Scenes from my Autumn Dog Walks
November 25, 2024
November 25, 2024
As December approaches and the last of the autumn leaves flutter to the ground, I’m grateful that this is the second fall in a row a nor’easter or hurricane hasn’t robbed us of the season’s colors. Our late-turning trees often lose their leaves in late September or early October before they’ve had a chance to impress us at their brilliant peak with stunning shades of yellow, orange, and red. Here are just a few glimpses of the fall foliage through the lens of my many, many dog walks around the VB Oceanfront.
September 2, 2024
Late summer in picturesque Nantucket with my mom. Hydrangeas a week or two past their prime. Rain, fog, and a crisp breeze. Walks in town and along the ‘Sconset Bluff Walk. Lighthouses and an evening sail. Cozy restaurants and an upbeat night with The Elovaters at The Chicken Box. Packed three rain jackets; bought two sweatshirts. Spent many hours navigating cobblestones in my rubber mocs. Learned about history and whaling and lightship baskets. Been wanting to come here for more than 15 years, and I’m so glad I finally did!
December 31, 2023
Twenty years ago, I found this questionnaire on the internet, and I’ve been filling it out every December since.
I spent the beginning of 2023 coaxing myself out a massive rut I found myself in at the end of 2022. It started when I got covid. It took me months to feel better again, but by then everything was out of sorts. I used a planner and a vision board to keep myself motivated and on track. During the first half of 2022, I chose a different word for each month of the year to focus on getting myself back on track. During that time, I lost almost 20 pounds! I traveled a bit for work and pleasure — I spent a total of about 10 days in New England this summer, which means I’m 1/3 of the way to my goal of spending a whole month there some summer soon. :) Later in the year, I started investing in some companies other than my own, and I bought a house. Benny and I are fully settled in now, and we’re feeling pretty at home here.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
I spent the beginning of 2023 coaxing myself out a massive rut I found myself in at the end of 2022. It started when I got covid. It took me months to feel better again, but by then everything was out of sorts. I used a planner and a vision board to keep myself motivated and on track. During the first half of 2022, I chose a different word for each month of the year to focus on getting myself back on track. During that time, I lost almost 20 pounds! I traveled a bit for work and pleasure — I spent a total of about 10 days in New England this summer, which means I’m 1/3 of the way to my goal of spending a whole month there some summer soon. :) Later in the year, I started investing in some companies other than my own, and I bought a house. Benny and I are fully settled in now, and we’re feeling pretty at home here.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
December 18, 2023
As the year draws to a close, I’ve been settling into my new house and hanging up all of my art. My 2023 vision board is sitting on my downstairs desk — I’ve yet to determine whether to hang it upstairs or down — and it occurred to me that I’m going to miss looking at this thing. It’s the first vision board I’ve ever created, and while I was a bit skeptical, I love how it turned out. I’ve enjoyed having it near my desk over the last 12 months. I’ve been thinking about what I’ll create for next year. Is it cheating to swap out some images, but keep some of them the same? I’ll definitely be re-using this template!
Here are some notes about the images on my board and how the year turned out.
Here are some notes about the images on my board and how the year turned out.
December 31, 2022
If this questionnaire were a person, it would be a legal adult now. Eighteen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Eight years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. The ones I added over the years are still marked with an *asterisk. I added one this year, and that one is marked with two **asterisks.
At some point in 2022, things started to feel a lot more “normal” again. Although post-pandemic normal turns out to be a lot less social and a lot more repetitious and consistent, I suppose. The silly thing is that as soon as things started feeling normal again, I caught covid at a super-spreader wedding and had a ridiculous cough for the next 12 weeks. I started traveling again this year — I took more flights than I have in a single year in a long time. Most of them were to NJ for weddings and funerals, but whatever. I took two vacations, plus a few weekend trips, so that was nice to start working travel back into my life this year. According to my Apple Watch, I only walked 1,314 miles this year, which is significantly less than last year. I blame dog training, covid, my Apple Watch dying at one point…but also just the fact that I got very busy at work and didn’t prioritize getting outside and exercising as much as I have the last few years. Work was busy, as usual, and all three companies are still on track, growing, and doing well.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
At some point in 2022, things started to feel a lot more “normal” again. Although post-pandemic normal turns out to be a lot less social and a lot more repetitious and consistent, I suppose. The silly thing is that as soon as things started feeling normal again, I caught covid at a super-spreader wedding and had a ridiculous cough for the next 12 weeks. I started traveling again this year — I took more flights than I have in a single year in a long time. Most of them were to NJ for weddings and funerals, but whatever. I took two vacations, plus a few weekend trips, so that was nice to start working travel back into my life this year. According to my Apple Watch, I only walked 1,314 miles this year, which is significantly less than last year. I blame dog training, covid, my Apple Watch dying at one point…but also just the fact that I got very busy at work and didn’t prioritize getting outside and exercising as much as I have the last few years. Work was busy, as usual, and all three companies are still on track, growing, and doing well.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
December 30, 2022
According to GoodReads, I made it through 36 books in 2022. Those ranged from historical fiction to business books to a few personal finance books towards the end of the year (to help me overcome my latest desire to start rampantly spending money on things I don’t need). I got most of my books from the used bookstore at the VB Public Library. I donated most of them back or gave them to friends when I was done. The few I couldn’t find there or check out, I bought on my Kindle. I only paid retail price for one hard-copy book this year, and that’s because I was getting on a plane, and I hadn’t brought my Kindle on that trip. I also finally upgraded my 10-year-old Kindle Touch to a Kindle Paperwhite this year! No more pop-out booklight! ;)
Here are the best six books I read in 2022.
