The fact that it’s February and I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t done my annual post yet probably says something. It says not much happened last year. Well, it did and it didn’t. It was a quiet year of building blocks for other things. The mortar and clay of life is often uninteresting, though it’s necessary.

So, if you want to know the high level of 2021: I worked, I worked on my Masters, I worked out and I took my dog for walks.

Year Of

Hazon Vision. A prophetic vision for your life. “Whenever God wants to do something good in your life, He first gives you a hazon vision.” “God gives you hazon vision by filling your heart with faith pictures for your future” “When you have the Lord’s hazon vision in your heart and speak it forth–that’s when the miracle or blessing manifests.” Ephesians 1:16-19

New and unprecedented things; we’ll see changes and transitions. Acts 9:43 Simon Peter stayed with Simon the tanner in Joppa which means beautiful. It was a time of living out beautiful days. Simon means hearing, two Simons are similar to Deut 28:1 which says the blessing of the Lord comes on those who listen double. “The secret to enjoying many beautiful days is found in hearing and hearing the Word of God.”

Jan – April

See above.

Well, ok, little things…

January I started a Masters in Creative Writing, transitioning from the Masters in Communications I started in the Fall of 2020. Different focus but with the same goal of teaching stories and creative writing.

February

Lisa Harper event at my church. I’d heard Lisa on a podcast at Levi Lusko‘s church, Fresh Life. She’s funny! And authentic and relatable, honest and has good Biblical wisdom. I enjoy listening to her speak. Listening and listening to the word of God.

March

Virtual Leigh Bardugo event for Rule of Wolves. It’s sad this is the closest I came to a book event all year. It was also a fairly quiet event for the end of these books. It’s interesting to have this whole book journey through three series and for a book era to end right before the tv show premieres.

I have to confess as much as I like Nikolai, I didn’t love either King of Scars or Rule of Wolves which is why I don’t have full reviews of them up. I did learn some good writing lessons from them though. It’s worth noting how Bardugo’s writing shifts through all the books–it highlights some things to aim for and also things to avoid when I tackle a series someday.

May

I think I probably drove home to see my family. My calendar suggests I did. I can’t say for certain, though.

June

I went to exciting Bentonville, Arkansas. For work. I mock but I got to see some friends that I work with and hadn’t seen in a couple of years. I got to meet some new people I work with and make some new friends. I also learned they do have decent Mexican food in Arkansas (who would have thought).

July

I spent 4th of July in a quaint small town with family and fireworks.

August

I went on a week long writing retreat. It was so wonderful and so needed! I worked out the theme and a plot of a short story I’ve been working on. I worked extensively on Arizona, my current work in progress and the story I’m focused on for my Masters. I got away from life to clear my head and tap into my creative energies and I relaxed.

An annual writing retreat is now a thing I must have.

October

Yes, I skipped September. See above. In October though, I did a few things.

I want to an art exhibit with an odd name (Meow Wolf). I saw the building from the highway at some point in the summer when my brother’s family came to visit. My sister-in-law had gone to the Meow Wolf in Santa Fe and said it was fun and interesting so I got a ticket a few days later, and months before it opened. It was interesting, though as I understand it, it’s less interactive than the Santa Fe one (no need to crawl through things).

Then I saw Dune. Twice. I have multiple nephews with complex schedules. I then totally watched it a third time when a friend came to visit around Halloween. We talked for hours about the editing and lighting and directing and acting and score and sound editing. It was so fabulous to talk movies with someone at that level again after having been out of LA for so long. So, of course, after all that talk we had to watch it together.

November

My brother came up to visit again with my niece. I love hanging out with my family. It makes the cold of Colorado endurable.

December

Spent a week with my family again relaxing before the new year got rolling. Nothing exciting. Some more writing work. Even though Arizona is two-thirds of the way written, I worked on the outline pretty heavily. The plot/story aren’t clicking for me. Tattered Heart did this for ages before I keyed into the vibe of it and the story flowed from there. It still struggled with plot for long time (more to come on that).

For Arizona, I feel like I haven’t found that key yet. I also played games and hung out. Not working and not working on my Masters for just a bit.

Books of 2021

I think it would be super cool to add a collage of books I read in the year. Bookhype has a great graphic display of everything I read in the year in case you’re curious – or in case I want to see it again. Bookhype is great with stats, rereads, and graphics.

Friday playlist