2022 has been a good year for me. Coming out of the worst days of the Covid 19 Pandemic has given me a chance to try to get back into my normal routine.
Being able to once again go out in public (except to medical facilities) without wearing an N-95 mask is a nice change from 2020 and 2021. It still feels odd to eat inside a restaurant or travel. All the things I used to take for granted are more appreciated now.
2022 was a year of accomplishment for me as I published Harrisburg, Did You Know? Cabarrus History, Book 1 the last week in November. Itās been exciting to see it well-received and appreciated.
Publishing the book gave me a sense of accomplishment I didnāt expect as I was able to format it and design the cover. I even learned how to make a QR Code that will take people to my website! I still have trouble remembering what the āQā and the āRā stand for, but Iām making progress. Those are small technological accomplishments in the big scheme of things, but they are huge for me!
The formatting of Harrisburg, Did You Know? Cabarrus History, Book 2 is coming along nicely, so watch for it perhaps in February. Iām on my own schedule for that, so that lessens the pressure of meeting someone elseās deadline.
I hired a company to redesign my website. Iāve now seen the home page and the āaboutā page, so itās coming together. I look forward to unveiling the new website in a few weeks. The URL will still be JanetMorrisonBooks.com.
Iāve made progress working on my family genealogy and putting the information in a software program that will allow me to easily share the information with others in the family. They might not appreciate it now, but Iād like to think they will later.
The decluttering I did early in the year is but a distant memory now. (Why did I keep this stuff?) My writing projects sidetracked me. I must make time for more decluttering in the new year.
Iāve read some good books this year, but my writing has derailed my reading list the last several months. Too many books, not enough time!
The historical short stories Iām writing have taken a back seat to the Harrisburg local history books, but I look forward to turning my attention back to them now that Book 1 is out. In fact, I edited one of my stories on Saturday.
The older I get, the more I realize Iām racing against the clock to get all my projects finished. Too many interests and projects, not enough time!
As you look back over 2022, I hope you remember the good times and all your blessings. I canāt forget the sad times or the difficult times but, when I stop and think, I know Iāve been truly blessed this year. I hope you feel the same way about 2022 as we prepare for a new year.
Until my next blog post
I hope you have a good book to read! Iām reading a book of poetry by Ray Griffin. The name of it is Threshold. Iāll write more about it in my next blog post.
Itās been an unusually cold past week here in the United States. I hope youāve stayed safe and warm wherever you are.
Remember the cold and brave people of Ukraine.
I hope youāre having a nice holiday season, no matter your beliefs.
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
Janet, first and foremost a most blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy and productive New Year! Second, CONGRATULATIONS!!! on the book (Book 1 and the forthcoming Book 2) I am sure you feel a satisfying sense of accomplishment and, why not, a certain pride in having completed a most interesting and important work in your literary life. I have been following the severe weather in the US, even my friends in Miami and South Florida are shivering (well, they shiver when the temperatures drop to 60 degrees F. hehehe). But in northern states and in the west I know it is dreadful and deadly for many people and we pray that all will be protected, as we do for the Ukrainians who are suffering tremendously. So, all the best to you and your family as we come to the end of this year and the beginning of the new one. Here in Europe we celebrate all these festivities as the night before, so we celebrate the “Old Night” (Noche vieja) but as soon as the 12 bells of midnight have rung, and we eat our 12 grapes and our glass of cider or champagne, we forget about the old night and celebrate the New Year! Stay safe, stay warm.
Francis
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Congratulations on your accomplishment Janet with wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2023
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Thank you. I hope you and your family all have a healthy and happy 2023. Stay warm! It’s cold in NC, but at least we didn’t also get snow like much of NY did.
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We had only an inch of snow in Ithaca. Temperatures hit minus 3 F Christmas Eve morning. Still single digits overnight. Suppose to ease off Tuesday. Cheers!!
