Our Addiction to Simplicity-by T.K. Thorne

A friend sent me a little story about someone who mocked a man for buying a fancy car, asking him if he realized how many people the money that he spent on the car could have fed. The man recounted all the jobs that were created to make/sell the car and noted that those jobs fed a lot more people than he could count.

Fair enough. But it ended with this:

“Capitalism is freely giving your money in exchange for something of value.

Socialism is having the government take your money against your will and give it to someone else for doing nothing.”

Sounds very uncomplicated and compelling. But let’s look deeper.

There is no doubt capitalism provides jobs. (But so can socialism or even communism.)

Jobs—or at least working and/or creating something—do contribute to a person’s dignity and self-worth.  . . .Unless that job pays so little, one is scrabbling to feed oneself or family and building a better life is out of reach no matter how hard one works.

Tying self-esteem to work is risky. Overwork can lead to burnout and diminished productivity. There are many benefits to meaningful work, though “meaningful” is defined differently for everyone. Not all work is meaningful in a positive way.

The adage that teaching a person to fish is a better choice than giving a person a fish, rings with truth. . . unless that person is too hungry to learn anything. Then he needs fish first and teaching second.

I’m not an economist, so I’ll stop there. My point is that we humans have a compulsion to simplify.

Why?

The answer to that seems to go back to the way we evolved. We needed shortcuts for everything to function and thus, survive.

My body/mind has figured out (thanks to billions of years of life’s experimentation) how to move to the kitchen when I’m hungry. If you think about what this requires, it is no easy feat. Thousands of complex electro-chemical interactions and coordination involving nerves, muscles, and tendons takes place. If I had to direct this with my conscious mind, I would fail and lie in a puddle on the floor. . . hungry.

The body/mind has shortcuts for almost everything. It takes effort to think through a statement, judge it, weight the “what-ifs?” What is true in one scenario might not be true in another. For example:

It is wrong to kill another. A simplicity that feels true . . . unless your own life is threatened . . . or if your government has decided that other is “the enemy.”

Life is complicated. That’s why we have lawyers.

Seriously, the mind loves simplicity. And it is not “wrong.” If a tiger is coming for you, simple is better.

But our world is also complicated and very divided. And each “side” clings to its precepts without room for expansion or allowance of deviation or “what ifs.” The human brain prefers shortcut belief/value systems, which are more efficient than wasting valuable energy on something it has already “decided.”

For example, I believe education is the fulcrum for elevating society, but I understand a child born into the stress of poverty and constant violence is not on equal footing, and that our world is better if it allows the potential of all to be fulfilled. I willingly give up a portion of what I earn and my time to try and rectify that, understanding that some beneficiaries to that funding and time will choose not to work for it. (I also support a system that primarily helps those who need it and will do their part, but I am not willing to give up on helping if that is an imperfect system.)

A strong military is the best defense, and all must contribute to pay for that, while understanding that human systems will often devolve to some waste and corruption. (I support a system that discourages and punishes that, but I am not willing to give up a strong military to eliminate it.)

I support hospitals administering care in life threatening situations despite the ability of the patient to pay for it. (See comment above re waste and corruption.)

These societal needs require systems that are, frankly, not simple. They could be simpler; they could work much better. But just opting out would cause many unintentional and devastating consequences. Let’s do the hard work, the creative work of figuring it out. Albert Einstein said, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Do we have the imagination it takes to apply our creativity, technology, and will to the complex problems of our world?

That said, I leave you with a couple of truly simple things:

“Being kind and loving and caring really matters. The truths constantly change and disguise themselves, but being kind and loving and caring always counts.”—Jim Reed

“We can’t just hope for a brighter day, we have to work for a brighter day. Love too often gets buried in a world of hurt and fear. And we have to work to dig it out so we can share it with our family, our friends, and our neighbors.”​—Dolly Parton

T.K. Thorne writes about what moves her, following a flight path of curiosity, reflection, and imagination. Check out her (fiction and nonfiction) books at TKThorne.com.

Clicking Our Heels – Reflections on Being a Member of the Stiletto Gang

Clicking Our Heels-Reflections on Being a Member of the Stiletto Gang

As we begin a new year as the Stiletto Gang, we took the time to reflect on what we each like best about being part of the gang. We also wonder what you, our readers, like best about the Stiletto Gang?

