Beautiful Results

...beautiful results

A compilation of that which gets us through

“You've done all today that you were supposed to do." I like to think about it each night - “supposed to” is much more calming/accepting that you’ve done all you can. Love the idea of you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, you are on the right path, don’t worry about it too much!

Haley Godtfredsen (WA/CA | My super smart niece and budding biologist in SoCal.)

Meet Wicket and Snoopy. To hear my 14-year old son talk baby talk every time he comes home has made being home better.

Also, El Preso by Fruko y Sus Tesos has been on constant replay for me lately.

Courteney Roessler (MN | My beloved beautiful bright sister who has two fantastic kiddos and is all sorts of funny.)

During your wedding, we all took a hike to a beautiful mountain lake in Montana. As we approached the water I took off my boots to cool my feet after the long hike on a hot summer day. As I entered the water I was able to get in just about my ankles before the icy water got the best of me. You on the other hand had to show your new wife your macho side and jumped into the water. [see inset photo\] The look on your face as you returned to the shore was priceless, as was your comment. “Well it looks like we will never be able to have children after that.” Luckily you were wrong, but it was a very funny moment.

The other was a skiing event when you came to visit our local ski area, Crystal Mountain. We climbed to the backcountry of Crystal to a place called Silver Basin. We were enjoying the traverse along the ridge and taking in the beauty of the area. As we got to the end and ready to enter to ski you said to me, “Where are we skiing?” I said, “Down that chute.” You said, “How are we getting there?” I said, “We are going to just jump in, about a 6’ drop, and start making turns.” Again, the look on your face was priceless, as was the ski. You once again proved your manhood and we had a wonderful ski back down the mountain.

I hope I am able to spend more time hiking and skiing together. But I’m not sure you will be able to now that you are reaching the ripe old age of 50.

Bob and Debbie Grubb (WA | Non-blood family who have been Martina’s surrogates for decades and had the tolerance to allow me into their Greenwater enclave. Two of the most loving and happiest people in the Western Hemisphere. Almost convinced them to move to Sun Valley last fall. Alas.)

My year has been challenging and full of beauty. It was on the Salmon river I was most connected and reminded what is important. Life is constantly changing and we must ride it’s ebb and flow just like a river.

Sometimes it is raucous and fun while other times we cling tightly hoping to simply survive the turbulent white water and try to avoid calamity. And, in between are periods of calm and beauty where we drift with the current in peaceful silence and find our place in the world.

Maritt Wolfrom (ID | Elias’s APUSH teacher/bike coach and a great photographer.)

“I wake up everyday in the service of others.”

Chris Stuart (CA | CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, originally from Texas.)

YOUR RIGHTS ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES and YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE MY RIGHTS and we're only having half that discussion! THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE TECHNICALLY and what happens when you leave out half that discussion? You leave out responsibility, and the question is thenwhat are you leaving out if you are leaving out responsibility?

The answer might be you are leaving out the meaning of life.

-Jordan Peterson “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi “Modern man does not see God because he will not look low enough."

-Carl Jung Ted Kim (CA | Midland Class of 2012 and one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen--this photo is from a Midland yearbook--so classic!)

"Little Bit Better" a song by Sarah Buxton It's hard to put in words Paint the way it hurts No one understands so you lock it in A safe that's made of glass I can see right past You're not fooling me, baby

Danni's new rig enabled her to get outdoors in a way that was not possible before. Her smile was a bright spot for me in 2020.

John Dean (ID | Loving husband, a great dad, a relentless mountain biker, and a passionate Pastafarian.)

I can't take you high enough To rise above Everything that makes you broken But if you can let me in a little bit I'll share the pain that you're not showing It doesn't mean you're not strong To need someone to lean on But maybe I can make it a little bit better I don't have an answer Oh, I don't have a cure But maybe we can make it a little bit better Show me your shadow How low you can go Everything in you is brutally beautiful Like a child running wild Like a howl at the moon I can handle it, baby I can take some weight off you But I can't take you high enough To rise above Everything that makes you broken But if you can let me in a little bit I'll share the pain that you're not showing Doesn't mean you're not strong To need someone to lean on But maybe I can make it a little bit better I don't have an answer Oh, I don't have a cure But maybe we can make it a little bit better Dayna Buxton (ID | Realtor and one of the simultaneously sassiest and sweetest people in the WRV.)

I enjoyed seeing the painted rocks throughout the valley as I hiked, walked the dogs...

Susan Petersen (ID | WRV parent and probably the nicest person in the state.)

(SPOILER ALERT!) In addition to some amazing days on the Blackfoot River, The Queen’s Gambit made the challenges of 2020 a “tiny bit more tolerable.” In particular, it wasn’t when Beth finally toppled the Russian (think Rocky over Drago but with sophistication and intellect), it was the phone call Townes arranged for her just prior to the penultimate chess match with Borgov. As an orphan, Beth understood abandonment and isolation. The phone call was from a group of chess friends she pushed away through reckless behavior, but a group of friends that didn’t waver in their resolve and gave her the first signal in her life that there are meaningful relationships that endure. It was the most poignant scene in the show for me.

