Emilee is soon to be 8, and Charlotte is soon to be 3; August is 7 and Juniper is 4; Myles just turned 3 on Christmas.

Grandgirls!
We have fun!
Myles and Charlotte – cousins – both almost 3 years old!
Looking so big
Enjoying the lake

SEVEN Grimsrud cousins recreated a photo from the past at Thanksgiving!

EIGHT books were read for my book club, which has been meeting for … gosh, more than 20 years! In 2022 we read: The Second Life of Mirielle West, Lost and Found in Paris, The Personal Librarian, The Lincoln Highway, Shopaholic and Sister, Dear Edward, Lessons in Chemistry, and The Best Christams Pageant Ever. No matter what we’re talking about we always have a good time! And we have the best food!

Book club goes to the movies!

We also celebrated EIGHT years of marriage in 2022!

NINE months of the year the Cosmo Girls continue to meet! Don’t know what I’d do without those girls!

TEN dollars we won playing trivia a few times… we started going to trivia nights at a few places in 2022 and I think we got in the top three four times and have racked up about $25 in gift cards to spend for the four of us. We usually end up “going big” and “going home” with nothing to show, except for a fun night with friends.

Lots of fun nights with friends – trivia or live music or hot tubbing.. so grateful for friends!

THIRTY FIVE years since I graduated from high school! It can’t be, right?

SEVENTY FIVE years is what Mom turned in 2022 and Dad will soon take his turn!

ONE HUNDRED percent complete, the year. Of course, these highlights only showcase the smiles and bright spots of the year, but 2022 had its share of ups and downs. Life is full of changes – some changes occur in the blink of an eye and others happen little by little. I’m grateful for my family and my friends who listen and support me and each other and hope that I can be a blessing in the New Year!

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.” T.S. Eliot

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” Hal Borland

Enjoy a few more photos of some more good times from 2022. And Happy New Year to you!

Murphy has a new friend! Finnegan now weighs 85# and is bigger than Murphy!
Always happy when she cuddles
Murphy loves them so… they are great dog sitters!
Another show in 2022 – at the Orpheum! Hadestown was so good…
A winter hike on a cold day…
A Twins Game on a hot day…
Lime Rickies – the drink of the day at the Lake!
The girls at Thanksgiving
Two of the greats with the super grandparents! So sassy and fun…

Books 2022

My reading goal for 2022 was 34 books and I made it! Below are 35 books; my Goodreads also has a CEU book I read for my license renewal in October, but it was not a fun book to read so I didn’t include it here.

We read 8 books for book club and I picked some great summer reads for summer. I loved The Lincoln Highway and think it’s my favorite of the year, but the books by Emily Henry were really pleasantly surprising and right up there – fun with substance! And the Lager Queen of Minnesota was also a really great read.

So enjoy my brief summaries of the books I read in 2022! What is your favorite book for the year?