Barbara J. Eikmeier –  I really enjoy the community and how I’ve gotten to know the other gang members through their blog posts even though I’ve only met one in person.

Saralyn Richard – Getting to know other mystery authors who share the milieu with me. We are all different, but we share many of the same values and aspirations.

Dru Ann Love – I like the variety of genres that the group writes.

T.K. Thorne – The comradery of the group. We support each other in lots of ways. And the fact that being responsible to others lights a fire under my butt to write something for my day… sometimes even on my day, but I get it done.

Debra H. Goldstein – I value the friendship and respect we have for each other plus the way we support each other behind the scenes.

Lois Winston – The comraderie and support I receive from my fellow Stilettos. Many have become dear friends, some personally and unfortunately, others only virtually.

Lynn McPherson/Sydney Leigh – It’s the comraderie. Writers supporting writers.

Gay Yellen – It’s the camaraderie. We may be separated by geography and backgrounds, but we share a kinship that seems to deepen as we reveal more about our lives, our thoughts, and our common goal to write good books.

Donnell Ann Bell – I love that the Stiletto Gang members are a great support group. Whether celebrating one another’s joy, or commiserating over someone’s loss, The Stiletto Gang are a compassionate, intelligent, and talented bunch. I’m proud to be listed among them.

Debra Sennefelder – Being a part of a group of wonderful, supportive writers. Community is everything in this business.

Anita Carter (1/2 of Sparkle Abbey) – I love the support and camaraderie of other women mystery writers. It’s a fabulous community! And I find great books to read.

Mary Lee Ashford (1/2 of Sparkle Abbey) – What I love best about being a Stiletto Gang member is the camaraderie and support that the group provides. The publishing business is brutal and having a group of fellow authors who understand and care is priceless.

Bethany Maines – Being exposed to so many great writers!

photo of champagne glasses and 2024 numerals

Doing More of What Works

by Sparkle Abbey

Wish for it, hope for it, dream of it

Happy New Year from us to you! Since it’s the beginning of a new year everyone’s talking about resolutions or goals. It appears that there’s a bit of a divide on whether New Year’s resolutions are considered a good thing or not anymore.

On the one hand the beginning of a new year seems like the perfect time to take stock and see how you’re doing. It’s a fresh start, a clean slate, and perhaps good time to set some goals. Or at least establish some better habits.

A recent Forbes article states that according to their survey 62% of us feel pressured to set a new year’s resolution. With 87% feeling optimistic about keeping it throughout the year. Most goals revolve around improved fitness, finance, or mental health. In the writing community, we find that there are usually similar goals being made around writing, publishing, and reading.

We’re big fans of goals and in previous years we’ve shared our views on making your goals specific and measureable. As well as on planning your path to reach them and tracking your progress.

This year we’re taking a little bit different approach and the simple version of what we’re doing is focusing on what’s working and doing more of that. A recent read “Getting More of What You Want” by Margaret Neale and Thomas Lys focuses on the latest advances in psychology and economics to negotiate well. In short, to get what you want. You can read more about that here: Getting More of What You Want by Margaret Neale and Thomas Lys | by Margaret Neale and Thomas Lys

But isn’t achieving your goals really about negotiating with yourself?

Our previous approaches to goal-setting weren’t wrong. SMART goals are smart, right? (The letters stand for: Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Realistic-Timely.)  But this approach can fall a bit short when you’re reaching for a creative goal. You see, some of those things are outside your control.

Another recent read, “Start More Than You Can Finish” by Becky Blades also provided food for thought. And who can resist a book named MUST READ by the Next Big Idea Club.  An excerpt and more about the book and the Next Big Idea Club here: Start More Than You Can Finish

Because for us this is always an evolving process, where we’ve landed this year on setting goals is this:

  • Make a list of what’s working and figure out a way to do more of that.
  • Make a list of what’s not working and stop doing that.

At its essence, it’s still about defining what you want and planning how you’re going to achieve your goals. But it also acknowledges those things that you’ve accomplished. Things that are going right.  And it also defines what got in your way and how you’re going to eliminate those things. Because maybe the most important thing about achieving your dreams in 2024 is getting started.