The pinnacle of 2020 found its way on 12.16.20, when America was nearing the bottom of its health crisis and it came in the simplest and most pure form of 2020, a Zoom call. It was dubbed a celebration of a dear friend’s 50th and it turned into a comedic reunion of Whitefish High School. It further served as a reminder of the depth of lifetime friendships and the immense good fortune we were all blessed with to reside in Whitefish. I appreciated every second of the phone call and the reminder of all the tremendous people that have blessed my life as a result of being raised in Whitefish. Thank you Derek and Heidi, Sandy, Kim, Nikki, Graver, Coby, Revo, Dr J and all those that weren’t on the call, but roasted or thought of as a result.

David Peretto (MT | High school buddy of significance and possessor of the longest-running nickname west of the Mississippi--’Bungi.’)

Poppies Mary Oliver The poppies send up their orange flares; swaying in the wind, their congregations are a levitation

shines like a miracle as it floats above everything with its yellow hair.

Of course nothing stops the cold,

when it’s done right, is a kind of holiness, palpable and redemptive.

Inside the bright fields,

of bright dust, of thin and lacy leaves.

There isn’t a place in this world that doesn’t

black, curved blade from hooking forward— of course loss is the great lesson.

sooner or later drown in the indigos of darkness, but now, for a while, the roughage

But I also say this: that light is an invitation to happiness, and that happiness,

touched by their rough and spongy gold, I am washed and washed in the river of earthly delight— and what are you going to do— what can you do about it— deep, blue night?

Lisa Plog (VA/PA | Former STAB history teacher and mother of 3 fantastic kids one of whom just became a UVA Wahoo!)

Kasey Musgraves, Oh What a World : This song has a simple message of gratitude for the real things of beauty in our world and for the humans we love. It’s amazing how it allows different individuals to come to mind each time it plays, as well as reminds why we live and love here.

Betty Swanson (ID | Business neighbor of mine and a great daily smile as she walks by my desk!)

We Are Surprised

by Ada Limon Now, we take the moon into the middle of our brains so we look like roadside stray cats with bright flashlight-white eyes in our faces, but no real ideas of when or where to run.

We linger on the field’s green edge and say, Someday son, none of this will be yours. Miracles are all around.

We’re not so much homeless as we are home free, penny-poor, but plenty lucky for love and leaves that keep breaking the fall. Here it is: the new way of living with the world inside of us so we cannot lose it, and we cannot be lost. You and me, ‘Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activated you to defend and protect and celebrate.

But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one way street to a sacred bond.’

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass Heidi Brown/Haugen (MT | WHS Class of 1989 and now a phenomenal ceramicist and the person all Bulldogs rely on to have awesome NW MT adventures and post them on her fruitful and invigorating IG account.)

are us and them, and it and sky.

It’s hard to believe we didn’t know that before; it’s hard to believe we were so hollowed out, so drained, only so we could shine a little harder when the light finally came.

James Austin V (ME/CO/AK | One of the more worldly of my acquaintances and extremely smart, even north of the Arctic Circle.)

Editor’s Pick: Billy Crystal’s “15 Rounds as Muhammad Ali” | A small white Jewish guy impersonating The Greatest—the epitome of synthesis and humaneness and empathy. They became great friends because of this. We should all be as magnanimous as Ali.

Teenagers, Hailey, Idaho 2020

Becky Ludwig (ID | Excellent excellent cook and mother.)

(Hank Dart photo)

2020 has been a myriad of different events, emotions, filled with joy and sorrow. Thinking back over the last 12 months in a positive light, the world slowed down, there was more time to spend in nature and to reflect on what is really important and what is not, to be extremely thankful to call Blaine County Idaho home, the friendships, the surrounding beauty and the outdoor amenities.

Tom Heinrich (ID | Realtor of unassuming nature yet imposing presence.)

This year has been just bizarre. Here is a shot of our new puppy Elle‌ who has given all of us in the Lyon household some happiness, silliness, unconditional love and just a bit more of everything we all need during this year of cancellations and changes.

Brenda Lyon (ID | Incredibly generous and funny mom and a great bike rider.)

I wrote a book that released last May, Spun Out: Five Crucial Steps to Restored Hope and Healthy Endurance. I have had many people responding with "this is exactly what they need during this time", heck I have read my own book for encouragement. It is an easy read.

Troy Larsen (ID | WRV business owner and fantastic biker.)

This song by Mason Jennings always brings me to a good place, as it hits very close to home in each and every verse.

Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ is an adult comedy/ show, but it drives forward with relentless optimism, decency, and hope. Besides, it is loosely affiliated with the most beautiful game.

Ben Pettit (ID | Head of School at The Community School in Sun Valley.)

My favorite place, especially this year! Still able to swim even when everything is shut down.

Laurie Munger (CA | Longtime Midland faculty member and a fabulous hiker and her cranberry bagels are THE BEST.)

Humans of New York IG Feed Some Ted Talks I like (the second is Rated R) Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid and The Magic of Not Giving a F#*k

Kind Reminder by Próxima Parada and The Full Album Alison Cebulla. (CA | Central Coast cousin who is a life coach and incessantly thoughtful.)

Revo Somersille (MT/CA | WHS Class of 1989 and as good of a dad as he is a son.)

