Saturday Evening Chat: Looking back at the blog in 2023 and a thank you to readers

The fire is crackling in the woodstove and vegetable soup is cooking in the Instapot.

Outside snowflakes are falling softly at a fairly fast clip and the forecasters say we will have up to nine inches by the time this Nor’easter is done.

I started this blog post a bit ago but kept getting interrupted by lighting the fire, cutting up the potatoes for the soup while listening to a couple of lovely Christmas stories by L.M. Montgomery on Audible (no, this is not a paid ad), and chatting with my parents, brother, and a couple of friends. It was almost like life got in the way of my blog. Like – what?

(If you’re new here I’m typically sarcastic and snarky.)

Today I wanted to take the time to thank anyone who stopped by my blog in 2023 and left me comments or encouragement. It is very much appreciated.

I write a lot about – well, nothing.

Ha!

But people seem to need to focus on a bit of nothing these days so I am okay with writing mainly about nothing.

I wrote a lot about movies in 2023. I wrote about books and family outings and a bit about family history.

I wrote about my fiction books that I am working on and shared some of them. (They are currently on sale and links are at the top and side of the page. Commercial over.).

I wrote less about my Christian walk, not because I’m not still doing it, but because I was struggling with life part of the time and didn’t feel like I should be writing about it while I was trying to figure it all out. That’s pretty silly, I know. As Christians we should be talking about our journey no matter where we are because we never know who we will help along the way. I hope to fix that a bit in 2024.

I enjoyed meeting a ton of new bloggers this past year, which was the best thing about blogging in 2023.

I hope to “meet” even more in 2024. The only thing about meeting new bloggers is I have a hard time keeping up with everyone’s blogs and leaving comments. Sometimes I will read posts but run out of time to comment or fall asleep in the middle of commenting and thing I already did. Maybe I should meet less bloggers this year then. Ha.

As I write I am looking out at my neighbor’s front lawn and it’s weird how sad it looks now that the husband took all the Christmas decorations he had up down. I know it was time and I’m sure their electric bill will appreciate them not being up any more, but his wife and I both said how much we miss them. She managed to get him to leave up some of the sparkling rainbow lights at least so there is a nice sparkle for right now over there.

What can I say? Our house always looks pretty depressing in the winter without all the green on the trees and the flowers out so I am sure it isn’t fun for them to look at our house either.

Our Christmas decorations are now down too and I told The Husband I need to figure out ways to decorate the house for all seasons like people I follow on here and YouTube.

Yesterday we went to pick up groceries and also some pizza and wings for my dad, whose 80th birthday was yesterday.

We ate some lunch with him and my mom and then came home to put up our groceries and get ready for the storm.

Today I’ve been goofing off, as I mentioned above, but after I post this, I think I will watch some more Miss Scarlet and The Duke and read another chapter of Little Women. With a blanket, of course.

We usually visit my parents on Sundays but it looks like we might be stuck inside tomorrow as well since getting out of my driveway in icy or snowy weather is not easy at all.

That means more reading and writing time for me.

Oh and while I am thinking of it – I’ve actually purchased a tea other than peppermint to try and it’s not too bad – it is a ginger, turmeric, and orange tea. Ginger is great for digestion and turmeric can be great for inflammation and aches and pains.

How was your week last week?

Do anything exciting?

Try any new teas?

Let me know in the comments.

I’ll be back tomorrow with Sunday Bookends.


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12 thoughts on “Saturday Evening Chat: Looking back at the blog in 2023 and a thank you to readers

  1. Pingback: This week’s small pleasures #369 – Thistles and Kiwis

  2. Well, I, for one, am glad we “met!” Your blog is like a cozy corner of the blogosphere where I can read about regular people doing regular things.

    We did wake up to snow on the ground Friday (less than 2 inches and gone by dinner time). It’s been years since we’ve gotten a really good snow.

    You’ll have to let me know how the tea is. I know turmeric is good for inflammation, and goodness knows I’ve got lots of that. My favorite is Constant Comment.

    Have a wonderful week, Lisa!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    • It is so nice to hear that it is like a cozy corner. I love that description because I love cozy things (as you can tell by how Erin and I are always calling everying cozy this or that. lol!)

      I am not familiar with that tea but I will add it to my list to try.

      Like

  3. I’ve been drinking ginger tumeric tea sometimes as “golden milk” diluting it with honey and a little almond milk. It’s more comforting that way. Lol. And I’m always encouraged when you wrote about your faith. You are right that we each have difficult times.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve heard of making it that way! I’m going to try that. I haven’t been angry at God or doubting, necessarily – just not trusting him the way I should maybe. Aaaaand maybe doubting a little here and there.

      I want to write about the struggles more this year so I can encourage myself and others to stay strong!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Wishing you all the best in 2024. Looking forward to sharing book reviews with you. As far as your Christian walk, we all have ups and downs. I certainly do. Those are the moments faith takes over and we realize He’s in control. Have a great weekend!!

    Liked by 2 people

    • I certainly hope to write some more book reviews this year – even if they are short. I seem to think they have to be long essays or something. I just need to tell people if I liked it or not and move on. Enough overthinking already!

      And thanks for the encouraging words about faith. It’s a journey for sure.

      Liked by 1 person

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