2024 Full Shelf Challenge V. 2: 02

Title:  The Invisible Leader

Author:  Zach Mercurio

Info:  Copyright 2017:  Advantage

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 stars):  ✮✮✮

Where Acquired: Amazon.com

Category (ies) - Recommended reads:  The author was presenting a one-day seminar at my workplace based on the book and it was suggested that the participants read the book beforehand.  Bingo card:  "Offers New Perspective"

Synopsis: Most people see a leader as a particular person who is born and bred for leadership.  Mercurio dispels this line of thought by focusing on how authentic purpose can be the "invisible" leader of any person in any role of life. 

Select Favorite Quotes:

Everything we do, every job we have, and every organization we work in has a world-changing reason for existence.  When we focus on that reason, results follow. - p. 17

Definition of authentic purpose:  A person or organization's genuine and unique reason for existence that is useful to others in society. - p. 23

Even minimal brief contact with beneficiaries of our work can enable employees to maintain their motivation.  When we believe we matter, and we change people's lives, motivation and results follow. - p. 78

...it is critical to create belief by aligning decisions, behaviors, and actions with a larger purpose, and designing environments to support and prove it. - p. 126.

The Positive:

• This book was very well written and researched.  Not only were the examples presented by the author taken from the research of other's experiences, but from that of Mercurio as well.  
• For the most part, the presentation of the concept of "invisible" leadership was stimulating.  Mercurio packed a lot of information in just over 200 pages.
• This tome offers a fresh perspective on leadership.  The invisible leader is not a specific type of person, a self-help strategy, or some nebulous "woo-woo" presence of "energy."  Great leadership, asserts the author, is finding and implementing authentic purpose.

The Negative: 

• Mercurio initial premise is that the principles in this volume could be applied to any organization or individual.  However, the latter third of the book focuses on giving strategies and tools that only apply to someone in a leadership position.  How does a regular person apply the principles of "invisible" leadership?
• Yes, I'm going to complain about the aside boxes and the repeat bars yet again.  Why do authors and publishers do this?  Having boxes of text that annoyingly repeat what the author has just said, or inserting additional information or questions in odd places (such as the middle of a paragraph) destroys the flow of the text and adds nothing to the reading experience except frustration.  Unfortunately, this book utilizes both.
• While I understand that successful businesses and organizations need to focus outward, I'm not sure that the author's assertion that being guided by purpose is exclusively outward focused.  I've seen what happens when businesses, churches, and individuals focus outwardly, but ignore inner focus.  This produces high turnover, individuals who suffer from burnout, feel dehumanized, and/or grow to hate his/her job or volunteer position.  I'm wary of the belief that this is an either/or prospect; maintaining a balance between outer and inner focus would seem to produce the type of results of which the author speaks.

Conclusion/Takeaway:

In addition to reading this work, I attended a workshop at Colorado Christian University based on the book.  My hope was that some of my concerns about the content of both the book and presentation would be addressed.  However, the presentation offered no opportunities for feedback or questions.  

Overall, I enjoyed the book and workshop.  However, I am a bit disappointed with having no outlet to apply the ideas presented.

2024 Full Shelf Challenge V. 2: 01

Title:  Life in Five Senses. (Audiobook version)

Author:  Gretchen Rubin

Info:  Copyright 2023:  Random House Audio

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 stars):  Inconclusive

Where Acquired: Library check out.

Category (ies) - Impulse Reads    Bingo card:  "Number on the Cover"

Synopsis: After an unpleasant encounter with her ophthalmologist, Rubin goes on a year-long immersive exploration of the five physical senses.

The Positive:

• It is my experience, even though someone has a great speaking voice, sometimes his/her reading voice and inflection are not suited for book narration.  Rubin has the gift of being able to both speak well and read aloud well.
• The research, adventures, and experiences of the author were fascinating and enjoyable.

The Negative: 

• This is an ongoing complaint with Rubin's works.  She comments on what the "research shows," but gives no sources for this research.  Maybe the average reader doesn't care about these things, but I do.  Yeah, I know it's a teacher thing, but in all fairness, I felt this way before I taught college courses.

Conclusion/Takeaway:

Honestly, I'm unsure how to respond to this volume.  While I didn't love the book, I didn't hate it either.  I can usually rate and review a work without issue but this one just "hit different" so to speak.   It was well written and I was intrigued by Rubin's research and response.  However, this book bothered me--or more accurately, my response to the book bothered me.  While a previous review of mine described her work as dilettante-esque, her experiments and reactions here were genuine and well examined.