Here is a link to a video explaining the Walstad Method for a natural planted aquarium.

This is a link to Elizabeth Walstad’s book: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium.

These are pictures of my first aquaria, which I started at the onset of quarantine lockdown when the world was turning into chaos and aquatic plants were easier to find than toilet paper. Developing this hobby is probably one of the coolest things the pandemic gave me. I attained serenity by creating optimal conditions for life to thrive in a small scale, virtually self-contained ecosystem.

Evan Curry (CA/TN | Midland Class of 2007 and now a rock climber in Yosemite [there’s a village named after his grandfather] and Tennessee and Midlanders will see the elegance of EC creating “self-contained ecosystems.”)

Here is a banana bread recipe that has proven to be dope AF, even when I misjudge the necessary pan size and half of it boils over and turns into blackened char at the bottom of the oven. I have also included a bonus picture (above) of a forthright alpaca.

Jessica Plumbley (OR/CA/NY | Midland Class of 2009 and a great actor and a laugh that still makes me giddy and just married during the pandemic which is awesome.)

Here’s a poem by John Muir that struck a note with me way back when I was in about 8th grade. I still recite this at times. I think it’s lovely: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

Lisa Thompson (CA/ID/WA | Quite possibly the sweetest person I know and a wonderful horse rider and did I mention how sweet she is? We had never even met her and through a mutual horse friend we called her in Sun Valley to ask if we could stay with her for a few days in 2007 and 13 years later we are still the closest of friends.)

My contribution (starts out sad but has a good/powerful thought): I lost both of my parents in 2019. Thankfully, I got to spend a lot of time with them as they faded; losing them in 2020 would have been brutal with COVID. My dad died of a rare lung issue, and the deoxygenation events made him lose his mental acuity (gradually at first and then abruptly at the end). As he started sensing he wasn't as sharp as he used to be, he decided to really focus on one main thing: "Dejunk" and simplify life. He took this to heart to the end, and I've been trying to do the same since his quest in 2019. When I'm following that advice/mantra, it makes a positive difference in my life.

Scott Savage (ID | Such a cool last name and a great all-around guy name notwithstanding.)

Anne Marie Gardner (ID | WRV mom and fearless mountain adventurer.)

This is beautiful and inspirational to me: From "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams, 1922: He said, "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Nancy Malko (ID | Great WRV mom who has a pretty cool son that bikes and plays basketball with Elias and genuinely thinks I’m funny or is a really good fake-laugher.)

Here is one of my favorite movie quotes of all time from the movie Coach Carter: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were all meant to shine as children do.

It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.

A music video. Or, maybe more appropriate is “A Grateful Day” by Brother David SteindlRast. When John and I wake unenthusiastic about yet another day at the grindstone, this video has a good way of reminding us that we are merely whiny early-50-year-olds who actually lead the most absurdly fortunate and wonderful lives. In other words, it helps us get over ourselves!

Meg Morse (CO | Steamboat Mountain Head of School and despite that a very funny and smart person [ha ha just kidding Ben Pettit and David Lourie].)

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Bill Campbell (ID/Neth | WRV family who have relocated to Urtecht and we miss the family but are happy for them!)

At the start of the pandemic I grew and delivered my sourdough starter to loads of people. Making bread and sharing a recipe turned out to be really uplifting and connecting.

Kasey Atkinson (ID | WRV Realtor and fly fisher and altruist and former dude rancher.)

Watching Walter’s basketball team go through the “Winners’ Tunnel.”

And a poem: More radiant than the sun, Purer than snow, Finer than the ether, Is the self, The spirit, My heart, This self I am, I am this self.

-Rudolf Steiner Brian Kriesien (ID | Multi-talented father, cook, skier, hooper. This is one of his photos from this year.)

Since this is clearly the year of Netflix, if not all of the other streaming services, I went back and watched Fleabag. A truly wonderful series, and Season 2 being its final was extra special. In the final scene of the final episode the Alabama Shakes song "This Feeling" plays in the background, it is a particularly emotional scene. Wonderful TV actually.

Which got me thinking about the Alabama Shakes, and a song for 2020. I felt their song "Hold On" is an anthem for this year.

Chris Mullen (ID | Newspaper man with pretty good taste in music and beer, transplanted from the 310 and the dapperest dresser in the entire WRV no contest.)

Les Fluer by Ramsey Lewis Jade East by Ramsey Lewis

Izzi Patterson (CA | Midland Class of 2007 and so irreverent, so talented, so hiked the PCT, so brand new mom. Geez, IP, I am so proud of you.)

This Is Water is a 2005 Kenyon commencement speech from the late author David Foster Wallace.

While this speech is not new to me, it took on a new meaning in this year of strangeness and adjustment, and for that it feels all the more pertinent. DFW is one of my favorite authors of all time and all in all, a guy with a really fascinating brain.

In this, he speaks to the choice we have when it comes to how we want to see the world and the people all around us. We always have a choice. He says, "The only thing that’s capital-T True is that you get to decide how you’re gonna try to see it....You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship." DFW reminds us to have compassion for each other and ourselves, and to recognize that we are all more the same than we are different, which these days (and all days) I believe, is truly paramount.