What are your thoughts? Do you set goals at the beginning of a new year? Do you pick a word or a thought to focus on for the year? Or are you in the anti-resolution camp?

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

book cover for Desperate HousedogsSparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series set in Laguna Beach. Their series features former Texas beauty queen cousins, Caro, a pet therapist and, Melinda, a pet boutique owner. The most recent installments (book nine) BARKING WITH THE STARS and  (book ten) THE DOGFATHER continue Caro and Mel’s murder-solving adventures. And PROJECT DOGWAY is a short that brings the cousins together – sort of.

But here’s some great news, if you’ve not yet started the series (or would like to share the series with a friend) the first book, DESPERATE HOUSEDOGS, is currently on sale for 99 cents in all ebook formats!

Find it at your favorite place to buy books! 

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

From the Stiletto Gang we wish you a happy, healthy and very bookish 2024!

Clicking Our Heels – Our Special Holiday Traditions

Linda Rodriguez – Before the pandemic, we used to gather at my house–in later years, my sister’s house–for a feast and extended-family get-together. We haven’t started anything back up since. I suspect my youngest son, who now lives 3 minutes away, will spend the holidays with us.

Bethany Maines – Panic about presents and then nap in protest of winter?  I’m not sure those are traditions so much as simply what happens repeatedly.

Joyce Woollcott – I’m Canadian, so we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving as much as our American neighbours but Christmas Eve, when our daughter was young, we listened to Dylan Thomas reading a Child’s Christmas in Wales. And we still do, all together, with the addition of one son-in-law and one little grandson. So lovely.

Debra H. Goldstein – Enjoying family time.

Paula G. Benson – This year, I’m looking forward to returning to a tradition of working with my church on a holiday musical to be presented in early December. We have not been able to have one since the pandemic.

T.K. Thorne – Recuperating.

Lois Winston – For most of my adult life, my family and I spent Christmas Eve with very close friends. Unfortunately, life got in the way, people moved out-of-state, and the tradition eventually came to an end.

Kathryn Lane – On Christmas Eve, we invite friends to join us for tamales and Christmas punch.

Dru Ann Love – This year, I’ll be recuperating from knee surgery replacement, and ever since my mom passed away, we don’t have a family tradition anymore.

Lynn McPherson/Sydney Leigh – I’m Canadian so our Thanksgiving comes this year in early October. We like to go to pumpkin patches, enjoy large family dinners, and go for beautiful walks in the fall.

Barbara J. Eikmeier – I hang a dog and cat garland with all the dog or cat tags of our past pets including their rabies tags (because they have the county we lived in). We have an angel ornament for each animal and this year will be adding our dog Holly who passed away in April.
I also do a little happy dance in celebration of Winter Solstice and have been known to host a party. Once we’re past the Winter Solstice, even though Feb, our coldest month in KS, is yet to come, I feel like summer (my favorite season) is almost here.

Mary Lee Ashford – My family gets together on Thanksgiving for a very large (40 or so people) celebration and I always look forward to that. Although we live close, we’re all so busy that we don’t get together as much as we should. For Christmas it’s just the immediate family – two sons & daughter-in-laws, and six grandchildren. However, the past several years the grandchildren have spent New Year’s Eve with us while their parents went to dinner or to a New Year’s Eve get-together and I love that time with the grands. We munch on leftover holiday goodies and hot cocoa. At midnight we toast with sparkling cider, toot our noise-makers, and watch the ball drop in Times Square. I’m glad the neighbors are tolerant as I’m pretty sure we get a little louder each year. There was a time when the grands were young enough that I could convince them that it was the New Year when the clock turned over in New York City, but now they’re older and they’re on to me. Such great memories!

Writing Is Messy

Happy December! It’s the most exciting time of the year. And for me, it’s the messiest time of the year because I’m finishing up the first draft of the next Food Blogger Mystery. My goal when writing the first draft is to take what I’ve plotted and turn it into something that is readable and entertaining.

 

It’s also during this process that I decide which recipes to include in the book and I begin developing and testing them. So far, I’ve made the scones that will be included three times. Actually, four times if you count the time when I measured out too much milk and I didn’t realize until I’d mixed it into the dry ingredients. It was definitely a baking fail moment.

