lizardek's obiter dictum

lizardek

Friday, December 28th, 2018 // 17:06

RETROSPECTIVE

here is something crazy about how fast time goes...it flies, it swoops, it zooms and I am left gasping again by the fact that it is once again the end of a year that sped by. It’s been a good year for all of us, and we only see good things for the year to come.

Family & Personal Highlights of 2018

Keeping myself diabetes-free and my weight down
Singing with Karin in a huge 1000 participant Gospelfest concert
Anders participating in the year-long X-Cup mountain biking tournaments and Cykel Wasa
My oldest best friend visiting for a week
Martin home for 6 weeks in the spring
A 3-week visit with my mom
A weeklong visit with my brother and his family
Karin’s senior prom and high school graduation
Visits from our good friends Kathey and Russell, twice!
Martin working the summer program and getting a job at his school
Karin writing, managing, performing and singing in her school play
Karin getting a summer job at Axis and then extended for 6 months
Karin getting her driver’s license!
Martin starting his sophomore year at college
Getting Anders’ mom moved to assisted living
A 3-week trip to Michigan for the holidays

I read 103 books this year, If I counted correctly, which isn’t certain because I trying to figure all this out on the app. So many of them were excellent books, it will be hard to pick the very best!

Best Books of 2018 (in no particular order and not including re-reads)

Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper
Last Will by Bryn Greenwood
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge
The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
The Mermaid by Christina Henry
Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranti
Sunday’s on the Phone to Monday by Christine Reilly
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak

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 I mainly managed to clean up the list instead of adding many new artists, but I did find a few:

Best New Artists of 2018

H.E.R.
Christine and The Queens
LÉON
Izzy Bizu
Charlie Puth
Frou Frou
Portugal The Man

I actually kept track of the movies I watched this year for the very first time using the Letterboxed app. I watched 52 films! I wonder if that is more or less than usual...guess I will know after a few more years of keeping lists. Lists! The films that struck a chord were: Struck by Lightning, The Greatest Showman, The Prestige, Black Panther, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Coco, Tag, The Florida Project, I Tonya, About Time, Lady Bird, The Favourite, Mary Poppins Returns, and Bohemian Rhapsody.

The TV shows I've watched and enjoyed this year were: The Handmaid's Tale, Westworld, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Outlander, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. I feel like I’m forgetting something.

Some manageable goals for 2019

Walk walk walk (and get a new treadmill)
Continue with WW, keep weight down
Replace the sofabed/couch in the playroom
Do some major decluttering
Get Martin's Klimt project prints framed
Be more regular about posting here!

I expect 2019 to be a calmer year in every way, now that we are done with Karin’s graduation and all the visits. I am looking forward to a trip in the spring with my two best friends to Lisbon and possibly some traveling with work. We are awaiting the arrival of Kathey and Russell just in time to wrap up the end of the year, and spending some more quality time with my mom before we head back to Sweden. Happy New Year!

location: Michigan

mood: busy

music: Mom sharpening knives

Tags: beinglizardek, famdamily, goodthings, holidaze, thewaywewere

pet the kitty 8 happy cats link

Comments

idahoswede

2018-12-29 08:45 am (UTC)

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I do hope you at least continue to post more regularly here. You were one of my first friends on LJ and your absence has been noted many, many times with sadness on my part.

I am hoping we get down to SKåne this summer. Perhaps we can find time to fika at least.

lizardek

2019-01-06 05:12 pm (UTC)

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That would be great! Finally home and back online, so I can respond properly. I hope to be better about posting, but here it is, 6 days in to the new year, and I haven't managed it once...hopefully tonight!

ozswede

2018-12-29 04:01 pm (UTC)

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I loved The Flight of Gemma Hardy as well! One book you might like is Lesley Allen's "The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir", which has beautiful writing and deals with a difficult topic in a really good way.

I second the call to see more of you posting (and I think/hope you mean in 2019, not the 2018 you had as a heading). I miss seeing you around.

I hope 2019 brings a calm, peaceful and happy year to the Ek family. Though I'm a bit worried about your mum sharpening knives - that sounds a bit ominous...

lizardek

2019-01-06 05:13 pm (UTC)

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haa! I was really struggling with trying to get this posted from my mom's on my iPad, which I HATE typing on. I copied last year's post and then tried to updated and missed updating the year (I've fixed it now). Funny how some of my goals reappear year after year after year. Thanks for the book rec, I will check it out!

(Anonymous)

2018-12-31 02:26 pm (UTC)

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From Megsie

I hope your visit is going wonderfully!

I love your lists! I want to read Unsheltered--I love Barbara Kingsolver. But, I think it will have to wait until summer.

And I am going to third the joy of you posting more, while hanging my head in shame that I never post at all anymore. I am not giving up--it is still something I want to do! It is just shelved along with my knitting--which I also miss terribly.

Happy New Year to your whole fandamily!

lizardek

2019-01-06 05:17 pm (UTC)

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Re: From Megsie

We arrived home yesterday and jetlag has me in its grip but I managed to get rather caught up during my insomniac hours between 4 and 8 am this morning, so I finally have time to get online and respond! Happy New Year! I hope that you will start posting again at some point, since I miss you (and all my other formerly blogging friends)!

(Anonymous)

2018-12-31 07:52 pm (UTC)

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And a huge Hurrah for more time with your Mom! Of course! Love, and hugs in person,Lizardmom