Emma Lichtward (CA/MT | Midland Class of 2013 and a shining spirit from a great family--Emma taught me the Waldorf alphabet dance in 2009 and I don’t remember any of it.)

Editor’s pick: Kae Tempest, who dropped the “T” recently from their name, continues to dazzle me.

That bass drop at about 3:10 always gets me.

This album, especially Pa’lante Now that’s it’s cold enough to justify it, this mac and cheese from Mimi Thorisson.

And finally sending myself expensive flower arrangements on a regular basis from She Loves Me. Plus the horses. And if I’m real honest, there’s also the wine...

Gypsy Moore. (CA/WaDC | Midland Class of 2003 and went to Yale JuCo [ha ha] and traveled with us to Guatemala because she’s just too awesome and is now in DC making the difference we all wish we were making.)

I was among those who received the farewell letter (below) from my uncle, Gerald Gray, after his death (unrelated to Covid-19) on September 1st, at age 85. He devoted the last few decades of his life to providing therapeutic care and legal redress to victims of torture, so he was accustomed to struggling against the worst of humanity. He concluded his valedictory with this refrain from an Old English poem, "The Lament of Deor:" Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg - That passed away, so may this Ian Cummings (CA | Former Midland faculty member and now runs LoyalTeach which deserves your attention and in his late 40s hitchhiked back from the Sierras to the Central Coast purely, I believe, for my astonishment. A blonde stand-in for Steve Carrell.)

Dear Friends and Colleagues—Dear Friends, I am writing to say goodbye. The last two years have bristled with serious illnesses, to the congestive heart failure that has the final say—one of the few talking points I had with my father.

My memoir indicates the interests I have had in gardening, painting, poetry, literature, singing —what may keep a poor therapist sane— while also indulging in Wolin for political theory, Freud and his minions in psychologies.

I do not have now the strength to write much to you in the last few days of my life, but I want to try to say what—among many things, has sustained me—aside from torture symptoms that drove me and sometimes inhibited me, and the years-long gradual closeness I have sometimes even reluctantly accepted from you.

I have never held to the rewards of any religion—I see no evidence for life after death, no magic—only the ability to face forward into what is clearly there (even uncertainty, even ambiguity). This is how the ancient English did it—every love, every stone, every seed, every death—accepted—and then they ended.

We do not know the outcome for these times, neither whether in losing, winning or if we continue as we are—like the Syrian doctors in an underground hospital who, condemned by malice—keep rising up.

Up, friends, even as I reluctantly say goodbye. thæs ofereode, thisses swa mæg

A beautiful day in Genoa, Nevada drinking anti-virals at the oldest bar in Nevada!

Arleigh and Dianne Hayes (CA | Nancy’s brother and sister-in-law, pictured with my step-mom Nancy and my dad Mark. Purveyors of the good life in San Jose.)

A "Covid Silver Lining" is the unexpected picnic tables this year.

There is this one off the Billy's Bridge Nordic trail. There is a great one at the bottom of the Lower College ski run....they put new ones in at Galena. Its fun to see them pop up.

Eeva Turzian (ID | WRV Realtor and mother of two great kids and uber-talented athlete.)

First, here is a recording of a song our Uncle Rolf wrote in 1943, “Montana My Home.” There’s also this video montage of the song.

Here’s a photo of a special day in Shelby golfing with special cousins (Eric, Steinar, Mark, and Rock l to r). Can’t take these kind of days for granted and they get more special as the years go by.

Rock Svennungsen (MT | Cousin who was the QB at University of Montana in the 70s and was second to Pat Haden as a Rhodes Scholar and was MT state handball champion several years running and can still hit a golf ball 300 STRAIGHT yards and can sing like an angel. He is the Svennungsen we all point to as evidence of a successful family.)

Editor’s pick: We lost John Prine, who in my opinion is the most honest and touching songwriter ever.

Here are some shots that capture my longing for the streets of Oaxaca. My time there is taken up with prowling the avenidas morning to night, compelled by the geography of its space. The physical place of Oaxaca animates and enchants me every time I move through it.

1, Gazing at this Frida “reboot” fills me with such joy. Serves as my default screen.

2. A wily coyote became my exercise mate this summer until he disappeared overnight. As time passed, he grew more trusting, allowing me to take pictures while sharing his space. I admit to a profound sense of loss at his going. Another natural wonder.

3. One of many compelling streets in the Oaxaca of my wanderings. This photograph taken just moments before the lockdown, the streets emptied of folks as COVID swept through the city.

4. And from Nashville, a late night campfire within a misty cloud during our respite with Jared. Soul shattering and soul settling simultaneously, reminding me of the wonders of the physical world.

And this poem titled “Things I Didn’t Know I Loved.”

And Patti Smith performs Dylan Memry Roessler (CA/MT/MN/Oaxaca | My mom and possessor of the most interesting and fluent mind I’ve ever come across and deserving of 15 pages in this compilation if she’s deserving of one. Oh, and you need to learn about Yuval Noah Harari if you do anything.)

The White Pony video that I thought was so great has disappeared ! It was there, I promise. Instead I’m sending a “making me happy” video.