My emotional response to the book was sadness.  Was it seasonal depression coloring my view?  I don't think so; I felt that I was in a good place mentally when I read this.  Was I sad for the author?  No, she seemed to glean much joy from the outcome of the majority of the activities and reacted well to things that didn't turn out so well.  Was I jealous of the author?  Yes and no.  Not jealous in the negative sense--as if she shouldn't have conducted the experiments or written about them, but jealous in the sense of admiration.  While I consider myself very sensory aware, there is always room for improvement.  Rubin's outing to a concert, her hosting a food tasting party, and her daily trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art sounded glorious.  But how does that translate to cultivating those types of encounters in my own life?  I put some feelers out for some classes and art exhibits, but came up with nothing.

So, I guess the sadness was for myself.  

Ice Cold Courage: The Weekly Hodgepodge

 

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

 

What's a change you'd like or need to make this year? 

I'm taking January to declutter and finish up things I started last year (books, craft projects, etc.).  After that, the huge change needed is that I don't surround myself with the detritus of the unfinished.  I began making some of the needed changes for this year during the holiday break.  Many are included in my 24 for 2024 list.

Break the ice, on thin ice, ice skating, tip of the iceberg, ice cold...which icy idiom applies to your life right now? Explain. 

Ice cold. The Denver metro area is about to experience record-breaking frigid temperatures this weekend.  While church usually isn't cancelled for snow (though I stay home when it's snowy and icy), I'm wondering if Colorado Community Church will call off weekend services.  As much as I want to attend, I'm wondering if me and my car get even get warm enough for the hour long drive.  Sorry to be such a weenie, but this reminds me of my days of having to ride the bus to church during the winter.  No matter how cold it got, many drivers wouldn't turn the heat on, plus the bus stops are not heated and not all are covered.  So, the longer the trip, the colder I became.  Being that cold is miserable and the expected temperatures are in the "dangerous" category.

What's a project you've been putting off? Will you get to it this month? This year?

Deep cleaning my car.  Cleaning the outside is easy; there's an automatic car wash close by.  However, the interior deep clean is the big problem.  I can wipe down the dash, windows, and console and sweep out the floorboard and seats.  However, I purchased new floor mats for my car soon after I bought it, but really need to deep clean the front floorboard carpeting (especially the driver's side) before putting them down.  I don't know how to do it myself and I'm not sure anyone offers that service or how much it costs if they do.

Of the fruits that grow well in winter which ones have you tried? Which is your favorite? 

pomegranates, clementines, persimmons, passion fruit, pears, grapefruit, lemons, pomelos, kumquats.

I've not tried most of the fruits on this list.  This question brings up something that I've been pondering.  Where's all the grapefruit?  Since I moved here, I've not seen any grapefruit or grapefruit juice in any of the stores I frequent.  Is there a shortage?  Is it sold out faster than I can find it?  

What do you think it means to be courageous? 

• Doing things afraid.  Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome the fear and do it anyway.
• Having attitudes and accomplishing things that others are too afraid of.
• Courageous people do not have to tell others of their courage, but it is obvious to all who pay attention.
• Courage is turning a "can't" into a "can," or a "never" into a "hold my beer and watch this."
• One of my favorite quotes about courage came from my pastor, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers."

Insert your own random thought here.

In case you missed it:  

* My previous Hodgepodge post:  "Working on the Creepy Factor" is here.
* My "24 in 2024" post is here.
* My 2024 reading challenge:  "Full Shelf Challenge V.2" is here.|
* My latest First Line Friday post: "#16:  A Year With C. S. Lewis" is here.
* My final Simple Woman's Daybook "Day 40:  The End is Just the Beginning?" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Squaring Up" is here.

24 for 2024: Introduction.

 

I'm a listener of Gretchen Rubin's Happier podcast.  I've also read a few of her books; some I liked, some I didn't.  For the past few years she has presented themes, words, and lists for the new year based on the last two digits of the year.  While I normally do things like 101 in 1001 and my 50 for 50 list for my 50th birthday, I'd not participated in Rubin's challenges.  I've decided to participate in the 24 for 2024 challenge this year.  

I have composed the following list.  As I complete each item, I will cross it off.  If it is blog worthy, I'll post it as a link.  NOTE:  List is subject to change without notice.