Back to the actual writing. It’s not unusual for there to be lots of question marks in place of words because while I was writing, I couldn’t come up with just the write word. It’s also pretty common to have sections highlighted because I need to refer back to my series bible or do some more research online. And it’s pretty typical that I’m short thousands of words. My first draft is very lean compared to my second draft. It’s during that draft that I fill in all the missing pieces and add in all the extras like a more vivid description or maybe a twist that I hadn’t previously thought about. I let my first draft sit for two weeks so that I can put some distance between me and the manuscript. This separation allows me to think about the first draft and lets my subconscious to do its thing so that when I return to the manuscript, I’m energized to dig in and I have some more content to add. So that when I’m done with the second draft, it’s all fluffed out and ready to go to my editor.

I’m looking forward to tackling the second draft and that will happen in January. Once I finish this current draft (and I’m so close to finishing it) and I will step away from it and focus on a new story idea along with the holiday season. Speaking of the holiday season, remember that books make great gifts. And the Stiletto Gang has so many books to choose from.

I think my June release, HOW THE MURDER CRUMBLES, would make a lovely gift for the reader in your life who loves their mysteries with a side of cookies.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to catching up with you in January! Happy Holidays.

 

 

 

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series.

She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie.

You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Land Of Fire and Ice by T.K. Thorne

Last month, I promised a report on my trip to Iceland. Did not expect that they would be waiting for an imminent volcanic eruption from an area we were just visiting!

As of this post, one area has sunk and the other risen, and a crack three feet deep appeared in the road in a small southern fishing town near where weeks ago we were splashing around in the Blue Lagoon’s blissfully steamy waters. The heat rises from the volcanic activity beneath it—we just didn’t know how active!

After thousands of earthquakes, some of which were going on (unfelt) while we were there, the town is evacuated for the most part and no one knows exactly what will happen, which is nerve racking and not just for the humans. Our very wonderful guide says her dog’s name, Kivka, means magma. Kivka is very nervous and confused at having his name spoken regularly from the TV!

Iceland is the land of Fire and Ice, although the ice is melting fast. One glacier has completely disappeared, and others have dwindling significantly in the lifetimes of current inhabitants. This is not good news for the planet or for Iceland.

Glaciers threaded with volcanic ash

The flow of water is important to the country’s production of power (20% hydropower) and of course, their water supply. And 60% of heat is produced by pipes (insulated with spun rock), carrying water heated by geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is abundant (see paragraph one). In fact, we ate bread in one area cooked underground.

Unique technology returns carbon dioxide produced by the power plant back into the earth where if eventually turns into stone.

Most of the homes are heated by water heated naturally under the earth. Swimming pools, as well. Where people in the US might go to a bar or the gym to relax after work, heated pools are the thing in Iceland. Along our travels, I visited a heated outdoor swimming pool with four additional smaller pools, three heated to different levels, and one ice pool. (I did all but the ice pool.) A surreal experience, as it was simultaneously snowing.

I knew the Vikings named Iceland and Greenland (the truly frigid island north of Iceland) to keep Iceland free of tourists or invaders, but I was startled by the beautiful colors and pastureland. Actually, my first startle was the alien landscape that greeted us on the way from the airport to the capital city, Reykjvik. (I still have to look up the spelling but can now spit out the pronunciation.)

The natural beauty of this land is stunning.

 

Iceland sits on the conjunction of two plates, the Eurasian and North American plates and on top of a “hot spot” called the Icelandic plume, a swelling of hot rock deep underground, possibly between the earth’s core and its mantle. Basically, the entire island is hardened black lava. In some places, only moss grows on the rock with an occasion mass of low blueberries (crimson in October) and a yellowing shrub flower I never figured out. In other places, enough moss has grown and died to create soil, although the lava itself is poor in nutrients (unlike in other parts of the world with volcanic activity). In those places grass grows, supporting the herds of sheep and small Icelandic horses (don’t dare call them “ponies”).

The Icelandic horse is a descendent of ponies brought from the early Norse settlers. They are a passion of the Icelandic people. Our guide owned a horse farm of forty! Tough, double thick haired to weather the winter, they are the only horse in Iceland. Imports are not allowed to protect them the horses from diseases, and once an Icelandic horse has left the country, they are not allowed back. All foals must have a “proper” Icelandic name and be approved by a naming council.

