{"id":11624,"date":"2023-01-04T16:05:19","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T22:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/?p=11624"},"modified":"2023-01-04T16:05:21","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T22:05:21","slug":"75-things-about-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/2023\/01\/04\/75-things-about-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"75 Things About 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple of months ago<\/a>, I linked to this post<\/a> by Berry Simpson in which he describes his annual effort to identify a hundred things which he describes as the good things, the grace-filled things, the influential things, and the things that make us human<\/em>. (Here’s his list for 2022<\/a>.) At that time, I foolishly committed to going through a similar exercise, although I’m still not sure what wouldn’t fall into the category of “the things that make us human,” me being human for the most part myself. But the point of the exercise is to hone one’s sense of gratitude by recognizing\/remembering those good things<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say “foolishly” because I realized about 2\/3rds of the way through the effort that it’s not something that you<\/s> I should wait until the end of the year to do. My memory simply isn’t good enough to recapture some of the delights that fall into the admittedly illogical category of “trivial yet important.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, while I’m not above making a list out of whole cloth, I stuck to those events and observations from 2022 that actually stand out in my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it turns out that upon further contemplation, even some things that at the moment don’t seem like Good Things actually are. My hope for you is that you are able to say the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we go, in absolutely no particular order, my three-quarters-of-a-hundred-things list:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Being delighted by the filled chocolate mini-cupcakes from Walmart added to Chobani reduced sugar lemon yogurt along with blueberries and raspberries: a dessert revelation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Bouncing back from a summer that brought a parent\u2019s death, a cancer diagnosis, a serious UTI, pneumonia, and COVID in rapid succession, and understanding God\u2019s grace through it all.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Relishing the view from our breakfast table of steam rising from the creek behind our house on a cold morning.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Watching the amusing interaction between a lovelorn whitetail buck and his object of affection, a doe which pretends to ignore him, while making sure he doesn\u2019t give up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Running on the Summit Rock golf course cart path with Debbie on Mondays when the course is closed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Reading a poem written by a favorite aunt \u2014 and my mother\u2019s sole remaining sibling out of 11 \u2014 at her funeral at the request of her daughter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Looking at a 3-inch stack of cards from friends following my cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery and realizing how blessed I am to have such a family backing me up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fire Ant Gazette.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Paddleboarding with Debbie on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio Riverwalk<\/a>.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Introducing our friends from Midland to Horseshoe Bay, and learning that they will build a house two blocks away from ours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Taking an extended weekend trip to San Antonio to celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary, which included a morning run in which we got lost and ended up running much further than we had planned. It was quite an adventure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Dining on chopped brisket from the new barbecue store at the Marble Falls HEB<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Cooking on a new gas grill to replace the 20-year-old model that came with the house we purchased in 2016. It\u2019s a much better grill than I am a cook, but I can finally put a real sear on a steak.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Enjoying recumbent tandem bike rides with Debbie along miles of streets in Horseshoe Bay.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Facing the terrible responsibility of making the decision not to prolong my mother\u2019s life as dementia and related illness takes an unacceptable toll, and then seeing the amazing grace of Hospice personnel in helping us through her final days on earth. And sitting bedside, along with Debbie, and holding her hand as she entered Heaven.
    \"B&W<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Using my new chainsaw to maintain the trees along the walking trail that circles our neighborhood.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. Getting caught in the rain during a run with Debbie\u2026and not caring because it was an adventure.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  18. Paddleboarding across Lake LBJ to an outdoor concert on a hot June evening.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  19. Splitting firewood with a ten-pound sledgehammer and feeling grateful for the health and strength to do that simple task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  20. Enjoying a blazing fireplace using that hand-split wood
    \"GIF:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  21. Attending a Pink Martini<\/a> concert in San Antonio with two other couples.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  22. Seeing the legendary accordionist Flaco Jim\u00e9nez<\/a> in concert.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  23. Making a road trip to Denton, Mineola, and Midlothian to visit with several of Debbie\u2019s cousins (and one of mine), and feeling a warm sense of family that we\u2019d missed because of the pandemic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  24. Making another road trip to North Texas for a rare reunion with my dad\u2019s side of the family, and again renewing old relationships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  25. Learning to hang drywall while working with a group of men from our Sunday class to help construct our church\u2019s new Missions Center in Marble Falls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  26. Working with some of that same group to help build a fence at the Missions Center<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  27. Reading the Bible cover-to-cover<\/a> for the 31st time in the past 32 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  28. Paddleboarding a mile and back on the South Padre Island portion of Laguna Madre with my pal Sam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  29. Successfully finishing the remaining portion of our new back yard deck that the carpenters had overlooked. It was my first time \u2013 and possibly my last time \u2013 to work with Trex.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  30. Experimenting with DreamStudio<\/a> and DALL-E 2<\/a>, AI-powered text-to-image generators.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  31. Converting my blog from a decades-old platform to WordPress, a state-of-the-art platform.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  32. Trapping my 99th armadillo and safely relocating it to an undisclosed location.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  33. Finally getting to see Dale Watson<\/a> in concert when he appeared at the Horseshoe Bay Resort\u2019s annual \u201cBeer By The Bay\u201d music festival.