1. Lose 24 pounds in 2024. (9 pounds lost)
   
2. Make one jelly roll quilt. (Completed 10/9/2024)
   
3. Release eight episodes of my podcast.
4. Establish and maintain a daily skin, hair, and nails care routine.
5. Read at least 50 books. (Completed 08/28/2024)  Bonus: 28 books over goal.
   
6. Process all mail within 48 hours of its arrival.
7. Work at a location outside my home once a week (weather permitting). (26 weeks complete)
8. Have my own holiday get together. (Completed 12/04/2024)
   
9. Have at least one virtual art show.
10. Finish and self publish a book.
11. Go on or have my own creative retreat.
12. Walk and average of 7,000 steps per day.
13. Make a box of cards for Cards for Kindness. (Completed 09/27/2024) Sent a box of 54 cards.
    
14. Buy myself fresh flowers once a month.
15. Dress up and wear makeup three times a week.
16. Have a spa day.
17. Practice bass guitar at least once a week.
18. Take the #write24in24 challenge.
19. Work out at least three times a week with one of those workouts being at the community center or outside (weather permitting). (20 weeks completed).
20. Keep a room rescue routine to cut down on clutter.
21. Have at least one online painting party.
22. Complete a 30 day art challenge.
23. Make a basket of "to donate" items.
24. Honorable mentions  There will be things I will think of and accomplish after I've published this list plus any of the cool things from my previous 50 for 50 and 101 in 1001 lists that I didn't complete.
    

• De-clutter and deep clean my car once a quarter.
• Read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series.
• Try five new recipes I've never made before. (Completed 12/14/24)
  
• Try Wal-Mart's pick up service at least once. (Completed 04/09/24)
  
• TBD

First Line Friday #16: A Year With C. S. Lewis

Thanks to Carrie at
Reading is My Superpower
for the Link-up

 

 

Title:  A Year With C. S. Lewis
Author:  C. S. Lewis
Genre:  Devotional

 

 〰First Line〰

─────────────────────────────────────────────────

It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────

Synopsis:  (From Goodreads) 

The classic A Year with C.S. Lewis is an intimate day-to-day companion by C.S. Lewis, the most important Christian writer of the 20th century. The daily meditations have been culled from Lewis’ celebrated signature classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and A Grief Observed, as well as from the distinguished works The Weight of Glory and The Abolition of Man. Ruminating on such themes as the nature of love, the existence of miracles, overcoming a devastating loss, and discovering a profound Christian faith, A Year with C.S. Lewis offers unflinchingly honest insight for each day of the year.

  〰First Thoughts〰

I have been a fan of C. S. Lewis' theological works since reading The Screwtape Letters and his essay "Meditation on a Toolshed" in 2019.  I was in the thrift store taking a quick view of the books when I saw a hard cover copy of this book for less than $3.00.  I immediately added it to my cart.  Getting to read an excerpt from Lewis each day for the next year is going to be a wonderful treat.

So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?

2024 Full Shelf Challenge V.2: Introduction

The 2023 Treat Yo' Shelf Challenge was a success. I managed to read 61 books.  Also, blessedly there were no "Ain't nobody got time for that" books in 2023.  In all fairness, there were a couple that were so bad that I finished them purely out of spite, but they're finished, never to be read again.

This year's challenge will be another round of the "Full Shelf Challenge."  It’s been ten years since I attempted this particular challenge, so I figure now is as good a time as any to revisit it.  Though I’m not overrun by overflowing bookshelves, I have too many volumes that have sat unread year after year.  The same malady infects my Kindle library and my collection of unread magazines.  Though I can’t guarantee that I won’t buy more books or check any from the library, my goal is to make a dent in the tomes I already have.

I know that Goodreads requires a goal number each year, however, if I don’t meet that goal, I won’t feel like I’ve failed.  I believe I’ll start with a goal of 50 for 2024 (I can always change it later).  I would also like to resume writing book reviews.  I’ve not written a new review since February 2022.  I’ve enjoyed the “First Line Friday” series and would also like to continue contributing to it.

I don’t have a particular goal for my magazines.  I may not desire to read every article in each issue; taking the time to thoughtfully go through them is the goal.  

Like my other reading challenges, this one doesn't have any specific instructions or types of required books.  However, some books may be part of various categories.  Examples include:

• Kiddie Lit -children's books.  Hey, just because I'm over 50 doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good (or bad) children's book.
  