The year started out strong with this book. I really enjoyed reading about Will Smith and went down several Will Smith rabbit holes, watching certain episodes of the Fresh Prince (which I never really watched the first time it ran) and watching many movies he starred in. “Ali,” iRobot,” “Independence Day,” and eventually “King Richard,” which he won an Oscar for. But uff, that Oscar ceremony slap. How disappointing…
Our first book club book for 2022! And what an interesting book it was! I haven’t read a lot about leprosy or prohibition before and this was really an engaging book.
Another winner by Lian Dolan. I was able to read an advanced copy right after we returned from France and then we read this for book club this year. It wasn’t a favorite of the group but I enjoyed it.
I found this at B&N – a signed copy! It was a good book and it was fun to go down a Sutton Foster rabbit hole on her Instagram, looking for her craft projects! And then to see her on Broadway in February of this year! Good stuff.
I listened to this one, because… Matthew McConaughey. Alright, alright, alright! Greenlight! It would be fun to read with my eyes, because he made a lot of bullet points, but it was very fun to have him in my ears!
Another book club pick for 2022! The personal librarian for JP Morgan prompted a visit to the Morgan Library in NYC when I visited there in February – right before book club! It was fun to see the collections and visit the places we read about, and then share what I saw through photos.
I really liked this book! Probably one of my favorites of 2022!
And then this one – not memorable!
The next book club pick for 2022 – and truly the favorite of 2022 for me. I was feeling so much angst for the characters – angry on their behalf. Just so good.
And a cookbook. Did I read it really? but it’s on my list, so…
One that I had on my Kindle for a while… Just meh.
Another signed copy in my possession! Adriana’s books don’t disappoint. Very character driven. Love it.
Because I’ve enjoyed Amor Towles books, I had to check this one off my list. I listened to it on audio. Fascinating time period, the 20s in NYC and beyond.
Another unmemorable book, unfortunately. On my Kindle.
I really liked this book, which was about a time period that again I don’t know much about – the great Depression, the Dust Bowl…
Another reliable Weiner book! Fun to read. Not my favorite but not bad!
A cute fun summer read.
This was a little traumatic… About COVID and isolation and the early days and ICU psychosis… uff.
What a fun fun fun read.
Ah, dogs. They get into our hearts, don’t they? A nice tribute to a good dog.
And another great book! Fun and not too fluffy!
For book club – the silly Shopaholic!
My goal in 2022 was to read a Louise Penny book so I started at the beginning! What a pleasurable world she seems to have created…
And then a surreal world. It was a fascinating read and not too horrific, but just horrific enough.
And by the same author – another easy to read, surreal world.
Book in a bag for book club! A good story about a plane crash. Very tragic, but not too traumatic.
We had a road trip in October to Kentucky, so we chose a book set in that state. We weren’t in the Appalachians but it was fascinating to read about the difference books make, the blue people, and rural rural rural America.
Another book club book – and a good one! Smart women, sexism, and love.
A quick read, but not a light subject.
For book club – a favorite read year after year!
I wanted this to be better, but it wasn’t bad at all. I just thought the opportunity to go back in time and talk to your parents with your adult mind was fascinating, but it took me forever to read…
A Christmas book with characters I didn’t know… I should look for the first book in the series. But it was good.
Started this in book form and finished on audio. She fascinates, Emily Nagoski. The stress cycle, her way of teaching…
I listened to this one on recommendation from a blog, but it was booooring. I did finish it. I don’t know who this person is.
I powered through this at the end of the year, too. I think I started it in January 2022 but finished on 12/31/22. Good food for thought for the end of the year…

ABC of COVID-19

Marissa shared an acrostic poem this morning, which prompted me to share one I started in May or thereabouts, found in my journal… with updates.

April, May… The pandemic started in March, but it became surreal very soon after…

Baking bread, but no sourdough for me!

Connections, virtual – Facebook live, Skype

Disconnections, personal. Distanced from friends and family.

Essential? Yup

Furloughed? Nope

Grocery stores – empty shelves.

Hugless months, but HAMILTON comes to TV!

Isolation; I wish for a houseful to quarantine with.

June, July, August… it keeps on.

Kind acts, “a pandemic of kindness.”

Lunches by Door Dash

Masks – at work 100% starting 4/1/2020; mandated by the Governor statewide!

Netflix – a savior! Streaming services thrive…

Online everything. New computer arrives.

Pandemic – the world shuts down; daily Press conferences.

Quarantine, “Stay at Home,” “Safer at Home” orders

Remote access to work

Snowstorm in April; September, October, November, December… it goes on.

Tiger King. Enough said.

Unbelievable, truly. Traffic is down, no rush hour, people are outside…

Video calls – Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas…

Walks with Murphy, Working from home…

X the days as they go by… counting my blessings

YouTube concerts, Broadway and pop; national and local – entertainers entertaining!

Zoom – parties, games, meetings. Now New Year’s Eve concerts to bid farewell to 2020!

Whoopee (or is it Whoopie) pies – 2020

During this “current unpleasantness,” when we are at home watching all the TV, I got my husband to watch an episode of The Great British Bake Off, Holiday edition, and asked him to create a technical challenge for me. I’m NOT a great technical baker, but I do love to bake. Details, conformity, beauty… not my strong suit. Deliciousness, I can do.

He challenged me to make Whoopee Pies – his mom’s recipe. His dad had shared it with me a few years ago, as I had the thought of creating a photo book of recipe cards (still on my list!), so I was able to find it quickly. Because the crisco/powdered sugar frosting recipe freaked me out a bit, I also found a recipe from Epicurious so we could have a comparison.

Both recipes were fairly simple and made small batches (8 sandwiches apiece – perfect for dropping off with family). I was told that the secret (oops -sharing secrets!) to his mom’s is letting it sit overnight before baking, so I made both batches of dough and put them in the frig until the next day. You can see the differences in the recipes: oil vs butter, white sugar vs brown sugar, milk vs buttermilk. I used the same cocoa in both (Trader Joe’s baking chocolate powder), even though the Epicurious one called for Dutch processed cocoa.