Ben Munger (CA | Midland Class of 1979 and long-time faculty member and, well, dammit he’s a Munger! Ben and Laurie taught me so much about the land and the history of Midland and camping.)

Pic 1- the birth of Marcus Rosendo Gonzalez.

Pic 2: back in the saddle after 9 months with my son. He loves it!

Pic 3: Happy family!

Gillian Kinnear/Gonzalez. (CA | Midland Class of 2004 and then faculty member and taught horses with Martina and now is MOM to one of the brightest bundles of baby flesh I’ve ever seen.)

One of the things that heartened me this year was Bernadine Evaristo's 2019 Booker-prize winning novel Girl, Woman, Other. It features a cast of twelve mostly Black British female characters born between the late nineteenth and early twenty-first centuries. Their life stories are spun out in expected and unexpected ways, each character developed as a protagonist in her own chapter, but also as a minor character in one or more other chapters. I just loved the variety of life experiences and backgrounds of these characters that emerged, each story speaking for itself and also commenting on the others with irony and humor. It's an entertaining and thought-provoking read from a well-established author not so familiar to Americans. (On a side note, I admire the richness of Evaristo's career, too, which includes dramatic projects, university teaching, and advocacy projects on behalf of writers of all stripes.)

Jill Redl (CA/WA/China | Former Midland faculty member and continued world traveler and possessor of one of the most astute and fertile minds I’ve ever encountered.)

This may be a bit like holding up a recycled mirror, but attached are pictures of the advice you gave me at graduation. It’s been through a number of moves but still legible and hold truth. Thank you for these cherished words of wisdom to live by that I’ve taken to heart.

Amanda Sargent (CA | Midland Class of 2003 who did everything quietly and yet almost 20 years later is still a Mighty Oak.)

This is a woman whose channel I discovered during quarantine. Watch her and feel at ease. She brings so many things together to help me forget about my 2020 blues: the Mexico I love, some yummy food, a sense that my dayto-day concerns should be forgotten with the abuela around, etc. It's a free mediation/therapy session all tied in one.

Stewart Merritt (CA/Spain | Midland Class of 2004 who spent two years carrying around a baseball and now is a worldly, 6’4” English teacher in Spain who cares about good books and stories and food and people.)

A friend sent me this link, specifically about a cartography piece. If you peruse you can see it's like Ted Talks, but way more beautiful and varied.

I just leave it open on my notebook and when I have space, I watch one or two... it's really inspiring and eye-opening. It will open to the cartography piece, but there are millions to scroll through.

I'm also watching on Instagram the posts of Oceanx, which are completely riveting.

Paula Patterson (CA | Parent of 2 Midland grads [Sam and Izzi] and former educator and one of those people you wish was your friend or mom tbh.)

Tom Dehart (ID | Patriarch of one of the most talented families I’ve ever met--even the fish in their aquarium are better athletes than me.)

Listening to it over and over in the shop whilst I get into “the zone”. I’ve given this collection to my new son, Holden. It will be what I associate with him, my music for him.

Prior to this piano gluttony, I religiously listened to Bach’s cello concerto, literally over 300 times. Suite 3 has the best starting bars/intro I’ve ever heard. It recenters my compass immediately. Suite 6 makes me cry still to this day. No music has ever seemed to level me as it does. It’s a complete and perfect summation of birth to death; triumph to tribulation, joy to sorrow. I listen and think of moments in my life, the obstacles, successes, relationships, it is applicable in all accounts. The cello suites for me, are my daughter, Nadine’s songs.

Jordan Roessler (MN | My unbelievably gifted brother who has just welcomed his second child into the world and is a welder and a thinker and is demonstrably proud of how much stronger than me he is.)

This wall art is a quote from the famous Dutch soccer player Johan Cruijff. It means: “Alone you can do nothing, you have to do it together.”

It is a little bit lost in the translation because the gist of it from a soccer player’s perspective is more like: “There is no ‘I’ in TEAM....”

Or...... another interpretation might be...we’re each gonna do a lot better at this game called “life” if we just decide to work TOGETHER on it...you know, the whole ‘it takes a village’ mentality!

Eltiena Campbell (ID/Neth | Part of the Campbell ex-pat clan and by my estimation a better skier than her husband [sorry, Bill] and she speaks Dutch.)

This happened at Adam & Lauren’s wedding reception...truly a beautiful Svennungsen family tradition...beautiful!

Joni Marcy (WA | A dear cousin who used to take care of me in Spokane and introduced me to disco thru Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”)

MARY OLIVER

Emily Kunkle/Gell. (CA/MA | Midland Class of 2002 and I used to create poetry assignments just so I could read her next creation of wordsmithing she is that talented.)

Colin Weaver (AK/CA | Midland Class of 2009 and yes, Collin gets his own page because just look at the bounty of thoughts and heart that he sent in. Caring. Opinionated. Loud. Inscrutable. Necessary.

That’s COLIN in an acrostic.)

