Goodbye, 2024! This year seemed okay. I've taken some steps to take better care of myself. I am grateful for every day of the year, even ones that felt bad. I am grateful for those who walk alongside me. I wish them care and freedom and peace.
Here are a few highlights from December, including my final list of books read.
Screenprinting
Our department at work had a screenprinting workshop where we made T-shirts printed with our own designs. Screenprinting is cool! Once you have your screen made, it's possible to crank out hundreds of copies of the design. I only made two shirts of my design, which was a drawing of some squash with the words "GOOD FOR YOU." We did this at First Proof Press in Brattleboro, VT.
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| My screen-printing station |
Fancy lunch
I had an oxtail stew. I'm so glad I tried it! It was prepared in French bistro style in a simple thyme-infused sauce over gnocchi. Savory, hearty, rich, delicious. Moral: try things that are new-to-you. Within reason of course. Made by The Restaurant at Burdick's in Walpole, NH.
Sketching
I've been enjoying sketching with pencils and markers. It's a nice way to wind down in the evening, or to keep myself motivated during long meetings or movies. For example, here are some sketches I made while watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy (our annual December tradition). |
| Lord of the Rings shapes & characters |
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| I'm going through a squash obsession (butternut squash in alcohol marker + pencil) |
Year in Books
In 2025 I read 19 books. Here are screenshots from my Goodreads account.
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Most surprising: I was surprised how much I liked A Court of Thorns & Roses. I am some kind of snob and thought that a massive best-seller would be unreadable. But it's great! It's popular for a reason--it's a true fairy tale romance with a fair share of gore and intrigue. I'll definitely move on to #2 in the series.
Most thought-provoking: Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoun was excellent and clearly written. I learned so much about the BPP and the covert operations carried out by the US government against them. Highly recommend this book.
Most boring: Ugh I really didn't like A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg. It was dorky and cloying and slow. I finished it but it took weeks.
Most twisted: Earthlings by Sayaka Murata is completely bonkers. When I was checking it out the librarian gave me a look and said, "How much have you researched this?" Well, not at all. She said that she had to keep reading to find out what happened, and once I started the book I did the same. The plot is very bizarre and involves a lot of breaking of taboos.
Most underlining: I read The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk again this year because it was the textbook for a psychology class I took in the fall. Of course, having an instructor explain chapters in detail and reinforce learning in multiple ways helped me get much more out of the book. It contains super interesting information on how the brain works, how we can get disconnected from our own emotions, and the utmost important of being a kind, supportive parent.
Photos
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| We went to a holiday bazaar at a church and had hot soup. They had set up the "Nutcracker Cafe" with decorated tables where peoples could eat their soup. |
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| I was already obsessed with squash when I met a kitten named Squash at an area humane society! I fell in love with this little guy (but was not able to adopt him). |
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| Drawers in the shop where we did screen-printing |
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| A small printing press |
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| More printing equipment |
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| Screen for a custom print job |
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| Celebrating a birthday with pastry & coffee |
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| I was SO proud of this "wrapping station" where any family member could wrap presents in the days before Christmas. It was super handy. |
