A look back at 2023 on New Year's Eve - Sunday Stealing

 

1. What did you do this year that you had not done before? We had covid! We had avoided it right at 3 years!  Yuck! On a more positive note, we also walked around the Old City of Jerusalem on the ramparts. It was my fourth trip to Israel and we had never done that. We also go to see the Pool of  Siloam on this trip which is a new discovery. We went to the Herodian which was also new.

 

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions/goals for the year and will you make/set more for next year?  What are they? What are your new ones? I need to look back and see if I made any for this year. I think I will make some for 2024 but I haven’t yet. I know . . .I need to get busy!!

 

3. Did anyone you know give birth? Or get pregnant? Our daughter is pregnant – due with a little girl in April. I work in a large church and we had LOTS of babies this year.

 

4. Did anyone you know die? Or have a serious illness? Same as above – in a large church, there will always be deaths. I’ve been a member of this church for over 40 years and I’ve worked on staff for almost 20 years so I know lots of folks. We had funerals for several very young men this year. The most recent was the week before Christmas – 37 years old. The young death before that was a young husband/dad of a beautiful family. He was 38. On a happier note, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with Lymphoma and sent home on hospice to die . . .and he is cancer free now. His doctor looked at him at his last follow up visit and said, “You know that the only reason you are well is because of a miracle.”

 

5. What places did you visit? We went to Israel in February. We went to the beach in October. We went to our daughter’s house several times – she lives an hour and a half from us. Our son lives 30 minutes away and we went to his house several times.

 

6. What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year (doesn't have to be a physical thing)? How about a billion dollars? No? Well darn! Peace on earth? I can’t have that either? I feel very fortunate to say that I don’t think I (personally) lacked anything this year. I think I would enjoy more time with family and friends.

 

7. What date from this year will remain etched in your memory and why? We moved back into our home and spent the first night on July 19.

 

8. What was your biggest achievement this year? I made it through the year? I took a class each semester this year (3) and made an A in all three. They were all interesting – I took an Old Testament class and two Biology classes.

 

9. Did you get sick or injured? Anyone you know? As I said above, we had covid this year. Actually, as a result of Covid, my asthma has been worse this year and I had a small patch of pneumonia in one of my lungs in the summer/early fall. Antibiotics cleared up the pneumonia and I’m on a new mix of allergy drugs/shots. Mark tore his retina in November and had laser surgery on November 30 to repair the tear.

 

10. What was the best thing you bought? We bought several great things. We upgraded our fireplace and logs and use them often! 

We upgraded our bathroom and are enjoying those upgrades. We upgraded our light fixtures, stair railing, hardwood floors, rugs, etc. etc. etc. We can almost say that the house fire was a blessing because rather than go with the basic that insurance covered, we were able to add some of our own money and we upgraded our home and some of our furniture.                 

 

11. Where did most of your disposable income go (money leftover after you pay for food, transportation and shelter)? I love to read so I bought a lot of books for my kindle. Mark bought a new chain saw. I bought some craft supplies. Mark bought some bourbon.

 

12. What song will always remind you of this year? Fancy Like Christmas by Walker Hayes. Our senior pastor rewrote the lyrics and our staff video was to the tune . . . here you go - enjoy! We make a staff video each year and release it after one of our services. We have two extra offerings per year that every penny goes to help those in need -- The Manger Offering and our Lenten/Easter Offering. These are in addition to people's regular tithes and offerings (lots of that money goes to help others, too). The video helps get people excited to give. Why? I don't know but people love it. I'm in the dance scene on the front lawn on the front row - green sweatshirt, red kerchief. I'm also in two shots at our Welcome Desk - I'm holding the calendar in both (we are talking about Creasters - those who only come to worship on Christmas and Easter) - making a joke but also asking them to come back.

 

13. What do you wish you would have done more of? I wish we had invited more people over for dinner. I wish I had exercised every single day. I wish I would have lost more pounds.

 

14. What do you wish you would have done less of? I’m going to say that I wish I had spent less time on the internet but I don’t foresee me spending less time this year 😊.

 

15. What was your favorite new TV program? Movie? Album/Songs? Or if you didn't pick up any new ones, what are you still watching/listening to? We watched the new season of Bosch. We are watching Bones and Criminal Minds . We still watch Frasier for comic relief. I don’t think I’ve been to the movie theater this year! I don’t have a new favorite album/song.