Happy new year friends!
I’m glad to say I’m looking forward to 2024. There were many years in a row where I really struggled with the move into January, grieving the year that was left behind for one reason or another. This time, I found myself almost impatient for it: splurging on a fancy day planner by the first week of December; cleaning and reorganising my WFH and studio desks over the holidays; filling out cheesy personal reflections on 2023 and enjoying it; making multiple Google Keep notes of my personal ‘Best Of’ lists for all the media I consumed1. I also sat down and made a bingo card for 2024, instead of a list of resolutions like I usually do. Resolutions always feel like prophecies of failure!
This way of thinking about the year felt so much more fun. And the Aries in me (my Sun and Mercury) loves the low-stakes, straightforward gamification of it all.
Somehow I’ve already crossed a box off already, which I wasn’t expecting: this past week I sat down and wrote a short story! (‘: Talk about a new year miracle.
The 2024 Time Shrine calendars raised $260CAD so far, which is very exciting! (I started off thinking that I would only donate 50%, but I ended up wanting to donate all of it.) Funds have been split equally between aid to Gaza via ANERA Org, and WISH Drop-In Centre Society. We’re also half-way through January now, so calendars are 50% off!! All proceeds will continue to be donated to ANERA and WISH Drop-In.
One of my favourite annual traditions is that the whole family will all go to the movies together for Christmas. It started with the Lord of the Rings movies, which were released every year in December 2001, 2002, and 2003. Parents, cousins, aunts and uncles would bundle up and go together and it was very cute! After that it just felt right to keep going.
Choosing the yearly holiday movie is a month-long process, and there are many Christmases where many of us are not at all satisfied with the pick; for instance, this year my brother campaigned hard for everyone to go see Aquaman 2. Thankfully nobody else agreed with him. We ended up seeing Wonka. As an enthusiastic Paddington-head, I had a great time. My dad on the other hand—an action movie guy, a procedural man, a forever stan of the CIA operative with no choice but to save the day story arc—not so much!
Weatherpersons here in Vancouver were saying snowfall last night and they were right! It’s a snow day for me and I feel like a little kid again. Hope you are all finding comfort from the cold in your homes, loved ones, and transitional rituals. May we all get a bingo in our bingo cards!
April
Second annual April Awards incoming! Lol.