What a creative, lovely, thought-provoking end-of-the-year post! I am so glad you went with cardboard in the art class. It is a base that begs you to make a shitty first draft! The beginning we must all be willing to start with, at least most of us.
You had me from Maria. 🙂 And the trivia game was fun! So glad to have discovered your pocketfuls of prose this year; they are one of my favorite things. Enjoy your retreat, your holiday, your break from school. Can't wait to see what a refreshed Mary has to share with all of us.
What a lovely comment, thank you! I love Julie Andrews so much. I hope you find some peace this season too Rita. I’m excited to hear more about the next leg of your journey.
So… confession, I saw John Danielle last year. I saw Colin Malloy this year and I made a mistake in my Substack and my husband kindly pointed it out to me and I said, why didn’t you tell me sooner so I could fix it? And then I proceeded to not fix it. 😂 I would love to know if there are Substacks that make you laugh.
Honored to make your favorites list, Mary! 🙏💚 I tried the trivia questions, but I’m hopeless at that. Every last one of them would have been a wild guess , even badgers. 🤷🏼 Merry Christmas, and many blessings in the New Year!
Same! I would have gotten them all wrong, but I like that I learned something. The badger one was tricky as badgers eat all those things. Thanks for playing! Merry Christmas! 🎄
Thanks for a little mini retreat in this post! I can’t tell if my trivia answers were correct or not so I am assuming I got 100%, with no mistakes, like making art on cardboard. Yours is one of my most-likely to read Substacks too….
When I get ready to read one of her posts, I make sure I'm not drinking anything that I might spit out and that might go up my nose when I start laughing.
Another fun post, Mary. Thank you for being a writer!
Mary this was hilarious, tender, lovely being, playful and so much a celebration of you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your soft underbelly. You make the world a better place to inhabit. Love you.
Your quiz was fun and I didn't cheat (I was tempted! but trusted myself and really didn't care if I got it wrong). One of my favorite things I did this year was up my sewing game to Advanced. I just finished my Chanel style jacket, complete with quilted lining, sleeve heads, and a chain at the bottom to hold the shape. Now I feel I can sew anything. I love word games, and will do puzzles with others even though I'm no good at it. In 2025 I want to get better at puzzles, and envisioning shapes in three dimensions.
I love that Sandra. I would have gotten every trivia question wrong, but I like that I learned five new things. I also like the sound of your jacket. It sounds so lovely. Thanks for being such a faithful reader. I wish you a joyful holiday.
Love this post! As to my favorite things this year, my solo trip to spend several days with my new friend Sharon and our trip with Sharon and Steve to Cumberland Falls. But then our trip to Moab maybe blew those two out of the water, seeing all that beauty we had been wanting to see for years. So many things were better than 2023. Thanks for your reading list. I'm always looking for new things to read, especially books I can read with my first couple of tea and Molly on my lap. Enjoy your time away. Looking forward to reading more in the new year.
What a creative, lovely, thought-provoking end-of-the-year post! I am so glad you went with cardboard in the art class. It is a base that begs you to make a shitty first draft! The beginning we must all be willing to start with, at least most of us.
Rest and enjoy a bit of space for yourself!
Thanks friend. It was a really good experience for me. I’m so grateful for all that our friendship has opened me up to.
This was such a fun post! It’s such a blessing to have a friend who values creativity, words, and rest. Enjoy your time off!
Thank you! The feeling is mutual. I’m so excited for break.
You had me from Maria. 🙂 And the trivia game was fun! So glad to have discovered your pocketfuls of prose this year; they are one of my favorite things. Enjoy your retreat, your holiday, your break from school. Can't wait to see what a refreshed Mary has to share with all of us.
What a lovely comment, thank you! I love Julie Andrews so much. I hope you find some peace this season too Rita. I’m excited to hear more about the next leg of your journey.
What a delightful read/play! I loved the trivia :)
I’m so glad. Thanks for the restack. Happy Holidays Jenna!
We also saw John Darnielle this year! Enjoy your publishing break. And thanks for including me in your list! I love helping people laugh.
So… confession, I saw John Danielle last year. I saw Colin Malloy this year and I made a mistake in my Substack and my husband kindly pointed it out to me and I said, why didn’t you tell me sooner so I could fix it? And then I proceeded to not fix it. 😂 I would love to know if there are Substacks that make you laugh.
Thank you so much, Mary!
🥰 I love the joy you spread. Thank you for reading!
Honored to make your favorites list, Mary! 🙏💚 I tried the trivia questions, but I’m hopeless at that. Every last one of them would have been a wild guess , even badgers. 🤷🏼 Merry Christmas, and many blessings in the New Year!
Same! I would have gotten them all wrong, but I like that I learned something. The badger one was tricky as badgers eat all those things. Thanks for playing! Merry Christmas! 🎄
Thanks for a little mini retreat in this post! I can’t tell if my trivia answers were correct or not so I am assuming I got 100%, with no mistakes, like making art on cardboard. Yours is one of my most-likely to read Substacks too….
Thanks Julie, and your approach to trivia sounds sound.
Such a fun pocket!! Merry, Merry Mary! Grateful for all the ways you've brought joy, light, kindness, and inspiration to me this year. <3
Thanks Claire! I feel the same. Merry Christmas!
Ah! I am so glad you asked about funny newsletters: https://wendiaarons.substack.com/
When I get ready to read one of her posts, I make sure I'm not drinking anything that I might spit out and that might go up my nose when I start laughing.
Another fun post, Mary. Thank you for being a writer!
Awww! Thank you for being a reader and for the rec. I read one of Wendi’s posts yesterday and really enjoyed it.
Mary this was hilarious, tender, lovely being, playful and so much a celebration of you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your soft underbelly. You make the world a better place to inhabit. Love you.
Thank you for this comment. It means a lot. I love you too.
Yes, I love hanging out with you on Substack.
🥰
Your quiz was fun and I didn't cheat (I was tempted! but trusted myself and really didn't care if I got it wrong). One of my favorite things I did this year was up my sewing game to Advanced. I just finished my Chanel style jacket, complete with quilted lining, sleeve heads, and a chain at the bottom to hold the shape. Now I feel I can sew anything. I love word games, and will do puzzles with others even though I'm no good at it. In 2025 I want to get better at puzzles, and envisioning shapes in three dimensions.
I love that Sandra. I would have gotten every trivia question wrong, but I like that I learned five new things. I also like the sound of your jacket. It sounds so lovely. Thanks for being such a faithful reader. I wish you a joyful holiday.
Loved this, Mary! And thanks for including me on your list. Enjoy the time with your family!
I’m so glad. I love reading your words, and I appreciate how you support the work of others.
That was fun! Enjoy your time off
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Love this post! As to my favorite things this year, my solo trip to spend several days with my new friend Sharon and our trip with Sharon and Steve to Cumberland Falls. But then our trip to Moab maybe blew those two out of the water, seeing all that beauty we had been wanting to see for years. So many things were better than 2023. Thanks for your reading list. I'm always looking for new things to read, especially books I can read with my first couple of tea and Molly on my lap. Enjoy your time away. Looking forward to reading more in the new year.
Thanks for sharing some of your favorite things Lynda and playing along. Those trios sounds lovely, and Molly is a lucky girl.