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  34. Encountering a porcupine waddling down the path during our run to the lighthouse on Lake LBJ.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  35. Listening to Erik Hokkanen and the Hip Replacements at the Redbud Cafe<\/a> in Blanco, Texas, and being absolutely amazed at the talent of that trio.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  36. The discovery of the Time Traveler<\/a> feature on the Merriam-Webster website, which documents the first known appearance of a given word.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  37. Watching three young armadillos forage in the vacant lot next to our house. One of them got close enough to touch my shoe before realizing I was there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  38. Getting a new iPad and a Magic Keyboard to go along with it, and realizing that I could now quickly send texts that are massive in length.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  39. Getting personalized tours of Garcia Art Glass<\/a>\u2019s \u201chot shop\u201d and Caylor Forge<\/a>\u2019s bladesmithing shop in San Antonio.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  40. Dining on breakfasts at Tia\u2019s Taco Hut<\/a>, near the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk in San Antonio<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  41. Following almost two years of pandemic-induced isolation, discovering that I still remembered how to tie a bowtie.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  42. Listening to the Doc Watkins Orchestra play \u201cSing, Sing, Sing\u201d at the Jazz Texas<\/a> underground jazz club.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  43. Watching our nephew\u2019s German shepherd and corgi react to my low-flying drone in the back yard.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  44. Attending an outdoor worship service overlooking Lake Marble Falls on Easter Sunday<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  45. Pressure washing our back patio for the first time and discovering that it\u2019s not really brown.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  46. Dancing barefoot with Debbie at sunset on the soft grass of a local driving range to the live music of the Honeybee Jazz<\/a> quintet from Austin.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  47. Driving 60 miles one-way to eat a perfectly cooked one-pound ribeye steak for $25 at the Bend General Store<\/a> while listening to live music.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  48. Delivering and assembling a bed, mattress, sheets, and comforter for a little girl who was sleeping on a couch, and getting to see her shyness turn to excitement as she tried it out. This is what a ministry called Sleep In Heavenly Peace<\/a> does, and it\u2019s very cool.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  49. Visiting our friends\u2019 ranch outside of Brady and helping them feed horses, goats, and cattle.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  50. Attending a dueling pianos show at the Horseshoe Bay Resort, and having a surprisingly fun time.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  51. Receiving an email from a Jewish \u201cvirtual\u201d friend \u2013 who I\u2019ve never met \u2013 telling me that he had said Psalm 30<\/a>, an appeal for healing, on my behalf.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  52. Heading out for a run in a cold, damp, and cloudy November morning\u2026and experiencing the blessing of seeing the skies clear and the sun shine begin to shine brightly in less than half an hour\u2019s time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  53. Running almost 700 miles during the year\u2026the second highest total in the 38 years that I\u2019ve been keeping records<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  54. Finally realizing that taking more than one rest day per week from running is a wise thing to do<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  55. Also realizing that no longer caring about how fast I run is a feature, not a bug<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  56. Discovering a movie called Moms\u2019 Night Out<\/a><\/em>. As unexpectedly moving as it was hilarious.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  57. Seeing a white pelican floating in the middle of Lake LBJ. Pelicans don\u2019t live here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  58. HEB\u2019s Mi Tienda-branded beef fajitas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  59. Enjoying T-Mobile\u2019s 5G Personal Internet service that has allowed us to reliably stream movies for the first time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  60. Discovering that a small inexpensive ceramic heater coupled with some sheets and a frost cloth can successfully (and safely!) protect warm-weather potted plants from single digit temperatures on our back porch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  61. Writing the weekly emailed newsletter for our 85-member Sunday School class<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  62. Enjoying periodic happy hour get-togethers with various friends in Horseshoe Bay, old and new<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  63. Being amazed by this sunrise viewed from the path out to the lighthouse on Lake LBJ:
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  64. Helping neighbors successfully contain a grass fire that threatened their property<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  65. Photographing a beautiful painted bunting that flew into one of our windows, but was stunned just long enough for me to get a snapshot.
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  66. Encountering a gaping, plump cottonmouth stretched out on the golf course cart path during an early morning run, and pausing to photograph it before continuing our workout<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  67. Videoing two juvenile red-tailed hawk siblings that had hatched in a nest a couple of blocks from our house as they hopped around looking for prey
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  68. Coming across this fawn curled up under a mesquite tree next to the neighborhood tennis\/pickleball court:
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  69. Sporting my new cowboy hat, a Christmas gift from Debbie
    \"Photo:<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  70. Attending monthly Trivia Nights at the Resort on a team comprised of our neighbors; we never win, but we have more fun than the other teams. Our team name is Limited Bandwidth, which gives you an idea of our capabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  71. Wearing pearl-snap shirts made by an Austin company called Poncho<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  72. Having a friend who lives 400 miles away ship you two limes from their tree so that there\u2019s fresh juice for margaritas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  73. Listening to Bluegrass Junction<\/a><\/em> on SiriusXM: back to basics, musically-speaking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  74. Snacking on Debbie\u2019s guacamole made with fresh jalape\u00f1os, onions, and bacon bits<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  75. Reveling in 75\u00ba and sunshine on New Year\u2019s Eve<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I tried to emulate a friend in coming up with a hundred things that were special about 2022. I didn’t quite make it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11648,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-sink","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cupcakes2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11624"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12897,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11624\/revisions\/12897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}