The dough was easy to work with…
They smell delicious!
Chris’s mom’s recipe – you can tell the differences in the BAKING SHEET!

I wondered, to grease the baking sheets or to use parchment paper? I decided to use parchment paper. Unfortunately, one thing I found is that I have awful baking sheets. I take that back, I have one great stone jellyroll pan (which impacts baking time), one okay insulated baking sheet, and a few terrible old baking sheets. I tried to veer away from the stone, but did eventually use it after using a bad sheet resulted in overdone cookies.

Epicurious recipe up front, family recipe in the back…

The frosting recipes were also different – I chose the Epicurious recipe because it used marshmallow creme (I love marshmallow creme). The family recipe was Crisco and powdered sugar. Both recipes made the right amount of frosting. The marshmallow creme frosting was suuuuuper sweet.

Of course, Chris preferred the family recipe although he said the Epicurious was not bad. The family recipe cookies actually were very delicious tasting – the chocolate taste really came through, which I find difficult sometimes with chocolate bakes. And the frosting was not bad, as well. They weren’t uniform in appearance, at all, but they still went together and held the frosting in the middle.

Lessons learned:

  • I need better baking sheets. And maybe a scoop?
  • I struggle with technical baking, making uniform looking goods.
  • Don’t be afraid of Crisco.
  • Don’t mess with family recipes.

The last month of 2020…

I’ve started my review of 2020, cataloguing the books I’ve read, the movies I’ve seen, the places I’ve gone… it certainly is different than most years! I think I saw one play and one movie in the theatre in 2020. One. Of. Each. I’ll write more about the review of 2020 later, but mainly wanted to stop by here to write about the passage of time.

It’s hard to believe that it is December 2020. Gretchen Rubin has many proverbs and one is “The Days are Long, but the Years are Short,” and I think that is especially true in a pandemic. The days have been very long but still, here we are – December 10. Already 1/3 through the last month of the year. It kind of is amazing to think all that has happened.

I started a list of things I want to accomplish before 2020 ends. Mostly holiday things – play carols at the piano, drive around to look at lights, watch “Elf,” or maybe even “It’s a Wonderful Life”…

This weekend I’m having a Baking Challenge, put forth by Chris. His mom always made Whoopie Pies, so I’m going to use her recipe and make them for the first time! I told him I may use another recipe too, and do a taste-test… I’ll try to follow Great British Baking Show criteria for the challenge and make them look the same (not my strong suit!).

I’ll maybe post photos and results here!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Buttercream Filling Recipe | Martha Stewart
Not mine… Martha Stewart’s! Hopefully mine look as good…

Momming

Written by me in 2016, with revisions in 2020:

Mothers. Mothering. Being mothered. I’m so blessed with incredible women in my life: my mother who exudes unconditional love, my daughter whose joie de vivre shines in her mothering, my sister-in-law who is raising amazing, compassionate humans and my stepdaughter and aunts and cousins and friends and all who are gracefully teaching life lessons to children – their own or the children of others.

It’s hard work, mothering, but such important work. Reading the origins of Mother’s Day is humbling and reminds that mothering doesn’t start and end with flesh and blood.

In 1908, Ann Jarvis petitioned to start mother’s day in honor of the passing of her mother, a peaceful activist who cared for soldiers on both sides of the Civil War.

She was a blessing and being a blessing to everyone you meet and lifting them up so that they can also bless others is great important work, as well. Maybe the greatest.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Mother’s Day! Virtual hugs to all!

“Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.” George Eliot
“She taught me that fear is not an option.” – Diane Von Furstenberg, on her mom.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try doing it the way your mom told you to do it from the start.”
“Being a mom has made me really tired and so happy.” – Tina Fey

Hunkered Down, but not Out!

3.30.2020

We have enjoyed watching Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show at Home and he and his guests have been talking about how it is day 14 of their social distancing / quarantine. I can’t imagine. My pattern of life hasn’t changed, so far, even though life surely has changed. Chris and I are still working our regular shifts, so time away from work has been spent recovering from work or preparing for work.

This weekend was a little glimpse for me – I had a 4-day weekend. Chris just had a regular 2-day weekend so Friday and Monday were on my own. Friday night I had a virtual happy hour with some friends and Saturday night Chris and I played online games with Marissa via Zoom. Who heard of Zoom before two weeks ago?

