“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

- Roald Dahl

This week, Floret Farms presented their first documentary, which tells the story of Alla Olkhovska as she supports her family selling flower seeds while living through the war in Ukraine. I encourage you to share this important film with others, to buy seeds from Alla to support her family, and to share in her joy of seed saving. You can purchase Alla’s e-book, Clematis, on the Floret Flower Farm website here.

“But just to keep alive is not enough. To live, you must have sunshine and freedom, and a little flower to love.”

-Hans Christian Andersen

As we near the winter solstice, the days are getting shorter. There is both a pull to gather our people and hold them close and a yearning for quiet reflection and introspection.

With the promise of a new year, there is the possibility of wild unknowns that await. I’ve been thinking about the year coming to a close while sipping tea in the early mornings, walking with our dog in the cool air and basking in the mid-day winter sun as she naps on the couch on our porch, and even ruminating about the coming year with soapy hands while washing dishes. (This is also what I would call my informal pre-writing process!)

This week, after noticing all the articles on re-inventing yourself for the new year, I found myself thinking about what a successful year really means. I was nominated as “Most Likely to Succeed” in my senior year of high school, which seems to be a laughable superlative at any age. What does that award really even mean, especially as a simultaneously angsty and wide-eyed teenager with so little life experience?

I’ve come to learn in my 40s that curiosity, creativity, resiliency, and contentment are my metrics for success in this life. When I have something (or many things) that I’m passionate about (gardening, nature, caring for people and wildlife, photography, reading, cooking, travel, making tea, saving seeds), I have people I love who are supportive in and of my life, and I am able to find beauty in daily life, I feel as though I am thriving despite society’s typical constraints and often short-lived definitions of success.

I invite you to enjoy a short respite from the holiday business to watch the video I took this week of my garden and home. I hope you feel a sense of peace with the beauty and complexity of daily life and the permission to wind down after a year of abundance and resilience as nature turns quiet and rests for the winter season.

Books can bring us comfort and energize our minds, especially in the winter months. I’ve always loved the idea of a book flood, or Jólabókaflóðið in Icelandic, on Christmas Eve, and I thought, why not flood the whole winter season with books?

I’m sharing a few booklists I created on Bookshop.org this year in hopes you’ll find a good book to curl up with in the colder months.

In 2023, I read 54 books (see my booklist for 2023 below), so I’m compiling a list of 50 titles for 2024. My TBR list for 2024 will include several books and audiobooks I already own and haven’t read or listened to, with room for a few extras to add throughout the year.

My 2024 TBR (To Be Read List) - This is a work in progress, so let me know your recommendations in the comments below this post.

Need a last-minute gift? Support independent bookstores and celebrate reading with a Libro.fm audiobook gift credit bundle or Bookshop.org gift card.

Why Libro.fm and not Audible? Read more about why Libro.fm is my choice for audiobooks.

I will be taking a longer break than usual this holiday season but will return to writing on February 15. If you have a paid subscription, you will not be billed for the month of January.

I’m beginning the year by giving myself ample time to plan our garden, take inventory of seeds for spring planting, learn a few new skills, and practice others (knitting, creative writing, practicing Spanish and learning a few words in Portuguese, and photography), organize my digital photo library (the most time-consuming task of all!), consider what I’ll be writing about this year, and thoughtfully prepare for the upcoming year by deciding what parts of my life to prioritize.

What do you want to see here on 52 Seasons in 2024? Let me know in the comments below!

Until we meet again in the new year, I encourage you to celebrate winter’s offerings with this post from Victoria Harrison. I hope the holiday season gives you ample time for activities you love, spending time with people who fill your heart, spreading kindness, and letting nature lead the way. Say yes to lingering this season when the opportunity arises rather than rushing. Let nature set the pace. Stay warm, or if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, stay cool, and I hope to see you all in the new year.