• Recommended Reads - books recommended by what I hope are trustworthy sources.
• Glorious rereads - books I enjoyed so much that I'm reading them again.
• Everybody's Reading It - books that everybody and their grandma read that I'm just now getting to.
• Nobody Admits to Reading It - books that others have said to stay away from (whether they've read them or not).
• Impulse Reads - Books I bought, borrowed, or checked out of the library for no other reason than "hey, this looks interesting."
• "Potty" Books - I'm retooling this category.  The exhaust fan in my bathroom is so loud that I can barely concentrate to read, much less do my business.  Unfortunately, it's connected to the water closet's overhead light, so I can't turn it off without losing my reading light.  I'll have to use that time to partake of e-books on my Kindle.
  

A new thing I'm trying this year is the Category bingo card from the Bibliophage Book Bingo Facebook group.  I've been a member of the group for a while and have never used the bingo cards as an inspiration.

My rating systems is as follows:

✮✮✮✮ = Outstanding
✮✮✮ = Pretty good
✮✮ = Could have been better / could have been worse.
✮ = Not so great.  What the heck did I just read?  I'm finishing this one purely out of spite.
Zero stars = Ain't nobody got time for that = DNF (did not/would not/could not finish)


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Books Read and Reviewed:

Completed books will be marked as a link to the review or Goodreads comments.

Book 01 - Bingo Card:  Number on the cover
Book 02 - Bingo Card:  Offers new perspective
Book 03 - Bingo Card:  About Productivity
Book 04
Book 05

Read but Not Reviewed: *indicates a volume from my full shelf (or Kindle).

1. Intimacy With the Almighty by Charles R. Swindoll ✮✮✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Less than 100 pages)
   
2. The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis (a glorious reread) ✮✮✮✮
3. I Dare You * by Joyce Meyer ✮✮✮
4. Enjoying God by R. C. Sproul ✮✮
5. God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis ✮✮✮ 
   
6. Work Reimagined by Richard Leider ✮✮✮
7. Grit by Angela Duckworth  ✮✮
8. Life in Community by Dustin Willis ✮✮
9. The Essential Guide to Prayer by Dutch Sheets ✮✮✮✮
10. The Weight of Glory* by C. S. Lewis.  A glorious reread. ✮✮✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Full of Wisdom).
11. Letters to Malcolm by C. S. Lewis  ✮✮✮✮
12. The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮
13. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame ✮✮ (Category:  Kiddie Lit)
14. The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter ✮✮✮✮
15. The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis  ✮✮
16. The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee  ✮✮✮
17. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller ✮✮
18. A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night* by A. W. Tozer  ✮✮✮✮
19. Pray Big by Alistair Begg  ✮✮✮
20. The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges ✮✮✮✮
21. The Path to Wholeness by Dr. Mark Mayfield ✮✮
22. The Path Out of Loneliness by Dr. Mark Mayfield ✮✮
23. Not a Fan* by Kyle Idleman ✮✮✮✮
24. The Release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee ✮✮
25. Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne ✮✮✮ (Category:  Kiddie Lit)
    
26. The Self-Aware Leader by John C. Maxwell ✮✮✮
27. 3 Seconds by Les Parrott III ✮✮✮
28. Spiritual Authority* by Watchman Nee  ✮✮
29. C. S. Lewis Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮✮
30. On Reading Well* by Karen Swallow Prior ✮✮✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Book about a Book)
    
31. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin* by Benjamin Franklin ✮✮✮
32. The Good and Beautiful You by James Bryan Smith ✮✮✮
33. Authority in Prayer by Dutch Sheets ✮✮
34. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World* by Joanna Weaver - a glorious reread ✮✮✮✮
35. Are We There Yet? by Jeff Allen ✮✮✮✮  (Bingo Card:  By A Celebrity)
    
36. Love to Eat, Hate to Eat* by Elyse Fitzpatrick ✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Food Related)
37. Living in Christ's Presence by Dallas Willard and John Ortberg ✮✮✮
38. Knowing Christ Today by Dallas Willard ✮✮✮✮
39. The Screwtape Letters* by C. S. Lewis (a glorious reread) ✮✮✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Multi-generational Characters)
    
