2023 in Review with the Box

If you read this blog regularly, you know Kevin and I have a tradition for New Year's Eve. During the course of the year we write down happy moments and occasions on scraps of paper and put them in a box. On New Year's Eve we open the box and look back on the best of the year behind us. 

Sometimes the unhappy moments of a year can cast a shadow over one's memories. The box is a reminder there are always plenty of good times and encourages us to find joy in small things.


So what was in this year's box?

January 13th (Friday the 13th!) - We saw Leopoldstadt

January 17th - We were invited on a cruise to Iceland

February 2nd - Kevin gets a new camera

February 7th - Kevin gets a new car

February 17th - We saw Kimberly Akimbo

March 31st-April 2nd - Rachel performed in Picnic (my last play?)

April 10th - Saw Immersive Monet with Mom (after a few tries to take her)

April 28th-30th - Kevin performs in Lost in Yonkers

May 28th - Mom's birthday pasta dinner at our place. Penelope was home from school to join us.

June 2nd - Kevin wins a contract with Bose at work. His biggest client yet.

June 18th - Father's Day dinner at our place

July 13th-24th - Our cruise to Iceland

July 25th-29th - We go to Chincoteague and see the Pony Swim for the first time since 2018.

August 22nd - Final dinner with the family at Augustine's before Penelope and Charles both went off to college.

September 4th - Labor Day barbecue at Bryan and Jenny's house.

September 22nd - Zoo day with Mom. Took her to an Animal Encounter with a sloth.

October 6th - Our anniversary. We had dinner at the new restaurant, Alessia's, formerly Chef Antonio, which was the site of our first date.

October 7th - 30th birthday party for Valerie, my SIL's niece and spending time with her side of the family.

October 28th - First birthday party for our grandniece Elle at their home in MA.

November 5th - Dinner with my cousins at my cousin Matt's house.

November 22nd - Kevin is cast in Arsenic and Old Lace at Curtain Call Theater.

November 23rd - Family gathers at the Homestead for Thanksgiving.

December 2nd - Harrison Players staged reading of It's a Wonderful Life radio play

December 10th - Dance Connection annual holiday party. I give a successful dance performance and sing a tricky song. 

December 17th - Bill and Anthony's annual holiday party. We gather with our theater family.

December 18th - We saw Neil Gaiman do a reading of A Christmas Carol.

December 21st - I took time from the holiday bustle to have a long overdue lunch with Rich at Sam's Place.

Fall 2023 - Jenna's condition shows improvement. Her movement is much better and she doesn't seem to be in any pain.

December 25th - We host Christmas dinner at our place.

December 29th - We take a ride to the Lasdon Arboretum for the Holiday Train Show.

December 31st - New Year's Eve dinner at Emilio's. 

We're looking forward to filling the box for 2024!

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