I had the wonderful experience of riding one (whose name also happened to be Kivka). They have five gaits, one of which, the tölt, is a four-beat gait like a Tennesse Walking Horse’s run walk.  You could indeed drink a fine whiskey at this gait without spilling a drop (unless you drank a lot of fine whiskey). Pictured below is myself on Kivka, wind blowing, hands freezing, and rain in my face, along with a gob-smacked smile that did not stop the entire two hours.

Video not uploading, so check it out on my FB Page:

Food was delicious and … interesting. The former included a lot of fish. The latter (the “interesting”) category included traditional hákarl, fermented shark meat. It’s poisonous until it rots for about four months, during which time it gives off a strong (and I mean strong) ammonia smell. Having read a fascinating novel about a neurodiverse man who carries on the family tradition of hunting and preparing hákarl (Kalmann by Joachim B. Schmit), I braved a taste and was grateful for the shot of local spirit afterward (also traditional). I can honestly say that was a once in a lifetime experiment.

There was other excitement, like being blown several feet in a winter storm, amazing waterfalls, a crazy jeep ride along a black lava beach, and ice glaciers swirled with volcanic dust. In the middle of everything came the horrors of October 7, 2023. We had been asked not to talk politics, but the Jewish among us clung together, trying to process what we were hearing. Being so far from home made it surreal or maybe it was the stunning details that trickled in. Now, from home, we watch the war unfolding, always hoping something better will come from this pain for so many, yet afraid it is but another cycle, like Iceland’s continuous dance with death from fire.

I meant for this to be an upbeat travel piece, but it would be less than honest not to include this, as I will always remember where I was on that date. I will also always remember the non-Jewish person who broke the “rules” to offer her pain for my pain and the pain of the Jewish people. She didn’t really know me, and reaching out was a risk. Her small act of humanity eased me in a way I can’t explain. I hope it will inspire someone to reach out, even when unsure what to say. It does make a difference.

T.K. Thorne writes about what moves her, following a flight path of curiosity, reflection, and imagination.

Making the most of a wonderful setting….

I was featured in an article a month or so ago in the Belfast Telegraph. I’m Belfast born, and the reporter asked me to talk about my books and why I had chosen to set them in Northern Ireland, a country beset by The Troubles. Was it because I had a history there and was familiar with the landscape, or did I want to feature those famous Troubles as a background for my books?

Yes and no.
I’m not the person to write in depth about The Troubles. I lived through part of them and that was enough for me. It soured my teenage years with fear and anger, restricted my life and saw a beautiful city bombed and shattered. It maimed and killed countless people. No, I did not want to feature that history in my books. I’ll leave that to the historians and perhaps people who can explain and justify violence for any reason. And that continues now, all over the world, does it not?
If you get a moment please have a look at my article, it can be found here…

https://tinyurl.com/bdep6z74

At work…

I write police procedurals. I love to read them, love the careful examination of clues, that moment when the detective gets it, sees the vital piece of the puzzle, solves the crime. I like a bit of light relief too, not all gloom and doom. And I do enjoy a great setting, usually dark and desolate—a little gloomy. The perfect place for a crime. I know that place, the province of Ulster.

But they have crimes too. So, I chose to set my books there, in that great little country, with wonderful characters, funny and kind and fiercely intelligent. Did you know that at least seventeen American Presidents are descended from the North of Ireland? It’s on Wikipedia.
I have two books now in my Belfast Murder Series featuring Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride. While obviously they contain the themes of murder and violence, most of that is off the page. I also try to add depth of character and a fair dose of humor to my stories. And there’s that wonderful setting of course… rain and wind and grey skies.

Book One: A Nice Place to Die.