40. Mind Your Mindset by Michael Hyatt & Megan Hyatt Miller ✮
41. Changed into His Likeness by Watchman Nee  ✮✮
42. Night by Elie Wiesel ✮✮✮✮  (Bingo Card:  Recommended by friends)
43. Searching the Scriptures by Charles R. Swindoll ✮✮✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Inspires you)
44. Miracles by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮✮ 
45. Abba's Child by Brennan Manning ✮ 
46. The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins ✮ (and that's too many)  
47. Courage and  Calling* by Gordon T. Smith ✮✮
48. Do It Afraid by Joyce Meyer ✮✮✮
49. Revelation of Royalty by Bill Winston ✮✮✮
50. Dawn by Elie Wiesel ✮✮✮ (Bingo Card:  Fiction Based on a True Story).
51. Day by Elie Wiesel ✮✮✮
52. Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper ✮✮
53. 7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas ✮✮✮✮
54. How to Age Without Getting Old by Joyce Meyer ✮✮
55. The Pursuit of God* by A. W. Tozer ✮✮✮✮
56. The Pursuit of Christian Maturity by A. W. Tozer ✮✮✮
57. The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication by John C. Maxwell ✮✮✮✮
58. Qualities of Success by Zig Ziglar ✮✮✮
59. The Purpose of Man by A. W. Tozer ✮
60. Longing for God by Richard J. Foster and Gayle D. Beebe ✮✮
61. Living the Resurrection by Eugene Peterson ✮✮✮✮
62. The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (a glorious reread) ✮✮✮ 1/2
63. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (a glorious reread) ✮✮✮ 1/2
64. The Lord and His Prayer by N. T. Wright ✮✮✮✮
65. Small Faith, Great God by N. T. Wright ✮✮✮
66. The Crucified Life by A. W. Tozer ✮✮✮
67. How Can I Practice Christian Meditation by Joel Beeke  ✮✮✮✮
68. The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮✮
69. Eternity is Now in Session by John Ortberg ✮✮✮✮
70. Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮✮
71. The Power of Thank You by Joyce Meyer ✮✮✮
72. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮
73. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮
    
    

First Line Friday Entries for the Year:

#16     #21

#17     #22

#18     #23

#19     #24

#20     #25

Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!:

Working on the Creepy Factor: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

 

Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen). Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2024-

hack, impact, at the end of the day, rizz, slay, iconic, cringe worthy, obsessed, side hustle, wait for it

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Are any of these a regular part of your speech? Is there a word not on the list that you'd like to add? 

I ask yet again, who made Lake Superior University the gatekeeper of the English language?  Anyway, the slang or misused words such as hack, rizz, and slay can all go.  I'd also like to see the phrase "wrap my head/mind/brain around" hung up by its feet and used as a pinata.  Maybe instead of deleting words, Lake Superior University should encourage people to actually purchase a dictionary and learn to use it.  Did I say that?  Sorry, that was in my teacher voice.

What do you wish you'd done more of last year? Less of? 

I wish I had done more writing and less stress eating last year.  Oh, well.  Onward and upward.

A place you'd like to visit in this new year? Do you think you will? 

I'd like to visit Colorado Springs for a weekend.  There's several things I'd like to do there:  

• Tour the Garden of the gods.  I went with a friend a couple of years ago, but it was pouring rain so visibility and picture quality were poor (see photo).
• Take a watercolor class with Lorraine Watry.  I saw her on an old episode of Colour in Your Life and would thoroughly enjoy a class or two from her.
• Visit the Hideaway Retreat Center again.  I was there in 2019 for a church retreat but didn't get to experience all that the center had to offer (the fitness area, hot tubs, and hiking trails).
• Eat at the Cracker Barrel.  We don't have one in the Denver metro area and the nearest one is only about 10 minutes closer than the Colorado Springs location.
• See some friends of mine who live near Colorado Springs.  They have a new baby I wish to spoil.

Am I likely to go?  Honestly, I don't know.  Here's a question for y'all:  How does a single person go out and do things like this without it being creepy?  I know I can't expect my friends to always want to go the same places as I, but doesn't the alone factor make this trip lonely and sad?  If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

What are three words to sum up or describe your 2023? 

Busy
Fun
Interesting

What advice would you like to give yourself as we begin a new year? 

Write more things down.

Insert your own random thought here.

In case you missed it:  

* My previous Hodgepodge post:  "Days 34 & 35:  Scraps and Such 01" is here.
* My final Simple Woman's Daybook "Day 40:  The End is Just the Beginning?" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Quilt in a Day...Well:  Episode 3" is here.

