thanks and goodbye 2019

Here it is, my attempt to recognize some of what encouraged, comforted, challenged, lightened and enlightened me in 2019. Hope you find a few that may be gifts for you as well.

Movies & TV:

• Jeopardy (syndication), I couldn't quit watching James Holzhauer and his run of strategy and guts, all without any hint of second guessing.
• Dead to Me (Netflix), An exploration of grief that balances the unending pain, confusion and foolishness of the moment with the (often hidden) depth of human connections following a too close death.
• the Family (Netflix), Sadly confirms my prejudices (and skepticism) about people and matters that have overlapped with much of my past life.
• Country Music (Ken Burns), I've only begun this series but I am certain Burns' work will feed my soul, as always.
• The Farewell (Wang), The complexities of family practicalities, frustrations and hopes breathe through a great story and cast.
• Toy Story 4 (Cooley), Saw it twice on summer trips with Grand-kids and now our 2019 annual Christmas ornament is "Forky."
• The Peanut Butter Falcon (Nilson & Schwartz), Acceptance, tenacity, understanding, redemption, awakening, surprise, joy, kindness, commitment, breaking barriers... so much of what I hope and long for in each new day.
• Judy (Goold), Zellweger brings Judy back to life reminding us of her greatness and our loss.
• Harriet (Lemmons), Hamilton got the twenty and a Broadway show, Harriet Tubman got jobbed.
• still want/need to watch Unbelievable (Netflix)

Books:

• Blood (Allison Moorer) Family, memories, abuse, love, chaos, music, mental health concerns, murder, suicide and family...
• The Nickle Boys: A Novel (Collin Whitehead) A story, rooted in history, speaking truth to any who will listen.
• Holy Envy (Barbara Taylor Brown) Faith rediscovered through struggle, learning, community journey, questions, expansion and openness.
• How To Forget (Kate Mulgrew) A beautifully written family story that seems to be unbelievable, but must be true.
• Reframation (Hirsch & Nelson) Enjoyed watching my friend, Mark Nelson, guide this from idea to publication. 
• White Fragility (Robin DiAngelo) If I want to continue thinking I'm sooo enlightened I need to quit reading books like this.
• The Other Americans (Laila Lalami) Exceptional writing and a taught story for America today.
• Ghosts in the Schoolyard (Eve Ewing) An examination of shifts in Chicago school that begs, "Will we ever be able to truly care for our neighbors?"
• Mobituaries (Mo Rocca) A goldmine for trivia freaks, like me.
• and a few more - My Ex-Life by S. McAuley, Any Man by A.Tamblyn, Confessions of a Funeral Director by C. Wilde, American Prison by S. Bauer and the Color of Compromise by J. Tisby, Talking to Strangers by M. Gladwell (late add).

Podcasts:

• The Happiness Lab A focus on breaking misconceptions and false perceptions while encouraging action for purposeful change.
• Mobituaries Mobituaties makes the list twice because there are extra stories in the book and you can't get too much Mo Rocca.
• Embedded You don't know Mitch McConnell until you listen to this.
• The History of Standup Insight into how comedy has come to under-gird our culture and communications.
• Another Name for Everything Richard Rohr expands on his newest book with whit, wisdom and patience insights for living forward with faith and hope.  
• 1619 NYT series that looks at the beginnings of slavery in America, and is only hampered by too few episodes.
• In the Dark Injustice drives me crazy, the hope of restorative justice keeps me going.
• White Lies  Stuff we probably didn't know and stuff we can't afford to ignore or forget.
• Revisionist History Malcom Gladwell digs and helps us learn that there are consequences for our beliefs and actions and always more to the story.
• Almost - Dolly Parton's America (late add), Code Switch, You Must Remember This series on Song of the South, Edge of Fame, Conan Needs a Friend, the Daily, APM Reports, the New Yorker Radio Hour...

Music:

• An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt, Mt Baker Theater, January 31. Not sure who had more fun; the audience or the artists, not sure it mattered.
• Patty Griffin, Vogue Theater, Vancouver, BC, June 16. A truly transcendent evening...until we discovered our car was towed post-concert.
• Shout Sister Shout! Seattle Rep, December 21. If you missed it you truly missed it.
• War and the Treaty. My new music for 2019 and I sadly ended up with unused tickets to their show in August. 
• Turning the Tables: Celebrating Eight Women Who Invented American Popular Music (NPR). Whatever music you like I'm certain one or more of these women built the foundation on which it stands.
• Breakdown on 20th Ave. South, Buddy and Julie Miller. A long, long ten year wait and worth every minute of it.
• Jaime, Brittany Howard. Read the interviews, listen and then listen again.
• Come on Up to the House: Women Sing Waits. Some of my favorite and some new artists, I needed to meet, join to honor Tom Waits in the year of his 70th birthday.
• Father's Son, Pierce Pettis. Another favorite waits a year and delivers balm for a weary soul.
• and - Blood A. Moorer, Love & Revelation Over the Rhine, We Get By Mavis Staples, Three Chords and the Truth Van Morrison, Traveling Through, 1967-1969... Bob Dylan...

The wrap:

• A quick overview of my (our) year - We painted our house, celebrated our 45th Anniversary, filled our hearts and days with Grand-kids and we are growing in realization of and preparation for retirement. I hope for shalom for all that flows from and continues in loving each other. I'll end with Worry No More, a poem I wrote in early 2019 that expresses my fears, hopes and prayers as we lean into the unknown of 2020:

http://thefaithfulskeptic.blogspot.com/2019/03/worry-no-more.html