Græ by Moses Sumney---"Isolation comes from insula which means island." Not everyone will like this album. It's a tale of living in isolation with no sense of belonging (as an African immigrant to the United States), being vulnerable, speaking truth, remembering the past, looking ahead and beyond. Extremely high on the Things That Pre-Date And/Or Are Not About 2020 At All But Are Absolutely Perfect for 2020 (And After) Power Rankings. (Released in April, no mention in any way shape or form of COVID or politics or the year 2020.) Maybe it's an album, maybe it's an epic poem...it's something (unique). It's a story to listen to again and again. [Editor’s note: I LOVE THIS KID!] Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on America's Loneliness Epidemic The Ezra Klein Show Podcast, October 19, 2019, re-released November 22, 2020.---When everyone is speaking English but someone isn't speaking the same language.

When someone is seen by a hundred people a day and remains invisible. Being lonely is like being hungry, or thirsty, or tired, or stressed: happens to everyone and it's "actually good", in that it's telling you to do something healthy, but when it becomes someone's permanent state of being, it's destructive. Want to know how many of your family friends and neighbors are living like this? How about a doctor's personal experience with it and treating his patients, how in the 21st century loneliness is the same as ever or totally different, and what could we do about it, during the pandemic and beyond? From 2019 and more relevant than ever, extremely, extremely high on the aforementioned Power Rankings, especially as society becomes sicker and sicker. (Not political even though Dr. Murthy worked for that communist Muslim Hussein Obama, was fired by Trump, and is on Biden's transition team, and Ezra Klein is also a communist, because they don't talk any politics here.) [Editor’s note: I LOVE THIS KID!] Calvin and Hobbes Raccoon Story---As more and more people I know die, especially die young, this does a better job than anything else of hitting the right notes, accepting an awful reality and still bringing a tiny bit of warmth.

Priorities---A simple illustration of how to live a good life. Life---A fun pessimistic take on 2020 and 2021. Ready for Anything---A fun optimistic take on 2020 and 2021. [Editor’s note: I LOVE THIS KID!] My Anthems of 2020 Playlist (Full List, 91 Songs, 6+ Hours) [Editor’s note: I don’t have Spotify so can’t vouch.]

The Sagan Series---An ultra mini YouTube series, 10 four-minute videos, made 10 years ago to raise public support for NASA. When all the bad things just seem *too big*, try watching this and they might seem a little bit smaller.

Sahlab. You like hot chocolate. You like hot cider. Would you like a third hot delicious winter beverage? I drank this all the time when I studied abroad in Cairo, it's easy to make, and much too uncommon in America. Guaranteed to make your winter warmer and tastier, no matter what else happens.

The Second Happy Time (WWII)---I think this bit of history is a comforting reminder that American laziness, selfishness, and incompetence having killed lots of people during a global crisis, despite the temporary solution literally being handed to us at the beginning, is nothing new. In 1942 we lost 600 ships and thousands of lives because we couldn't be bothered to turn off the lights, despite the British explaining from the start "If you idiots turn off the lights, the Nazis won't be able to sink your ships." We were never great, but in spite of ourselves, we've come this far. [Editor’s note: I LOVE THIS KID!] Untitled (Invictus) by William Earnest Henley---Often comforting in difficult times. (Henley never titled this poem, we started calling it Invictus later. He wrote it a few years after having one of his legs amputated.)

I Think You Should Leave---An absurd, hilarious three minute comedy sketch on denial and gaslighting.

Photo by Colin

Colin by photo

I've also been thinking about your request and I'd like to share a borderline offensive short movie Izzy and I made back in the day! It's about karate and it's really stupid.

I really wanted to share this one but the sound isn't working for some reason. I'll see if I have the CD somewhere when I'm at home because it's hilarious! [Editor’s note: Midlanders of all stripes should watch this even though the sound doesn’t work because it’s pretty funny.]

Sam Patterson (CA | Midland Class of 2005 and all-around great young man who balanced an irreverent sense of humor [as you can see from the videos] with a really decent and generous spirit.)

Love our isolated existence on New Zealand’s north island. The locals starting to accept that we are staying not just “come and go’s” and getting accepted and invited to secret dinner parties. We now get free lobster and oysters and occasional filleted giant snapper. Now they know I butcher it, so if they give me a whole fish they now fillet it for me. My friend said it’s easier to give you half fillet than give you whole large fish, because you still might starve before you turn it into mince.

Michael Kidd (CA/NZ | Patriarch [he looks like Santa Claus after all!] of one of the most generous families in history who own the Avila Beach Inn and are now ex-patting it in New Zealand and still sending nearly-incomprehensible but loving emails. Parent of two Midland graduates.)

“Thee” Svennungsen Marnie and I built a house this year... we GC'd it and did a lot of the labor as well. In a year of transition out of Leadership/Mgmt for the last 10 years I was feeling a bit lost, as well as .... well, lazy. This project focused me as well as could be expected. And, as I lost my Father this Spring, it was especially poignant. Whether it was the high of using one of the tools he handed down to me to complete a task, or the lows of not getting to share with him a success or discuss a shortcoming... it kept me close to him.

Keith Everitt (CO | Realtor from Grand Junction and a coach and all in all the type of guy you’d want in your foxhole because he’s brave, selfless, resourceful, and funny. His wife owns one of the best pizza joints in the West, too.)

(1) Big heart Up-lifting laugh Passion, Filled Sensitive SOUL Consistent (2) Runs like the wind Camera flash, On Captures hidden memories Makes relationships last..