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Thank you, Francis, for all your encouraging comment all along for my writing. It is gratifying to be able to hold the book in my hands. The cold weather has been something we haven’t really experienced here in the piedmont of NC in about 40 years — this being a prolonged time below 32 degrees F. Duke Energy has instituted roving blackouts and asked us to limit our electricity usage as the grid is being strained by the high demand. So far, our power has stayed on, so we’re fortunate. It did break the freezing point for a few hours yesterday afternoon, and we hope it will this afternoon, too. We learned last night that our wonderful library here was flooded yesterday afternoon apparently due to a water line burst. We haven’t learned the extent of damage yet, but it was announced that the library will be closed for an indefinite length of time. A police officer on patrol discovered the flooding, so authorities were able to respond quickly. Of course, with a low of 14 degrees this morning, the damage maybe continued. The suffering in other parts of the US has been epic. Even areas that normally have temperatures below zero have had extreme weather with dangerous conditions. Coinciding with holiday travel has compounded the misery. Like you, my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine who have no heat, no electricity, no water, and — in many cases — no home to shelter in. I pray that the situation there will be resolved in 2023. I know I can’t imagine the level of their suffering and uncertainties. It’s interesting to learn of your “Old Night” traditions in Spain — especially the 12 grapes. Enjoy your week! Janet
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Thank you Janet, and I am so sorry to hear about your library being flooded, I hope that the damage was not too bad and that it can reopen quickly without much loss. Well, we all hope and pray for the end of all wars as none of them are any good and they become the great suffering of so many innocent people. The weather is totally crazy, all year we have heard of killer floods and other miseries and now this “snow bomb” over the US. But, we must do what they taught me in the military, that is to adapt, improvise and overcome. Of course with the help of God. You too, Janet, enjoy the week!
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Kukos on your year if accomplishments, Janet! Here’s to even more in 2023!!
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Merry Christmas and happy New Year.šā¤ļø
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Congratulations š š š š„³ on you new book. I will save the link to purchase on Amazon.
I pray that you will receive love and joy this Christmas season and the New Year. Thank you for your kind support throughout this year and I am looking forward to see you next year.
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How very kind and supportive of you, Beverley! Thank you so much.
Seeing your comment today made me realize that I don’t think I’m getting your blog posts on my feed now, so I’ll look into that. I always enjoyed your posts. Sometimes when something quietly disappears for a while, I fail to realize it.
I pray that you are also having a joyous and love-filled Christmas season and that the New Year will be a blesssing to you.
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too, Laleh! Thank you!
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Thank you, Liz! I am truly blessed! Happy New Year to you!
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We haven’t been able to find out many specifics about the damage at our library, since it is closed for an indefinite length of time. There was one inside photo posted on Facebook that looked pretty bad… ceiling tiles on the floor, insulation hanging from the ceiling, over-turned furniture. My assumption is that the heating and air-conditioning system and the necessary water pipes to the air-conditioner were in the “attic.” The library was built in 2001, and last week’s near-zero temps were the coldest prolonged below freezing temps we’ve had since 1983. Builders used to know better than to construct a building like that. I haven’t heard how deep the water inside got before the problem was discovered. Of course, being subjected to the moisture in the air, no doubt, ruined many books. The photo on Facebook was of the area where there are 10 or so computers for residents to use if they don’t have access to a computer at home — or if they want to access programs, software, etc. that the library system provides that many people couldn’t afford to have at home. The good thing is that it happened on a Sunday when there were no library employees or other people there, so no one was injured. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more. Have a good evening and a good day tomorrow.
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Hopefully it won’t be as bad as it looked in the photo. Definitely some buildings are not constructed as they once were Janet. Hopefully it will be reformed soon. All the best and a happy Thursday/Friday (as we say here). All the best.
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I’m glad Ithica is far enough east to escape the lake effect snow that Buffalo and Watertown get. We got down to 9 degrees in the Charlotte area and three nights below 15. After 50 hours below freezing, it inched above 32 just enough on Christmas afternoon for some folks to have burst pipes. One of those victims, sadly, was our library here in Harrisburg. It’s closed indefinitely for clean-up and repairs. The photo I saw on Facebook showed ceiling tiles on the floor and insulation hanging from the ceiling in the computer section. I dread to hear the full extent of damage to books, etc. It’s been 39 years since we had a prolonged time of below freezing and near zero temperatures, so I think architects and builders have been lulled into a sense of security and have adopted a practice of putting buildings on concrete slabs and air-conditioning units in attics. I’m assuming that’s the root of the problem at the library, which was built in 2001. I hope you have a Happy New Year!
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You’re welcome, Janet!
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You are welcome Jan. WordPress sometimes neglect to send you the feed from the persons you follow so I saved my favorite blogs and try to catch up on their posts when I get the time. Have a great š day.
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