Saying Goodbye to 2023

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Thanks for spending another year with the Wickeds! Wickeds, share a memory of something good that happened to you this year.

Julie: What a great question, Sherry. For me it’s the quiet moments that were good this year. Spending precious time with family. Finding new series to enjoy. Having fun writing. Seeing the Wickeds at various times.

Jessie: I’ve had several lovely experiences this year. I went on two trips with dear friends that were enormously fun. I also got to witness one of my sons as he graduated from a program he had long dreamed of being a part of. And, I spent many hours over the summer hill walking with my youngest and often my dog, Sam. All of those opportunities led to good conversations and strengthened relationships.

Liz: I had some great experiences this year also. I got to go to San Diego twice, which was amazing, and I took a quick trip to London, visited many bookstores and saw an Agatha Christie play. I also got my first tattoo (better late than never!) and of course, got to walk on the beach every day with my dogs. I am blessed!

Barb: Bill and I had a great year. We began with our usual 3 months in Key West, followed by a fun home renovation, a solo visit from our ten-year-old granddaughter, a week at the beach, a three-week trip to France and Spain, and then having our kids, their spouses and their kids here for a terrific Thanksgiving weekend. We’re off to New York City for Christmas and then on to Key West. Happy New Year to our blog readers! I’m so looking forward to 2024.

Edith/Maddie: I’m sensing a theme here of travel and family, and I can easily chime in on that. I kicked off the year with my son John David’s Puerto Rico wedding to the talented and lovely Alexandra. Malice was great (other than passing on COVID to a couple of extended family members after the con), as was Bouchercon in San Diego. Then I launched a new series with fabulous book events in northern California along with cousin visits, all happening as I became a grandmother for the first time! I had to then head out to Phoenix to meet sweet tiny Ida Rose and hang out with her devoted parents. And I followed that trip by a pre-scheduled return to Puerto Rico to visit with John David and Alex and give my Spanish a good workout speaking with her family. Wishing happy trips and family visits in 2024 to all our wonderful readers.

Sherry: My husband retired in the summer of 2022 and we spent a lot of this year traveling. We saw family, made some new friends, and saw lots of longtime, dear friends. One of our happiest days was in Cheyenne, Wyoming where we went down memory lane of where we met, married, and lived along with seeing a friend who was with me the night I met Bob. She claims I said I’d never date him. Ha! And we also saw our maid-of-honor. We saw the beauty of mountains, plains, lakes, and oceans–all beautiful in their own ways. We ranked beaches by their walkability. We were blessed to spend that time with so many people we love.

Readers: What is something good that happened to you this year?

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Published by Sherry Harris

Sherry Harris is the author of the Agatha Award nominated Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Mystery series.

32 Thoughts

  2. I went back to San Diego in August/September. I got to do things/visit places that I missed during my abruptly cancelled trip in March 2020 and to attend Bouchercon 2023.

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  4. After 55 years of publishing short crime fiction in EQMM, AHMM, and elsewhere, I finally got to see my first novel published! (It’s a classic-style whodunit called DUTCH THREAT, set in Amsterdam, and it’s eligible for the Best Debut Lefty and the Best First Agatha and Anthony!)

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  6. In February this year I began going to a French conversation class every Sunday afternoon (I just missed one class!). We have a wonderful (born in Paris!) teacher, and group. I’ve enjoyed these classes so much! We’re now on a holiday break until January 7th when we’ll continue.
    I also decided to be more organized, listing the books of fiction I read, and began the year with a goal of 56 books, and now I’m at 57. I discovered great new series, and authors throughout the year.
    And I volunteered at a book festival – just one day but still, loved doing it!

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  7. With illnesses down everywhere, we were able to resume knocking off things from our bucket list. In the late spring we ventured up to Wisconsin, where we’ve never been before, and coming home by way of Iowa visiting some amazing Amish greenhouse, which meant that our car was packed with plants coming the rest of the way home.

    Medically, even though I’ve had lots of appointment (which means a LOT of long distance travel), they have led me to connecting with the correct specialist to be getting some answers and some relief from some of the pain. Praying this continues into 2024, where I already have a lot of appointments scheduled.

    Even with the ups an downs, I’ve truly been blessed in 2023. Pray for a productive, fun, safe and healthy 2024 for everyone!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  9. What great memories! We started the year with a NYE celebration in Nairobi, Kenya (and Liz, I also had my first tattoo–and only–on NYE). We had wonderful get-togethers with all our children through the year, here in Cincinnati, in DC, Traverse City, and a two-week stay for me with my middle daughter in Colorado. I did get to CrimeBake to see Edith, and although my trip got cut short because of the flu, it was still great fun.

    Onward to 2024. Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead.

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      1. Hello to all, the best thing about the year 2023, and will always be in my heart. My husband, our three grown children, plus our 3 grandsons. We went to Hawaii, and had a blast!

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  10. Wow, Love reading everyone’s memories. For me, the highlight saw three books published this year with more in the hopper for next year. Hope everyone’s dreams come true for 2024!

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  11. I was able to take two great trips this year. One was in the summer with a group of church friends. We spent four days in the Texas Hill Country, which is one of my favorite places. In October, three good friends and I spent several days in Branson, Missouri. I also spent a couple of days with family at a surprise 90th birthday party for my aunt. Overall, 2023 has been a blessed year.

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  12. I went to Bouchercon in San Diego and signed for a new mystery series. And got to ring the bell at the completion of my cancer treatment.

    Liz, I got my first tattoo this year, too!

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  13. I had some great trips this year, too. A Caribbean cruise to kick off the year, and a weekend trip to New York City. Plus a day at Bouchercon in San Diego.

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  14. The reply earlier today about still being employed was mine. I don’t know why the login didn’t show then.

    Anyway.

    Job-wise, being employed still is good.

    Music – I went back to concerts for the first time in three years. I ended up seeing 7 shows and got to meet a few of the bands. My Cassette Chronicles series is still going strong and it will return for another year in 2024.

    Books – My reading was way off this year for some reason. But I’m still writing for Mystery Scene’s website and may be writing for The Strand. I got to be one of the guests on the Bolo Books Youtube series We Are What We Read and got to have dinner with Edith (twice) and Julie. Went to a Hank Phillippi Ryan signing too! And the mystery book club I co-run at the local library had a pretty good year with the books that were read PLUS we played host to Craig Johnson and Maddie Day (aka Edith) virtually and Julie visited in-person.

    Life – Well, I’m still alive I suppose that counts as good. HA!

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  15. Since I’m a full time caregiver getting away is hard. My brother stayed with my mom for a week so my boyfriend and I could take a trip to PA.

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