lizardek's obiter dictum

new decade commences! Tomorrow is the last day of 2019 and then we are heading into science-fiction year numbering. 2020 sounds so very futuristic! This past year wasn't exactly as calm as I anticipated but we've made it through, anyway. Here's to the Twenties: may they be progressive, innovative, nurturing, and full of good things, including (from my heart to God's ear) a new President.

Family & Personal Highlights of 2019

• New Year's with our friends Kathey & Russell and my mom in Michigan
• Keeping myself diabetes-free
• Trip to Lisbon with Debbie
• Karin's 2-month trip to Costa Rica and S. America
• Martin's 5-week visit home in the spring
• Trip to Stockholm to spend midsommar with Russell, Geir & Ann Sofie
• Adobe Conference in Seattle, with added bonus of seeing my mom, Becky and my friend Chuck and his wife Julie Kae
• Martin celebrating his 1-year anniversary with Malachi
• Martin finding an apartment in downtown Detroit
• A week in the Netherlands with my brother and his family
• Karin starting her college career with a course in Malmö
• Joining a choir again
• Bedroom and bedroom closet renovation
• Martin getting a job!

I only read 79 books this year, the lowest amount since I started keeping track on Goodreads back in 2011 (might have been lower some years before that but I'd have to go count and I can't be orked). It certainly makes me call into question the time I spend playing stupid games on the iPad.

Best Books of 2019 (in no particular order and not including re-reads)

• Nothing to See Here by Kevin Watson
• The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
• The Expanse by James S.A. Corey
• America For Beginners by Leah Franqui
• The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
• Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood
• Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
• Light From Other Stars by Erika Swyler
• The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen
• The Overstory by Richard Powers
• Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
• The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

Once again, I spent far more time on Instagram this year, enjoying beautiful art from all different kinds of artists, than I did finding new music on Spotify. I love my Spotify playlist and listen to it every day but this year was definitely not devoted to finding new music.

Best New Artists of 2019

• Ava Max
• MUNA
• Joe & The Anchor
• Rachel Platten
• All Angels

This is the second year I kept tracks of what movies I saw, using the Letterboxed app. I watched 48 films and the ones that stuck with me were: Avengers: End Game, Rocketman, Can You Ever Forgive Me, Klaus, Passengers, Yesterday, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

The TV shows I've watched and enjoyed this year were: Game of Thrones, The Handmaid's Tale, His Dark Materials, Queer Eye, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Outlander, Dips, Watership Down, Call the Midwife, Russian Doll, Fleabag, Vår Tid Är Nu, Little Women, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Love Death & Robots.

Some manageable goals for 2020

• Eat better (and less) and get a new treadmill
• Recover dining room chairs
• Put the iPad down, pick more books up
• Vacation in the US

I have lots of room for improvement in the coming year...personal, healthwise, home improvements, and working on learning to be a couple again with Anders in our empty nest, as Karin is planning to start university in Växjo in the fall. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and then it's back to work, real life and a new decade. Happy New Year!