I love Goodreads because it allows me to look back and see if I've read something or an author before. It also keeps track of how many books I've read each year.
Every year, I set my goal at just higher than the number of books I read the year before, so this year, I guestimated I'd read around 125 books. I read over 135 instead. I may keep my goal at 125 for next year, though, because with three books coming out, that's a lot of reading not counted on goodreads. :-) Worth it.
I posted back in July about the first half of the year and what I'd read. Here's the link for that, if you want to see the first six months. And here's what I read in the second half of the year for my various challenges and groups I'm in.

As you all know, my word for this year was Stretch.
As I started to think of all I'd accomplished this year and what I hoped for next year, I played around with several different options for a word, but one kept coming back to me again and again.

Maintain.

What do I mean by that and what am I hoping to gain with it?

Merry Christmas from our messy living room to yours.
Things may not look exactly the same this year, but we can still celebrate this wonderful time of year.
Blessings on you through this holiday season!

If you remember ALL the way back to the beginning of 2020, when things looked so bright, and we had no idea about any of what was headed our way, I decided my word for 2020 was going to be "Stretch." The year before I'd chosen to be brave and start trying to put myself out there more. This year, I wanted to continue to push myself and see how far I could reach.
Let me tell you, I think this year stretched me in some ways more than I could have stretched myself.

Do you consider changing diapers to be romantic? You might be surprised. Guest author, Ann Brodeur is joining us today to talk about finding romance every day of the week. See if you agree.

​My husband and I met when we were in our thirties. By then, I’d given up hope of ever getting married or having kids of my own. When we finally met, it was a whirlwind romance. From the time we met, dated, got engaged, married and had our first babies, it was a grand total of sixteen months. Barely time for flowers, chocolates or expensive dates – those typical things when thoughts of romance come to mind.
He was never a romantic in the sense of showering me in gifts, or even remembering special dates (though now with technology, he records those dates in his electronic calendar so he never forgets!). But he is truly a romantic in the everyday things.
My husband cooks (he’s French and I don’t mind admitting his cooking skills are on a whole different level than mine – he makes even scrambled eggs into a gourmet meal). My husband does laundry (he lived on his own for over a decade so his laundering skills are excellent). My husband changes diapers (he had to learn pretty fast with having twins as the first of our brood to come along) and plays with our kids.

I love soup.
Stews and chili and tomato bisque and chowders ...
I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it.

I will say, though, that I hadn't expanded my soup repertoire until the last few years. What do I mean by that? I stuck to the safe ones. The ones I grew up with. The ones with vegetables and ingredients we used in other things.
But in the last few years, I've started expanding.