Happy 2024

As I sat down to write this, I struggled with the idea of a “happy” 2024 given all that’s going on in the world. But it is possible to find moments of happiness even in distressing times, so a happy wish for the new year is still of value. And I’ve found quite a few happy moments in the past weeks.

The holidays have been quite unusual here in Minnesota because we have had rain, rain, rain. It should have been snow, snow, snow, although given the amount of rain that fell, that much precipitation turned into snow would have amounted to a LOT, like multiple feet of snow. All the rain made it feel very un-holiday-like. More often than not, we have snow here on Christmas. I don’t remember another Christmas here that had rain all day long. All this dark weather made the holiday lights at our house especially welcome. The tree lights have been on every day for a few weeks now, casting little bright dots of color into our living room. I’ve gone through lots of fir-scented candles. And the cooking – beef bourguignon; chicken thighs roasted on a bed of fennel, apple, and onion; turkey breast rubbed with a mixture of Aleppo pepper, rosemary, and thyme; mac and cheese with a panko topping – all added a layer of coziness. The people to whom I fed all this food were, of course, the brightest lights of all.

Switching back into work mode may be slow-going for me. I’d rather linger in this cozy-up-and-cook time for a while longer. But January promises new opportunities for writing and connecting, beginning with a conversation with poet Laurie Kuntz on January 15. I hope you’ll return to see how that turns out.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all. May your days have many points of light.

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