2023: The Year In Review

Each December, I take the time to examine the ups and downs I experienced over the past year. What follows is my personal and professional review of 2023. I:

* Landed a job as a contract overnight curator of local news for Apple. My contract was just extended.

* Relaunched A Bit Of Good News.

* Penned at least 17 journal entries. Must do better next year.

* Maintained two Instagram accounts: @thejadewalker and @catsofjade, and The Written Word quote service.

* Read 58 books and completed the 2023 GoodReads reading challenge.

* Subscribed and read numerous magazines, including Cook’s Country, Cooks Illustrated, Bake From Scratch, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, The Saturday Evening Post, The Writer and TeaTime Magazine.

* Watched at least 116 TV shows and 61 movies, and listened to many podcasts.

* Participated in The Society of Professional Obituary Writers, the New Hampshire Writers Guild, the New York City Writers Group, the South Florida Freelancers Group, the Authors Guild, the Writers Guild of America East and the Silent Book Club – Manchester, NH chapter.

* Launched The Forgotten Books Project and helped to save more than 200 books.

* Nursed my husband through COVID-19.

* Planted a large container garden and a wildflower garden (both of which melted in the constant rains and brutal heat), then spent the fall filling our borders and raised beds with 800 tulip and crocus bulbs.

* Hunkered in the basement during a rare New Hampshire tornado.

* Spent months searching for our next home, but between the rising interest rates, the lack of stock and an increase in prices, we had no luck. The search continues.

* Mourned the death of our eldest cat, Georgina Walker-Weir, and my grandfather, Art Carlton.

* Ended The Blog of Death after 20 years.

* Finally completed the decades-long payoff of my student loans.

* Continued to wear these damn braces (and miss the process of enjoying food). Also underwent implant surgery.

* Finally entered menopause after nearly 3 years of perimenopause. Started taking medicine to deter hot flashes.

* Suffered from at least 23 migraines and lost 35 days of my life to pain. Average headache duration: 37 hours. (Note: That’s about 10 fewer migraines than last year, so thank you, menopause.)

* Discovered I have both high blood pressure and low iron. Lots of hospital visits and stabbings ensued as well as a disastrous attempt at an endoscopy/colonoscopy. Now on meds for both conditions.

* Decorated the inside of our house for Halloween and dressed up as a baker on “The Great British Baking Show.”

* Decorated the front and inside of our house for Christmas and mailed 40 Christmas cards.

* Tried many new recipes. New favorites include: mini waffles, chicken saltimbocca, melted butter pound cake with a chocolate ganache glaze, Key lime pie bars, a sausage and potato breakfast bake and a lemon-olive oil tart.

* Worked my 33rd year as a journalist.

* Celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary.

* Turned 50.

Goals for 2024

* Purchase a new home with at least 5 acres of land.

* Improve my baking/cooking skills.

* Work on my fiction.

* Write more blog entries.

* Continue to grow A Bit of Good News.

* Read at least 75 books.

* Sleep at least 7 hours a night.

* Win the lottery.