I don’t believe in resolutions, they just spit all over the new year with obligation and guilt. But I do believe in looking back and taking stock. So here are five looking-back-and-taking-stock questions designed to make 2022 look better while you’re looking forward to 2023.

What was the best advice you got this year?
What was the best decision you made?
What was the best food you cooked/ate/bought?
What was the funniest thing you saw or read this year?
What’s the best thing to look forward to in 2023?

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Tammy requested a “Best Book I Read This Year” post, so knock yourselves out.

My problem is, I couldn’t remember what books I read this year for the first time. Lotta re-reads. So I checked my Kindle list and found out I bought 333 books this year, most for two bucks off BookBub, and the majority of those were cookbooks (note to self: stop buying cookbooks). I also found out that I couldn’t remember what most of the novels were about, nothing struck me as so good I’d have to read it again. This is bad. So I’m going to go with the best New Age romance I read, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, which I bought and probably read in May of 2021.

Now, go: What were the best books you read in 2022?

Bob and I are still working on Rocky Start: I’m writing not-so-snappy patter and he’s trying to figure out a plot. I’ve also got the housecleaning-from-hell to get done because it’s just been getting worse. The dogs have to go to the vet for the new year check-up which means baths; they’re gonna hate that. And at some point, I have to go back and do something about Nita’s book. That’s the rest of my 2022. And probably most of my 2023.

So what are you doing for the rest of the year?

My favorite Twitter/Instagram site is We Rate Dogs, the most heartwarming place on the internet. I mean, just look at Oona Mae:

That’s gotta make you happy. Well, not Oona May, but the rest of us.

How did you rate happiness this week?

Sorry this is late, I am not good at multi-tasking and Thursday snuck up on me. The only things I read this week were recipes for Ina Garten’s lasagna and some website’s overnight oats because both are going into the new book, and the first act of the new book, which I am starting to feel very positive about.

What did you read this week?

Today, is the shortest day of the year. It’s dark, it’s gloomy, it’s a good day to stay home and not work or at least work on something you enjoy. Good news: The days are going to start getting longer again tomorrow.

So what are you doing today (and all this week)?

Bob and I are about 30,000 words into the new book. New setting, new characters, new conflicts, same punctuation errors. (Not mine.)
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Krissie sent me a crochet kit to make the characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, totally unexpected and therefore delightful. I’d been slogging away on stuff here for so long, and the gift came out of nowhere, like a ray of sunshine, wonderful to be remembered and so brilliantly. (Thank you, Krissie!)

What popped up in your life this week that brought you joy?

This week I read a lot of books on altered books, steampunk art, and homemade shrines. Lots of pictures which was about all I was up to.

What did you read this week?

Bob and I are still fighting our way through the beginning of Rocky Start (yes, we see the irony) but we’re getting a grip on it now. Really.

What did you come to grips with this week?