January 2022 vs. December 2022

Goodbye, podcast!, reflections on a crazy year, and the return of miscellany

While I’m not the sort of person who thrives on New Year’s resolutions, I am the sort of person who loves reflecting on the past year. Maybe it’s because I’m sentimental, maybe it’s because I’m thrilled by new beginnings.

This week I had a chat with the small mastermind group of writers that I’ve been meeting with for over a year to talk over 2022 and what it looked like for us both personally and professionally.

Here are the questions posed and how I answered them:

1. What was your biggest accomplishment in 2022? Honestly, just surviving all the big transitions. I started a full-time job (not self-employed) for the first time since 2010. I launched three new books (one for grown-ups and two for kids). We prepped a house to sell, sold a house, bought a house, had Covid twice, moved four kids, a dog, and a cat across the country, and I led two pilgrimages to Europe. Throw in setting the kids up in a new school and applying for financial aid, all the work that goes into moving a family like getting new healthcare providers, several speaking events, a wheel falling off our van the week we were trying to move (such a nightmare), and a minor car accident a couple of weeks ago and put a fork in me, I’m done.

2. What was your biggest lesson learned in 2022? You gotta say no when you don’t have the time/energy/bandwidth to do things. I hate saying no. I love starting projects. I always overcommit. This year I said “no” to two things I really wanted to do and it felt….amazing. I have a lot of recovery to do from the stress of 2022. (Anxiety flared up for a few months this fall and it was not pleasant.) I need to prioritize my health: good sleep, movement, actually eating vegetables, that sort of thing. I need to put down roots in our new home. There is a lot of catching up I need to do after a year of survival mode. Next year is my year of “no.” It’s a rest year of normalcy (I hope).

3. How is December ‘22 you different from January ‘22 you? In addition to the many big changes (I have a new job, I live in a different town, etc), the big change for me is feeling settled. I have been in a waiting room season for the past four years. Daniel and I have been asking, “where should we end up? Should we send the kids to school? Should we sell our house? What direction should we go with our careers?” Finally, we’re established in the home we hope to be in for at least 15 years until all our kids are out of high school. I love my job as a children’s book editor and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I really like my life and it feels amazing not to be spending so much mental energy wondering what the next step is. We’re at the next step. We made it. And it’s a huge relief. I’ve also learned so much about publishing, writing, and editing this year and I’m getting over some imposter syndrome. My relationships with my kids are also stronger. Lots to be grateful for.

4. What would you tell June ‘22 you? Just stay alive. (In a Daniel Day Lewis voice from Last of the Mohicans)

5. What were the three best books you read in 2022? What About the Baby? by Alice McDermott, The Genesis of Gender by

   Abigail Favale
   , Untrustworthy by
   Bonnie Kristian

Chime in with your favorite three books of the year in the replies?

The End of an Era

After 8 years of chatting away, my podcasting partner-in-crime Christy and I published our final episode of The Fountains of Carrots podcast. We have loved creating almost 200 episodes for our listeners. We’ve loved the opportunity to interview dozens of wonderful guests. And what we’ve loved most is the community that has grown out of our efforts. Even though we know that after 8 years it’s time, it’s still sad to say goodbye to a project that has meant so much to us. We’re sharing one final episode all about what this project has meant to us and a huge thank you for our listeners.

You can still find 8 years of episodes up at FountainsofCarrots.com!

Miscellany

Anybody here that remembers when I used to craft a weekly blog post with all my favorite things from around the web? I might resurrect that in a little miscellany section here on Substack now and then.

• I loved this beautiful piece by the incomparable Clare Coffey for The Bulwark: There’s No Mary Problem in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

• This is a great piece by Sarah Soltis for Plough: Do Universities Educate?

• And this one from The Cut was interesting: Are There Any Kids’ Books Out There That Are….Actually Good? While the considerations of how the children’s publishing machine works are worth thinking about, there are good children’s books being published and I’m so happy that I get to write books for young readers and helping our talented Spark authors and illustrators get their books out into the world.

• Verily Magazine is BACK IN PRINT! For everyone in favor of a women’s magazine that’s beautiful, fun, thoughtful, and doesn’t try to make you feel bad about your body—you can grab the 10th anniversary edition here or sign up for a subscription. I really missed having Verily in print form, so I am thrilled!

• There’s still time to donate to the St. Gabriel Health Center before Christmas! Read all about it here.

• I was awake at 3:30am today with an asthmatic child having respiratory issues, so I made this little reel of our trip to New Orleans last weekend.

Thanks for reading and being along for the ride during this crazy stressful year, friends. Don’t forget to tell me about your three favorite books you read this year and stay tuned for some new book projects I’m working on in 2023!