We miss and love you D! (3) Memories Flesh-N-Spirit Runs thru his veins Foreign to none..

Native Finds places in hearts..

OURS Jose Juan Ibarra and Family (CA | Midland Class of 1987 with two daughters who are also Mighty Oaks and a gorgeous and talented wife and oh, Jose Juan? He’s an alright guy too. Staunch.)

Editor’s Pick: “Miracles” by Walt Whitman (read by Tom O’Bedlam) | Now, more than ever, our great bard’s words speak to our need for resiliency, celebration, and connection.

On March 7 (right before everything went into lockdown), we got Tara a puppy for her 18th birthday. What a blessing. We had no idea the joy and love this sweet girl would bring to our family. The real blessing was spending so much more time at home and having quality time with Tara before she left for college.

Erin Meissner (VA | Former STAB faculty and one of my closest friends in Virginia. What a family!)

Spending time with kids in the mountains, having fun!

Troy Quesnel (ID | Mountain bike coach and ski patroller who is EXACTLY the kind of person you want your son to be riding with and talking to--thanks TQ.)

I was trying to find/pick a funny tiktok or reddit video that encapsulated all the feelings of the last year (there are just too many) but looking back through my own photostream I found this video I took of our new place, freshly moved in back in October, our two beloved pets finding their comfy places, and then the sweeping view of our little blip of desert. It will forever remind me that you can always change your view, even if it's terrifying to leave all you know behind, and find some blue sky, even in the reddest of red part of CA during a pandemic.

Emma Munger (CA | Midland Class of 2008 and probably the most talented visual artist I’ve ever worked with. Seriously, check out her pin-ups on Instagram--they are the best!

Twas my birthday morn and we hiked along this mountain bike trail. The trail ended at the top of a bluff overlooking Puget Sound. The trail maintainers had somehow carried two plastic chairs out there. We took a seat, I had some warm coffee, and we reveled at the view, and the amazingness of someone willing to build the trail, then carry these chairs out there. Humans can be awesome.

(Editor’s note: I replied to my brother’s submission: “Just when you think no one chairs.” Thank you and good night.)

Kirk Godtfredsen (WA | WHS Class of 1983 and my step-brother and channeler of all things good and decent and caffeinated and father of two lovely girls and has even turned into a pretty good husband.)

These are four paintings by Charlie Mackesy. Here is his IG feed.

John Taylor Fitzgerald (MT/IL | WHS Class of 1989 and known to most as JT and clearly has good taste in art and music and to this day does not use prepositions at the end of a sentence.)

The Tunes of Lenore (a YA novel)

John Blossom (CA/HI | Former Midland faculty member and now an author and fly fisherman and fiddler and font of wisdom and erudition in that order.)

“You can’t stop a thoroughbred.”

Janis Fulton (ID by way of BC | WRV Realtor and helped us buy a condo in Sun Valley [that is still under water ha ha] and is now a terrific and trusted colleague.)

I am submitting a song by The String Cheese Incident called "Good Times Around the Bend." This has been one of my favorite songs for many years, mainly due to the lyrics, but I also love the band as well. This recording was from the first concert Drew and I went to after our first son, Cyrus, was born.

I love the chorus, but the whole song speaks to me. I feel that there are many ups and downs in life, with or without a pandemic, and this song always reminds me that there are good time ahead, even when you feel at your lowest. The first part of this song speaks to me every time I feel down: Gonna pick myself up off the ground When that old feeling comes around again I've had enough of feeling down There's something I've lost that must be found again

Sometimes it seems like such a hard life But there's good times around the bend Rollercoaster's got to roll to the bottom If you want to climb to the top again

Kiki MacMillan/Anderson. (CO | Midland Class of 2006 and quite possibly one of the nicest kids to ever attend the school and now 15 years later a great mom and wife in suburban Denver. )

I’ve been enjoying this Dax Shepard podcast – interesting and informative!

Jamie Roney (UT | My new and brilliant marketing colleague from the BHHS in Park City.)

I have always loved: Drift Away by Dobie Gray And at the beginning of the school year, when there were only seniors on campus, they showed Captain Fantastic and I have listened to their version of Sweet Child o' Mine at least once a week ever since.

Lynda Cummings (CA | Midland Faculty member and College Counselor and former college track athlete who still, inexplicably, has the metal rod that was implanted in her leg several decades ago [meaning the rod was removed but she still has it perhaps to remind her of her past or at the very least to gross people like me out with].)

Best thing about 2020.

Vivian Lee (CA | Midland Class of 2002 and a pistol in high school and a wonderful new mom now.)

Editor’s pick: Each year I hope to find a new artist or two. This year I came across Brenton Wood, a R&B singer from the late 60s and Nikki Hill, a raucous current-day soul shouter. Onward and upward!

This picture was taken in Calabria, Italy in September 2019. Times were different then, no sign of the virus that disrupts our world in a way we would never have thought of. We had a great time there, and we often recollect the little towns we visited there, and the marvelous food we had.

In 2020 things were different, we were restricted to our little area, comprising Klosterneuburg and Perchtoldsdorf, the garden and the 'town' house. But we do not complain, we had a good summer and swam in our pool instead of the sea!