The body of a young woman is found by a river outside Belfast and Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride makes a heart-wrenching discovery at the scene, a discovery he chooses to hide even though it could cost him the investigation – and his career.
The victim was a loner but well liked. Why would someone want to harm her? And is her murder connected to a rapist who’s stalking the local pubs? As Ryan untangles a web of deception and lies, his suspects die one by one, leading him to a dangerous family secret and a murderer who will stop at nothing to keep it.
And still, he harbors his secret…

 

Book Two: Blood Relations

Belfast, Northern Ireland: early spring 2017. Retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found brutally murdered in his bed. Detective Sergeant Ryan McBride and his partner Detective Sergeant Billy Lamont are called to his desolate country home to investigate. In their inquiry, they discover a man whose career with the Police Service of Northern Ireland was overshadowed by violence and corruption. Is the killer someone from Mullan’s past, or his present?
And who hated the man enough to kill him twice?
Ryan and Billy once again face a complex investigation with wit and intelligence, all set in Belfast and the richly atmospheric countryside around it.

 

 

Glens of Antrim

Glens of Antrim

 

For more info, please visit my website.
https://www.jwoollcott.com

This is my last post and I hope you enjoyed it.
And if you’re a writer, keep writing, if you’re a reader keep reading… life is short.

Love-Hate Relationship with English Grammar by Saralyn Richard

Love-Hate Relationship with English Grammar

by Saralyn Richard

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

 

 

I taught high school English for many years in the days when students had to write ten mandatory papers per quarter, or forty papers per year. According to my estimates, I’ve graded over seven thousand papers, not counting major assignments, where I graded several drafts of the same paper. I graded papers day and night in every location you can imagine. With all that practice, I became a walking encyclopedia of grammar, able to recite every rule, chapter and verse.

Here are a few of the most common mistakes my students made:

  • Run-on sentences or comma splice
  • Pronoun disagreement
  • Mistakes in apostrophe usage, especially possessives
  • Lack of subject-verb agreement
  • Misplaced modifiers
  • Sentence fragments
  • Verb tense inconsistency
  • No clear antecedent for a pronoun

 

When my son was in ninth grade, his English teacher offered five points extra credit whenever a student could find a mistake in the “real world,” take a photo of it, get the person in charge to change it, and photograph the correction. You wouldn’t believe how many errors came to light. My son even had the local park district take down and redo a huge sign at the entrance to a nearby subdivision, costing taxpayers approximately nine hundred dollars.

Today we have online (AI-based) grammar tutors, and we are still plagued with grammar infractions everywhere we go, including in edited and published media. As a reader, I find mistakes distracting, but I no longer carry the weight of responsibility for marking each one in red ink and making sure the writer knows better for next time.

As a writer and editor, I’m not let off the hook so easily. While I recognize there is no such thing as a perfect piece of writing, I can’t let go of wanting anything with my name on it to be as clean as possible. For me, an error-free, clearly stated, well-ordered paragraph practically sings from the page.

How about you? Do you have a love-hate relationship with English grammar, too?

 

Saralyn Richard is an educator and the writer of six mystery novels and a children’s book. Connect with her at http://saralynrichard.com and subscribe to her monthly newsletter for interesting and fun content and opportunities.

 

 

Holiday Reflections in Advance

Holiday Reflections in Advance by Debra H. Goldstein

The holidays are about to overwhelm us. The TV will be taken over by warm and fuzzy advertisements. Catalogs of things I must have or give will fill my mailbox. At my local CVS, one staff member was moving Halloween candy to a sale rack and packing up the store’s pumpkin decorations while another was putting out Christmas Santas. I’m not ready for this!

Maybe I’m a grinch? I like peace and quiet. The reality is that I’m not going to find that for the next six weeks. First, there will be Thanksgiving – the entire family is dropping in this year. (I’m thinking of giving those who have little kids the house and moving to a hotel – I’ve done that in the past and really enjoyed it). Even though I’m sure there will be moments I want to retreat somewhere (that hotel sounds finer by the moment), I will enjoy seeing our kids, their cousins, and friends interacting. When they leave and I finish doing laundry, I’ll collapse.

But, not for long. There will be Chanukah and Christmas presents to buy, wrap, or send (think gifts cards might be appreciated this year?) for family, friends, and the people who are kind to me during the year. Once I clean up the mess from wrapping and make sure everything is delivered – and share a slightly quieter set of meals with family and friends, it will be time to see in 2024.

Those plans are already made. We see the year in with a group of friends we truly enjoy — especially since the women all agree that the new year is here when the ball drops in New York (we’re on central standard time, but why wait another hour?). Oh, the men, they think the evening is over when the football game ends.

What about you? Holiday Plans? Like them or want to flee?