Day 40: The End is Just the Beginning?: The Simple Woman's Daybook [40 Days of Gratitude 2023]

 If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook

 

For Today: Monday, January 1 2024

The leader of the prompts for the Daybook has pretty much revamped the series, rarely posts and eliminated the community aspect of it, so this will be my last Daybook.  However, fear not, there will be many other posts and prompts that will more than make up for the loss.

 

Looking Out My Window ...

Despite the forecasts of sunny weather in the mid-50s, the day has been overcast and cold.  I am pleased that the days are starting to be just a touch longer.  I need all the daylight I can get.  The children in the apartment complex didn't even come out to play today...and they're little snowbirds.

I am Thinking...about this past year:

• The best book I read in 2023: I read many more good books than bad ones.  I'd have to say that Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson was the best of the lot.  However, it had a great many competitors for the top spot.
• The worst book I read in 2023:  Win the Day by Mark Batterson.  This one was recommended to me by an acquaintance.  I should have put it in the "Ain't Nobody Got Time for That" pile and moved on.  However, I finished the 256 pages (OK  the 7hrs, 47 mins) of every tacky business cliche, sports cliche, Christian cliche, and standard cliche ever written purely out of spite.  It's a wonder I didn't throw up while slogging through it.
• My favorite art/craft project of 2023:

"Playing in the Rain 01" - I taught this painting to my friend, Betsey.  Out of everything I painted this year, this is the one I stare and smile at the most.  Yes, it is for sale, so let me know if you're interested.

• My worst art/craft failure of 2023: I attempted to use stencil vinyl for the first time.  The Cricut (not a sponsor) cut out the project just fine.  However, don't be fooled by those YouTube crafters who say that you can stencil paint a canvas bag with it; I can't.  I never got to paint anything since the vinyl would not stay put even with the help of painter's tape.  I'll have to figure out another way to decorate the bags and use the vinyl to make stencils for a different type of project. I bought it and I'm not wasting it.
• My best experiences of 2023:  I had the privilege of doing many new things and seeing a few new places the past year:

In early 2023, my coworker, Christa, invited me to join her church's Loving Stitches quilting group.  I've blogged about it during this blog series and on my Auntie's Workshop blog.

Summer of 2023 marked my first time to experience the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO.  Along with the myriad of colorful butterflies was a smattering of vibrant plants and flowers.  I was in hog heaven.

I travelled to Winter Park, CO for the first time in the fall of 2023.  Jen's church (Lakewood Church of Christ) had a ladies' retreat at the YMCA of the Rockies campground.  The scenery was spectacular and the fellowship was a pleasure.

After building my chops with individual painting parties at my home, I was invited to do a couple of travelling group parties.  The first one was at Lakewood Church of Christ (Jen's church).  The second was my friend Pam's Red Had Society group; it's the first one for which I was paid.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Pam and I still laugh about this party.  Hoping that 2024 will be a year of even more parties.

I am Thankful for...

Today, I am thankful:

• For the start of a new year with the setting of new goals,
  
• For completing this blog series.  As I said, I didn't finish the last time I tried this--and no, I still don't remember why.
• For exceeding my reading goal for the year.
• For making it through the holidays without any major depressive episodes or sickness.
• For getting outside to take a walk despite how cold and tired I felt.
• For my family.
• For all my friends from my Southern home and here in my Rocky Mountain home who continue to love me, pray for me, support me, and laugh with me.
• For you, dear reader, who continue to read and enjoy (most of the time) my ramblings. We're going into year 12 of this blog, and my hope is for more posts and readers, more challenges, and more fun.

From the Workshop...  

After sewing for three straight days at the quilting retreat, I took a break and worked on paper crafts today. I saw this card on Pinterest a while back and found the instructions in a YouTube video.  This is a great use of scraps and a fun card to make.  The funny thing is, the people posting it on Pinterest acted like it was a brand new, never before seen card pattern, but the instructional video was almost 15 years old!

From Auntie's Test Kitchen... After all the holiday food, it was simple fare in the kitchen today.

I am Reading...  

I Dare You by Joyce Meyer

A Year With C. S. Lewis by C. S. Lewis

Selected Sermons of Johnathan Edwards by Johnathan Edwards

Put Your Dream to the Test  by John C. Maxwell

Favorite Quote(s) of the Week ... 

 

Not really a quote, but the sermon from yesterday was quite poignant. 

Now For Something Totally Different ...

 Yeah, I know it's called "X" now, but I don't really care.