22 good things from 2022

  1. Winter. What a lot of water fell out of the sky in December!
  2. Old habits dying. For some reason, I stopped biting my nails.
  3. Leaving alcohol alone. Funny enough, seemed to correlate with the above, along with generally feeling better in the mornings and reducing the tab at restaurants.
  4. Books. I enjoyed short stories for the first time thanks to Ted Chiang and N.K. Jemisin, finally read Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, and got cultured by Hamnet and Jakob Von Gunten.
  5. Daughter (elder) grew up, literally and figuratively, sleeping well by herself, catching fish by herself and generally being able to lend a hand with everything around the house.
  6. Daughter (younger) also grew, but being the second child means the growth isn’t forging new ground in our minds, just highlighting differences. We had multiple daddy/daughter adventures that solidified our relationship.
  7. Family. Spending time with my parents in Idaho and California gives the girls a broad range of fun experiences and makes for higher quality time together.
  8. Wifey. We’ve explored a lot of new ground in 2022, from helping with her camp business to the deaths in her family, all of which reinforce the fact that communication is golden.
  9. Dog. Kiwi became a part of the family. Sleeping in Catherine’s bed at night, comign to work and learning how to socialize (slowly).
  10. Cat. Fina has taken over Wifey’s heart, showing her that it is possible to love another critter after an old critter had occupied that space for so long.
  11. Generosity. The ability of some people to offer meaningful help where people least expect it is always a highlight. 2022 was no exception.
  12. Transcendence. Much more mindfulness took place in 2022, and is an area of growth I’m really excited about.
  13. Anger, lack thereof. Deciding that I didn’t really have to be angry about something was a great thing.
  14. CA. Two trips to JTree in one year felt quite wonderful.
  15. Climbing. #14 made for some memorable climbs, doing Saturday Night Live and White Rastafarian after first seeing those climbs twenty years ago was a real treat. Gemini at the City was another highlight.
  16. Foraging. Thanksgiving on the central coast was quite special with surf perch, sea urchin and monkeyface eel on the menu. It felt more auhtentic to forage food for the feast.
  17. Foraging. Mother’s Day morel hunting was a huge sucess which continued for another month. Gained a whole new appreciation for fungus in general.
  18. Skiing off of the peak in Mammoth Gulch and the ridge that we look at from the window in CO Gulch were wonderful experiences.
  19. Growing up. Just like the kiddos, I’m learning things too: Less stressing about ‘doing’ things, more acceptance and calmer reactions. Hpoe for more!
  20. Work. Adding to people to the office was daunting but has been rewarding.
  21. Music. Playing ukulele more regularly has made for a richer life.
  22. Community. It’s wonderful to have an ever closer network of friends and acquaintances in our small valley, and seeing the support that it engenders.