“Winning Hearts and Minds cake”

This weekend we made homemade deliciousness, we ordered in to support a local restaurant, we exercised via computer trainers and we watched Netflix (Tiger King, just like everyone!). It felt like a weekend at home, but we didn’t get to see any family or friends IRL (in real life). I’m a social being, so that’s hard for me.

Dr. Elvis on Fox iHeart Radio Stars at Home concert

We watched the concert on Fox last night. It’s been hard to keep up with all the “at home” events and special things streamed; Broadway shows, piano and art lessons, meditation courses. I’m trying to pick and choose a few things that bring joy, as well as comfort during this crazy time. I know my book reading has suffered due to social media and news watching. Hopefully I can get a better balance going forward.

I wonder what our new normal will be like? What will we keep? What will we change?

3/18/2020

This is weird. Life feels surreal right now. A friend reminded me that my biggest worry a few weeks ago was our puppy somehow crawling on top of her crate. It’s already hard to remember what last week felt like.

Tonight I’m working my way through some TV shows on Hulu while I’m practicing social distancing. The latest episode of Will & Grace starts with Will sleeping on the couch with gloves on and sponges in his hand – he fell asleep deep cleaning their apartment. Not because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), but because someone was coming over and he wanted to make a good impression. On This is Us, the Pearsons are gathered together having a multi-generational game night – something highly discouraged by the CDC and our emergency managers. I haven’t watched it yet, but I bet that everyone is at the office on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and they aren’t worried about the employees of small businesses. The toilet paper commercials just seem to be taunting us.

The toilet paper aisle at Target

No one on TV is worried about what will become of high school graduation and senior prom this year, or if and when the baseball season will begin. On TV, no borders are closed. No one had to cancel travel plans because Broadway shows or Las Vegas casinos or Florida beaches are closed.

So, what to do? I know that it’s important to slow the world down. I am trying to limit my news intake. It’s hard. Facebook is informing of business and services hours, freebies online, and updates from family and friends. My work email is filled with ever-changing updates. I’ve made a list of things that I want to do when I’m home – write letters, read books, create photo books, walk outside, do yoga, order take-out. My goal is to video call someone every day, because it is good to SEE people! I’m really thankful that I get to work with wonderful people, because if that was the only socialization I could get and it was miserable, then life would be miserable.

I’m journaling to remember this time and trying to be mindful and keep out some of the noisy chatter. It’s hard. I’m sure I’ll blog again to document this bizarre time we are all experiencing.

What are you doing for yourself and those around you?

Palindromes

Today’s date is a good one – 02/02/2020 – an 8 digit palindrome. Back in 2014 I wrote a long Procrastipost about palindromes and although it is certainly dated and relevant mainly to 2014, it’s still pretty fun.

Enjoy!

https://walkietalkiebookclub.com/2014/04/17/4-17-14/

2010-2019

The end of the year is a reflective time for me. I’ve seen other people summarize their decade succinctly – that’s not me. One word? Uff. But thanks to this very blog, it wasn’t hard to see what the last decade has been like for me.

2010

  • I started this blog! Walkietalkiebookclub.com was started in February of 2010 as a place to plan book club and discuss books. It started very bookish.
  • I started my yearly Ferragosto Vacation!
  • I started Cosmo Girls (conceived at the initial Ferragosto!)
  • What a creative year!

2011

  • I was released from my job as a school social worker after 18 years.
  • The last Harry Potter movie was released.
  • I began with readalongs and book blogging in earnest.
  • I read “Anna Karenina”
  • I saw Bruce Springsteen for the first time.
  • Our family traveled to Denver together

2012

  • I started working at Mayo Clinic on 1/30/12 – my reading game suffered greatly due to the increased need for brainpower!
  • I traveled to NYC – twice! In June and October! Broadway was calling!
  • I saw “Once” for the first and second times.
  • I started driving a 2-door Honda Civic – not my favorite
  • I saw Bruce Springsteen for the second time.

2013

  • Marissa got her bachelor’s degree and started her master’s degree, moving to Minneapolis!
  • I read “Gone with the Wind”!
  • I met Chris on 7/1/13 and we had many epic dates.
  • I traveled to NYC for my birthday again! Jimmy Fallon show!

2014

  • I went to NYC in January with Koni – walking tours and Broadway shows!
  • I got engaged on 7/7/14 and married on 10/1/14 – in NYC! #woohoowedo2014!
  • Marriage brought three stepchildren and our first grandgirl!

