January 3, 2026

Break is almost over, and as always I didn’t do everything I wanted, but I did other things, and that’s fine. I’m trying to be less rigid about precise goals and to think rather about the bigger picture. What did I want from my break? Rest, relaxation, and a chance to close out a couple of things. Did I manage that? For the most part, yes. I haven’t slept well, so I’m continuing to work on rest, but overall, the extended, end-of-year break was exactly what I needed.

I didn’t do much crafting, which I’d planned and wanted to do — to finish some projects and to begin new ones. The incomplete projects remain incomplete, and that’s what bothers me — not the lack of crafting — because I was able to unwind in other ways.

I dug into a writing project that I started playing around with a couple of years ago. My ideas have changed, which makes sense, as I’ve moved internationally since first thinking of it. And while I had a general arc, I hadn’t had the time or head space to really ask questions and to work through details. I don’t have answers yet, but questioning has been good, and I like working through possibilities.

I ended up watching some movies and shows, and that was fun. I love stories across forms and haven’t kept up with new shows or movies — mostly because of time — and watching things with A or with A & M is always entertaining. We’re all opinionated! I finally saw Frankenstein, which has been on my list since I first heard about it. I’d like to find a way to do more of this in 2026.

We also finally finished the Mother of Frankenstein (Volume 1) game. I picked it up in April, and we did a round then, one during a vacation in July, and completed it in December.

I continue to read a lot, as expected, but in 2026, I’d like to read less, and I’d like to read more slowly. A member of my book group said that in 2025, she set a goal to read 20 books she already owned. I like this goal, and I’ll make it one of mine, as well. She said the problem was that she ended up acquiring at least 20 new books during the year, so the net balance didn’t really change, but it was still a good goal. I’ve been reading mostly through the library (Libby, Hoopla, physical books) and plan to continue that. My true weakness is the library’s used book sales — the books are inexpensive, and the cause is good — it’s easy to load up. I also want to read more magazines and vary things up.

I managed to finish my current notebook on the last day of the year, and I enjoy setting up new ones. I now have a set of Field Notes notebooks for various things — to do lists, movies I’d like to see, books I want to track down at some point, garden notes (both flora and fauna), etc.. I transferred my 2025 garden notes to a spreadsheet, which was interesting — I have a base timeline of plant cycles now, and this year, I know the names of our plants, where they are, and what they look like, and I hope to get to know them better. I like having a spot for interesting sentences, lists, and observations. I did my annual “home ec” setup and created a 2026 budget and expense tracker. New folders for photos and receipts. A new wall calendar for the year. I like the changing of notebooks and updating of systems, and this year was nice because I could do it all without rushing. I wasn’t trying to cram the annual transition and planning into one weekend day but could take a few days to close out, reflect, create, and adapt.