Last year I set forth on a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined. I conquered a few things last year, like the back yard. In 2023, I’m on a different quest.
It’s been tricky to narrow down what missions I want to make public. So in 2023 there are a few public goals, a few more secret goals, and some other odds and ends like a word for the year.
I have to say September flew by and October was just as fast. But the weather has been glorious. It’s highly unusual for me to be able to eat outside in late October, but sure enough, it was warm enough on the 22nd for me to have dinner outside on the patio and enjoy the gorgeous color in the maple tree.
Move More Sit Less
In October I wrapped up my virtual walk around New York City with the Conqueror Virtual Challenges and started walking around New Zealand.
All Things Writing
Last year I finished the first draft of a novel. This year I want to finish the second draft. I also enjoyed posting twice a month here, so let’s see if I can meet or exceed that one in 2023.
Book writing is mostly going on in my head. That’s kind of how it goes: eventually I won’t be able to resist the call of the book and will have to sit down and get on with it. At least I got three blog posts in October:
- October Mission 2023
- The Raven Café in Port Huron, Michigan
- Sarnia post
Finish All The Projects
If you’ve owned a home, you know that the list of projects never ends. And to be honest, I don’t think I’ll finish ALL of the projects. But this year, I’d like to knock a few of those things that I’ve been thinking about for a long time right off the list.
This part of the mission is more about consistently making an effort to do the things…all the things…even the little things like take that pile of things to the thrift store or break down the boxes and put them in the car and haul them off to the recycling center.
- Yes! I took at least two or maybe three carloads of stuff to thrift stores this past month. It feels so good to let go of things.
- To help me let go, I’m using a technique I learned on TikTok for fast sorting: Look at the object and give yourself three seconds to decide. If you can’t decide, it’s an automatic keep. This works really well for me.
Secret Things
I don’t know what the next secret thing will be but boy, it’s already been an awesome year, right?
- In April I was in New York City and marched in the New York City Tartan Week parade with a huge group of Bay City Roller fans.
- In May I was a guest DJ on Dedication: Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers.
- In August I was back in Bay City, Michigan for the weekend to meet up with friends. More on that in a post later this month.
- In late September I was in Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, to see Cowboy Junkies in concert.
- In late October, I was in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan to see Menopause the Musical and Loreena McKennitt! Blog post on the way later this month about that.
- Oh! Oh my! There’s already a super secret thing scheduled for next year. (And if you already KNOW what it is, please don’t give it away in the comments.)
Year In Books
This year I’m a Bookshop affiliate. Bookshop actively supports local, independent bookstores and has even given more than 80% of their profit margin to independent bookstores. I even have my own store on Bookshop! (Thank you to those who’ve bought something from Bookshop through my affiliate link!)
I’m making an effort to buy some books from Bookshop, and others from Sleepy Dog Books, my local independent bookstore.
(Disclosure: All of the links to books are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you click through the link and finalize a purchase, I earn a commission.)
For some reason, the links to books failed to save to the post, so this month, here’s a wrap up of the last couple of months. And boy, I’ve been busy reading!
- The Becoming: Dragon Heart Legacy Book 2 by Nora Roberts
- The Choice: Dragon Heart Legacy Book 3 by Nora Roberts
- Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels
- Places We Left Behind (a memoir in miniature) by Jennifer Lang
- Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs
- Rules of the Road by Ciara Gerahty
- Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine
- Wild Life: Collected Works from 2003-2018 by Kathy Fish
- Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello
- A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence 1) by Rebecca Ross
- A Fire Endless (Elements of Cadence 2) by Rebecca Ross
- The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield
- Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe
- Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch by Julie Abe
- A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
And if you’re counting, that’s 54 books for the year, which smashes my 2023 reading challenge of 50 books on Good Reads!
Word of the Year
Action is the word of the year. I want to accomplish, do, go, make things happen.
Guiding Thought
As I went through the process of thinking about my mission for the year, the one thing that I kept returning to was: what was life like before the internet? Do more of that!
Forget about it. I use the internet every single day.
Quote of the Month
Did you know there is a collection of thought-provoking quotes up at the top of the blog? Once that page displays and you’ve absorbed the words, click “Next Quote” to see another and another and another.
I pick these totally by random: whatever quote is there is most of the time the one I use for the month. And Emerson hits the nail on the head with this one, doesn’t he?
This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but knew what to do with it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Your Turn
What’s good about your life right now?