2015

  • Emma – our second grandgirl is born!
  • I became a MINI Cooper owner in March and we drove it all over Colorado in July – including up Pike’s Peak!
  • August is born in September!
  • Our birthdayversary is spent in the metro area and includes staying on a boat (Covington Inn) in St. Paul.
  • We saw “Once” – my THIRD time!

2016

  • We got passports – the world is open to us!
  • We went to Canada – twice! Once for an hour and once for a few days.
  • Marissa got engaged and Chris had jury duty
  • We took a road trip to New England (through Canada) and saw fall foliage and spent a few nights in NYC!
  • Mom and dad are both retired and move to Rochester

2017

  • We traveled to NH in a blizzard – our flight is cancelled so we rent a car and drive – so that we can honor Granny at her funeral.
  • Marissa and Adam are married in Cancun on Cinco de Mayo! Much celebration ahead of the wedding with a great week of family togetherness after!
  • Dad is diagnosed with cancer and receives treatments
  • Our birthdayversary is a train trip to Chicago to see Hamilton!
  • We bought our house together in June! Become landlords of the townhouse.

2018

  • We have a MILESTONE vacation with the family to celebrate 50th anniversary, 50th birthday, teenagers, 30 year old, and general awesomeness.
  • Marissa celebrates her 30th birthday in Disney! They announce that grandbaby #4 is on the way!
  • Juniper is born in October!
  • Mini Takes the States 2018 takes us on a 5900 mile road trip! We visit some family along the way and enjoy most of the minutes we are together in the car.
  • I turned 50 and threw a fiesta! We saw Hamilton in Minneapolis!
  • Deadra and I celebrated our birthdays and friendship with a Pack Up and Go trip to Seattle!

2019

  • I had cataract surgery
  • Chris changed jobs – twice!
  • We took two road trips – up-north in Wisconsin and up-north in Minnesota.
  • Cosmo Girls celebrated 10 years with a trip to Las Vegas! Very epic!
  • The townhouse is sold and we made our home cozy and welcoming for guests –
  • We hosted Chris’s dad and his friend Carol for a week in June! So fun…
  • We bought a Jeep! Snow tires or Topless – I love to drive it!

Some Things Change…

  • I’m married!
  • I have grandchildren!
  • I moved from a townhouse to a house!
  • I changed my job!
  • I rarely blog anymore!

Some Things are the Same…

  • I still love books and reading and book club!
  • I keep track of my books (you can see previous lists on the blog!)
  • I still love movies and keep track of what I see and love.
  • I still love theatre and musicals – It is a constant in every year!
  • I still love to travel – NYC is a favorite but seeing all parts of the country is wonderful. Looking forward to putting my passport to use!
  • I still love music and seeing live music – Every year brings great music into my life!
  • I still love being with my family and can’t get enough!
  • Ferragosto and Cosmo Girls are still going strong! To think that they started at the beginning of this decade…

Live music I saw in the 2010s…

Bruce Springsteen (x2) * Jeremy Messersmith (x2 or 3?) * Taylor Swift * Billy Joel * Paul McCartney * Glen Hanserd (x3) * Barenaked Ladies * Dwight Yokum * Sheryl Crow * Dan Chouinard * The Skivvies * The Swell Season * Needtobreathe * Trans Siberian Orchestra * Bon Jovi * Rick Springfield * I’m sure I forgot some… remind me!

The Stage – Broadway and beyond in the 2010s…

Once (x3) * Priscilla Queen of the Desert * Nice Work If you Can Get It * Peter and the Starcatcher (x2) * Newsies * Avenue Q * Forbidden Broadway * Cinderella (x2) * Matilda (x2) * A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder * Beautiful * It’s Only a Play * Fiddler on the Roof * If/Then * The Band’s Visit * Phantom of the Opera (x2) * Hamilton (x2) * Waitress * Almost Maine * Blood Brothers * Philadelphia Story * Don’t Hug Me * Bring It On * Our Town * The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee * Billy Elliot * On the Town * Book of Mormon! * I’m sure I forgot some… remind me!

Authors I’ve Met…

I love to meet an author and listen to them talk about writing. Here are a few authors I met in the last decade… Ann Bancroft * Lian Dolan * Jenna Blum * Paula McLain * Lorna Landvik * Liz Dolan and Sheila Dolan * Julie Kramer * Elizabeth Berg

What will the next 10 years bring???