Here are the best six books I read in 2022.
January 18, 2022
Last weekend, Benny and I took a little road trip to Basye, VA for a wintery weekend getaway in the mountains. I rented a fantastic AirBnB as a belated Christmas gift for my family, so we could all get together and celebrate before my brother and his new fiancé move to Colorado this month. It was a perfect and relaxing weekend, and a nice change of pace. It was my first little trip away from VB since the pandemic started, and a really nice way to kick off the new year. Thanks to the snow and icy temperatures, we barely left the house (except for lots of mini dog walks) and didn’t feel bad about it one bit. We ate delicious food, drank lots of hot beverages and a few glasses of wine, exchanged a few Christmas gifts, put together a ridiculously difficult puzzle, played a little pool, wore lots of flannel shirts, and celebrated Stephen and Emily with a champagne toast by the fire. Benny did pretty well for his first trip away from home! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to do this, and wish Stephen and Emily the best in Colorado!
December 31, 2021
If this questionnaire were a person, it would be a licensed driver by now. Seventeen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Seven years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. The ones I added over the years are still marked with an *asterisk
2021 felt a lot like 2020, but a lot less scary, and a bit more monotonous. One thing I think I mastered this year was cooking eggs absolutely perfectly. I walked a little over 1,971 miles this year, all the while training my dog not to be so reactive on a leash. Work was very busy. I single-handedly loaded over three million rows of data into Salesforce (at least). Between my three companies, we’re now a team of almost 20 people.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
2021 felt a lot like 2020, but a lot less scary, and a bit more monotonous. One thing I think I mastered this year was cooking eggs absolutely perfectly. I walked a little over 1,971 miles this year, all the while training my dog not to be so reactive on a leash. Work was very busy. I single-handedly loaded over three million rows of data into Salesforce (at least). Between my three companies, we’re now a team of almost 20 people.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
December 31, 2020
If this questionnaire were a person, it would be a licensed driver by now. Seventeen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Six years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. I added one this year. See if you can find it. Also, the ones I added over the years are still marked with an *asterisk
I posted a year ago that 2019 was a strange one because I got a skin cancer. Ha! A measly stage 1A melanoma was nothing compared to navigating a worldwide pandemic while managing three companies and my debilitating anxiety! I haven’t been this depressed since college! 🤣
What even happened this year? I remember an ice skating competition, a six-week-long cough, baking my own birthday cake, a blurry summer, getting a puppy and 27 million mosquito bites, a blurry fall, and an uneventful past two months. So many Zoom calls.
But we made it this far. Two businesses are growing/flourishing, and the other is stable for now. So far, so good, all things considered. I guess.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
I posted a year ago that 2019 was a strange one because I got a skin cancer. Ha! A measly stage 1A melanoma was nothing compared to navigating a worldwide pandemic while managing three companies and my debilitating anxiety! I haven’t been this depressed since college! 🤣
What even happened this year? I remember an ice skating competition, a six-week-long cough, baking my own birthday cake, a blurry summer, getting a puppy and 27 million mosquito bites, a blurry fall, and an uneventful past two months. So many Zoom calls.
But we made it this far. Two businesses are growing/flourishing, and the other is stable for now. So far, so good, all things considered. I guess.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
December 31, 2019
Everyone has their holiday obligations. At least I brought this one on myself. Sixteen years ago, I found this questionnaire, and I’ve been filling it out every December since. 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003. Five years ago, I decided I was going to add a few new questions every year from now on. I’m not really doing that anymore. But the ones I added are still marked with an *asterisk
2019 was a strange one. I got a skin cancer, so that sucked. And then it sort of overshadowed everything once it happened. It tripled my baseline anxiety level, and I used it as an excuse to break every good fitness habit I started in 2018. Yet, I somehow managed to keep everything together. All three businesses are flourishing, and we just opened a coffee shop. How I manage to do everything I do is beyond me, but I just keep wanting to do more.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
2019 was a strange one. I got a skin cancer, so that sucked. And then it sort of overshadowed everything once it happened. It tripled my baseline anxiety level, and I used it as an excuse to break every good fitness habit I started in 2018. Yet, I somehow managed to keep everything together. All three businesses are flourishing, and we just opened a coffee shop. How I manage to do everything I do is beyond me, but I just keep wanting to do more.
Anyway, here’s my year in review.
Lisa DeNoia, author of Coastlined, blogging on and off since 2003. Jersey Girl in Virginia Beach. Entrepreneur, technology innovator, photographer, figure skater, traveler, sailor, avid lover of books. Guardian of Benny, also pictured above.
The Grey Lady
September 2, 2024
The Year in Review
December 31, 2023
2023 Vision Board
December 18, 2023
The Year in Review
December 31, 2022