The Games Afoot

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by Julie, ringing in 2024

I don’t love the idea of “resolutions” per se, but I do enjoy thinking about how I’d like to feel about 2024 on December 31, 2024, and what I can do to get there.

One thing I’d like more of in 2024? Fun.

I work full time and also write. Balancing the two is always challenging, and I’ve found that “doing nothing” time is difficult for me. As a writer, reading is seldom a relief from my writing brain, though I do enjoy reading or listening to books every day. And then thinking about how the author did what they did, why and how it worked (or didn’t), and what I could use for my own writing. Even taking a walk means that characters and plot points visit. I can’t stop working.

So I’ve set a challenge for myself in 2024. How can I have more fun? I’ve come up with a list.

Puzzles

A friend gave me an Agatha Christie puzzle. I also have a Jane Austen puzzle. Both are large, so during the holidays making space was challenging. But the plan for the new year is to make the space, and work on the puzzles.

Cribbage

My grandfather taught me how to play cribbage, and my sister and I have started playing when we see each other. She also suggested an app for my phone, which has been helpful at getting rid of counting cobwebs. There are other games that are fun, but cribbage is active while also social.

Painting

I’ve written about my forays into painting before. Fun, but I’m not great at it. How about if I let go of perfectionism, and paint for fun? What a concept.

Knitting/Needlework

I love to knit. While it doesn’t shut my writing brain down, combined with listening to a book or music, I find it very relaxing. I’m knitting afghans for folks, so the projects are bulky but satisfying.

Evidoozle

Friend of the Wickeds and fellow author Sharon Daynard and her husband developed an online game during the pandemic, Evidoozle. According to Sharon, “Basically, it’s an evidence board that’s solved in reverse. Instead of seemingly random collage of media on an evidence board and the items are linked together with string to mark connections, in Evidoozle the strings are different colored lines on the evidence board and the player has to place playing cards in the correct spaces along those lines based on relationship they have to the line. For example, pink lines join card pairs, green lines connects sequential cards of the same suit, etc.”

Every day they feature a book cover from a different crime novel, giving authors a unique opportunity to promote their book. Again, from Sharon: “the idea was to provide a fun and challenging game for players and a venue other than the traditional social media, blog, book signings to promote their books.”

You can play the game at evidoozle.com. Happily, there are tutorials and practice boards.

Physical Activity

My days of running are over. My knees are wonky, and I have some residual Covid fatigue. That said, getting out and about is a tonic. Walks alone, or with friends. I went axe throwing with friends recently–a surprisingly fun way to spend an evening. I haven’t bowled in years, but am going soon. Yoga classes are in the offing. Dance breaks during the day. Pickleball intrigues me. I don’t take being able to do things lightly, and plan on enjoying moving this year.

Readers, are you good at having fun?

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Published by J.A. Hennrikus

One woman, three names, many books. As Julia Henry I wrote the Garden Squad series for Kensington. As J.A. Hennrikus I wrote the Theater Cop series, and as Julianne Holmes I wrote the Clock Shop series. I've been an arts administrator for my entire career, mostly in the performing arts. Currently I'm the ED of Sisters in Crime, a wonderful organization that promotes and supports crime writers. www.sistersincrime.org Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram! @JHAuthors

35 Thoughts

  1. I like your goals, Julie! I play cribbage every afternoon and walk at least ten thousand steps a day, usually more, preferably outdoors. Haven’t taken up painting yet, but I do make a quilt every few years, and this year it was two baby quilts. Now I want to go try Evidoozle.

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  2. Julie,

    I’m good at having the fun I like to have. Or rather what I consider fun. The only problem with that is that in general most of what other people like to call fun bores me to tears.

    Plus, I consider sitting at home watching TV or reading far more “fun” than going bowling.

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  3. JULIE: I like your ideas of having more fun in 2024!
    Like you, I find it difficult to sit around and just relax.

    To start the day (and get my brain cells working without coffee), I play several word/game puzzles.
    NOT WORDLE, I gave that up last summer. Instead, I am playing NYTimes Spelling Bee and Connections. And I recently got hooked on Murdle I understand that mystery fiction writers might not want to play that, but I enjoy being the sleuth. It’s kinda like playing the board game CLUE with suspects, weapons, locations (and sometimes motives). You use your notebook (a grid) to eliminate people until you can ID who killed the victim & how/where/why.

    And my daily solo (or group) walks are a definite necessity. But it’s been weird to walk around in normal running shoes in late December/early January. This mild gloomy winter is just wrong for Ottawa.

