This dude.
He turned 8 today.
I’m grateful for him and his inquisitiveness, his love of baseball and activity, and his mathematical mind. I’m grateful for his momma, my one and only, who cares deeply that he will be well-rounded and caring.
Can’t wait to celebrate with him!
Today my employer showed its appreciation for employees. As a team we were able to go get lunch from the food tent, but first we took advantage of the photo booth and registered for door prizes. It was a busy day, but we were able to get away for 30 minutes, listen to live music, and listen to trivia questions. Lunch was delicious and everyone was gracious.
I’m grateful for the team I work with. I’m grateful for my tenure in the job and the culture that I get to influence in some way.
Tomorrow I’ll snap a pic of our photo booth strip and add that. It’s a keeper!
Books! Book Club! Books, books, books! Today I’m grateful for books and for book club!
We met tonight for book club and discussed “Maisie Dobbs” over burgers. I finished the book at the last minute, after listening to the audiobook from the library.. Ah. I love finishing a book.
Our book club always discusses the book, even if we skip the hard questions. We have a good track record of all of us actually reading most of the book before meeting, too! We laugh a lot and eat well and catch up on what life has happened between the times we see each other. Our time together is always more than two hours, sometimes up to four! We have been meeting and discussing books for almost 20 years!
I love book club.
I also love this time between books. Savoring what was just finished and anticipating what book will come next. I have an abundance of books to choose from, with a full Kindle, a towering stack on my bedside table, and one overflowing shelf of TBRs (To Be Reads).
Ah, books. ❤️
Tonight I’m grateful for friends who bring the merch. Kristine and Mike started a supper club tour in July and we have been able to join on three of their adventures so far! Wiederholt’s outside Hastings, Sullivan’s outside Trempeleau, and tonight, Ettlin’s Ranchero in Webster.
Every night at a Supper Club is special. Onion rings, a relish tray, old fashioneds and ice cream drinks elevate any night. Tonight was extra-special because, *merch*, but also because it is Kristine’s birthday! For one week we are the same age and then I turn a year older.
I’m grateful for Kristine’s friendship, her fun-loving spirit, and her creativity! I love a theme and this is a fun one – and now we have the T-shirts!
Today I’m grateful for this friend of more than FIFTY years! It’s so amazing to have a forever friend.
I’m grateful that she is on a trip of a lifetime and sharing photos when she can… These arrived in the middle of the night ❤️
Venice looks beautiful and Deadra looks blissful! Ah….
On 9/22/2023 there are 100 days left in 2023 and I was trying to think of something to do for 100 days and Marissa said maybe we should do a gratitude challenge… so here I go! Maybe I’ll blog every day; maybe I won’t, but maybe I will! I am not great at consistency, so this will be a challenge.
Today, this morning, I am grateful for so much but I’ll highlight this photo received last night. August’s first night of piano lessons; hopefully the first of many. He’s got a math brain, so I imagine he could eat this up. I hope so! I just love this so much.
Day one of gratitude logged!
I have the opportunity to be part of Nicole Baart’s street team to promote her new novel, which comes out mid-June! I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my Kindle through NetGalley and gobbled it right up!
The story is about a mom-daughter duo who become Insta-famous and is told brilliantly from many perspectives and timelines.I loved the description of the Instagram photos and thought the book was just about as dramatic as I could handle. I’m not one for books with a lot of suspense or darkness, and this one went right up to the edge for me.
Nicole did a giveaway, which sadly is already over, but she encouraged people to think about their journeys in life and how taking “the long way back” sometimes brings you the best joy. I know that at the end of travels, getting home quickly can sometimes be the goal, but it is important to remember that the Long Way Back can afford you a different view of your return and of your home and can help you to savor every moment of the journey.
I love books set in Minnesota and this one takes place “up north,” in a fictional town north of Duluth. I’m pretty sure I’ve been there and can imagine the houses and beaches on Lake Superior. The book also touches on current concerns, such as social media influence.
As I said, I gobbled this book up and hope that people look for it when it is released on June 13!
What does “The Long Way Back” bring to your mind?
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!
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.
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!).
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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?
This year I set a goal of 26 books and according to Goodreads I made that goal! Below are the 37 books I read in 2021. Yay me! I feel like I got my groove back a little and I have big plans for 2022!
Every year I try to find a winter/Christmas themed book to read for fun… this is part of a series and I didn’t know the characters, so I didn’t love it.
A politics themed book which wasn’t too heavy. Part of the Jen Hatmaker’s book club.
Book 14 of a series and I jumped right in! A good read, though…
A signed copy as a gift for Christmas. A local woman and her stay in Italy, resulting in found love. Filled with recipes! (I love a book with recipes!)
The End of the Lupine Season by Laurie Otis: I like to buy books set in my vacation locations – this one is “up north” in Wisconsin – on Madeline Island in Lake Superior. A little mystery, a little local flair.
“A gem of a book!” I said after reading this. We read it for book club and it was a treat.
Another winter-themed book – Scotland this time. I gave it 5 stars!
I actually skimmed through this book and read the Kindle summary book.
I also loved this book! Delightful family. Didn’t want it to end.
For book club, a step outside my typical genre! Very engaging…
A little Irish tale by one of my favorite authors, read during March. Ah.
A character driven novel I didn’t want to end… South Korea and the beauty scene…
For book club – great discussion! I loved her and became very curious about Nigeria…
Decluttering, an endless goal!
Young love, choices… read for work book club (and never discussed!)
Brilliant story for book club. He’s amazing.
Another great book for book club – North Korea and South Korea and China… oh my. And it’s a true story / memoir!
A bit heavy for a summer read…
Book #2 from Arthur Truluv… love these people
Book #3 in this series… great characters!
Great story with twin sisters who start their lives in the south. Great book.
Another memoir about a Korean-American girl and her relationship with her mother.
For book club – so much to think about! How would I act?
And then in the French phase of the year – a YA book about Chanel, who was really quite a character!
A memoir about an American living in France. Some insight into the differences…
Not a book I loved – I didn’t know anything about the author, but felt that I was expected to.
I loved this book and bought a copy for myself. Very artistic – an illustrated story. I bought another of hers and will read it in 2022!
For book club – a great story to discuss!
My French season – a book about occupied France, specifically Paris. Sympathetic characters.
Advanced copy by “local” author (Iowa!). Good mystery and good characters.
Another library story told through the brutal Nazi occupation of St. Malo. Uff.
For book club – we chose a book set in France that wasn’t a WW2 novel. Instead we have the revolution against nobility and modern day friends. I really liked this.
A fun little romance – kind of predictable but enjoyable.
A nice little story about moving from your old life and creating a new one. This book takes place in Brittany, which is one of the locations we visited in France.
I’m late to the game, but a wonderful novel about tough stuff. Nazi occupation, losing family, and horrors of war. But easy to read in its small bites.
Read for book club – fun to read a book written by a local!
And my attempt to get a Christmas book in. Again, another in a series I haven’t read, so I felt behind the game. I’ll have to get more prepared for next Christmas!
Walkie Talkie Book Club 