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    1. Grace, I need to explore Murdle. I also play Connections, but am frustrated more often than not. We’re also having mild weather here. I don’t want to jinx it, but I do wish it was more wintery. Gray drizzly days don’t do it for me.

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  4. Being retired has helped in the fun department. However, to be retired means you are older and, if like me a few medical issues, meaning there are limitations to having that fun. Determination helps me to go the distance to have fun on occasion. Thankfully, hubby and I love photography which has led to traveling, both near and far, to get the shot we dream of so in that respect we are good at having fun (when Covid and situations prevent it or best of intentions). As a distraction when weather is bad or events limit that fun, I’m fortunate to have a hubby that loves to cook/bake/grill as much as I do meaning we often have fun heading to the kitchen. Often the greatest fun, is quiet time and good book. There’s always time and ability for that kind of fun. My motto – Life is to short to short change yourself of a little fun. Grab the gusto ,go with the flow, and try something new because the fun along the way is worth the chance!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  6. Good on ya, Julie! During the warm months, I enjoy getting outside. Kinda tough to get motivated to do that this time of the year. The effort is so worth it, though!

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  7. I am so-so on fun. Problem is, fun for me is a social activity and I don’t have a large social circle. Plus I work full-time and most of my friends don’t, so the calendars don’t often mesh. But I try.

    The Hubby gave me a 1,000-piece puzzle for Christmas. It’s currently occupying the dining room table. I work on it a little each day, but again. It’s more fun when we do it together.

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  8. Hi Julie, You have some fun activities lined up.
    I have a Thursday morning coffee group. Those ladies are a lot of fun and they come from a lot of different backgrounds. One other woman in the group is a writer and we keep telling them we’re going to use some of their antics in our books!

    I started scrapbooking this fall by doing a scrapbook for my mom’s 95th birthday. That was my first one and I’m hooked. Mom helped me fill in information on some relatives that I didn’t know well and we added their stories to the scrapbook. I’ll be doing more scrapbooking, we have thousands of photos I can use…

    My husband and I live in a fairly new to us location and when the weather cooperates, we go out and explore the locals towns and villages. We both love exploring new to us places.

    Scheduling fun means it’s going to happen!

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  9. I am not great at scheduling fun but I one of my best friends is. She is great at taking me along on all of her adventures. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com

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  10. What a wonderful list! (Now to make sure having fun doesn’t become yet one more thing on the “must-do” list…) Taking up knitting is on my agenda. I’ve cross stitched for many years and think knitting might be a fun change of pace. Any suggestions for how to learn?

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    1. Lori, there are some great tutorials on YouTube. It’s really not difficult once you learn the two stitches. Everything comes from knitting or purling. Maybe we can make part of our next board meeting knitting tutorials, LOL.

      I love cross stitch but am finding it hard to see as well. Got a light and a magnifier to help.

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  11. Hi Julie,
    Thank you for including Evidoozle in your list to add more fun to 2024. It’s a challenging game anyone can learn to play. And to all the mystery writers reading today’s blog, you don’t need an invitation to have your book cover appear in Evidoozle for a day. Just go to https://evidoozle.com/pfp/offers.html for more information. Books in a pre-order status on Amazon are also welcome.
    Play the game at http://www.evidoozle.com and add some fun to your day.
     

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  12. Hi, Julie! More fun in 2024. I love this idea. I recently started scrapbooking again after almost a decade away from it. I loved it. But for me, it’s still about constructing a coherent narrative out of a series of images, so not quite getting away from writing.

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  13. What fun ideas! I want to try Evidoozle – my last act before bed is to play Chrono quest – Quordle – Wordle – Spelling Bee – Connections. I see Evidoozle rounding out the group. I also try to find time to crochet each day, and walk when I can get through the snows. We live on a rural property so no sidewalks or safe side streets, but the woods and fields call!

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  14. I just need the legs to work and then I can have some goals. Each morning, I do the daily challenges for the four card games I play.

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  16. I’m not good at relaxing or having fun. Of course, some of what I do is a combo. (Reading is fun but also needs to happen for reviews. I enjoy reviewing, but right now I have two book reviews to write and that is bugging me). I need to find some ways to truly relax and have fun, preferably with people.

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  17. Physical fun is mostly a thing of the past, but I did go zip lining at 73. 🙂 I love 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, and several online pastimes: paint by numbers, scavenger hunts, find the differences, and good old solitaire. And, of course, the best – reading.

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