“SO WE BEAT ON, BOATS AGAINST THE CURRENT, BORNE BACK CEASELESSLY INTO THE PAST.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby) Ja, this world-famous quotation has an element of truth in it, and yet, though we tend to glorify the past, especially in times of crisis or when we get older, we should rather care about the present, live life to the fullest and think positively about the future because WE ONLY LIVE ONCE!

Michael Vala and Erni Kurka (Vienna | Martina’s aunt and uncle and two of my favorite people on the planet and if you ever meet Erni ask her what Schweinsbraten is and then in a few hours you will be so happy, so full, ser shern.)

A short motto from a math nerd: Eadem mutata resurgo.

Xiaoyang Chi (VA/China | STAB Class of 2017 and after a start where I didn’t think he’d make it through the first month proved to be one of the funniest, fastest, cleverest, and most genuine students in the school and now even speaks some Latin. Wow.)

Vitamin C! Fresh air!

Staying positive!

Mark Svennungsen (MT | My dad and what I probably value most about him is how much he loves making other people feel important [and the ability to make just about anyone laugh which has gotten me into and kept me out of much trouble through my 5 decades. Thanks Dad and I love you!)

Svea Grover (ID | WRV Realtor and mother to two extraordinary girls and former college Nordic racer and just a super great person.)

Purple Hat, a song by Sofi Tucker Anything on this recipe site is sooo good!

A lyric from “In The Waiting” by Kina Grannis I've been working on patience Trying to trust in the timing of my tiny existence I come alive I sat still in the twilight I found peace in the quiet things How could I wish away all the in between And all this time I've been staring at the minute hand Oh what a crime That I can't seem to understand that life is in the waiting This weird ass jacket The movie Molly’s Game This jewelry artist The Highest Self podcast by Sahara Rose The Meow Wolf Museum Schitts Creek tv show Some jewelry I created A white wine called KungFu Girl J-Lohr Cabernet Sav. Seven Oaks Albums: Paper Castles by Phoebe Alice Lou “A Song For Every Moon” by Bruno Major “Grief in Exile” By, Marie Sioux Books “The Tibetan Book of The Living and the Dying” by Rinpoche “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara

A poem by Bianca Sparacino Here’s what they don’t tell you — happiness is going to find you many times throughout your life, but happiness will also leave.

Happiness will leave to help you grow, to help you feel things it only ever would have masked within you. You will learn how to befriend the absence, you will learn to let it hold you. You will learn that you could not rely on happiness in certain areas of life, that it simply did not fit into the experiences that grew their lessons from grieving and heartache. Sadness will lace its fingers between yours, it will hold your hand and tell you that it understands your pain, that it understands your need to simply come to terms with your anguish and your remorse. Sadness will invite all of your demons out to lunch, it will make you talk to them, it will make you sit across from them and look into their eyes.

Sadness will make you face yourself.

Then, after days, or months, or years, after lessons have tangled themselves around your questions, after understanding has melted into your skin, you will hear a familiar knock within your chest. You will feel a familiar sense of Spring thawing within your ribcage, laughter will no longer crack within your throat. Slowly, but surely, happiness will tiptoe back into your life. It will sneak through a window you didn’t realize was open, it will tuck itself with the wind to greet you on a rainy day. It will hide within the ink of your favourite book, dance within the melody of your favourite song. Happiness will thrive within the spaces between seconds, between the horizon and the sky. You will find it at the bottom of coffee cups, in the salt of the sea. You will appreciate its presence, you will feel its warmth.

Yes, happiness leaves; but when it comes back you are always stronger, for you have understood what it means to make it out of the wreckage, you have learned how to survive in the dark.

Zoe Schein (NM | My niece and she took the request to heart--I am so proud of her which is kind of an inside joke but I actually am so that makes it an outside joke too I guess.)

Holiday Palate Cleanser.

And a Balinese dance from my group back in Berkeley. Telek is a dance prayer for balance.

Amelia Adams (CA/NY | Midland Class of 2004, part of an all-time great class and then went on to become a clown, yes, a clown, and is now in Brooklyn making her way.)

Opening Speech by Matthew McCounaughey

Jarrett VanMeter (KY | Midland Class of 2009 and the author of one of the best basketball books I’ve ever read. Seriously, he wrote this book in his 20s!)

Editor’s pick: Seriously, a song called “Pedal Your Blues Away” by the comic artist Robert Crumb?

Outstanding.

2020 has become a connotation of a year to move past because of the obvious negatives, yet there are many gifts and benefits we wouldn’t want to miss. What comes to mind with a gift is the message to keep an open mind for the good when, where, how, why it appears.

Your request had me pondering how I could express a dualistic message that bad can make way for good, dark for light, sad for appreciation…Moments later as I put my skins on my skis, I noticed “Live the Moment” written on the side of my skis. The random time and place of this inspirational message caught my attention and made me think, when we keep an open mind to seeing good, we open the door to endless possibilities.

In the image to the right, my hand represents an offering, of a reminder to keep an open mind to see good/benefit; the background of the Christmas tree signifies that seeing good is a gift as otherwise it would go unnoticed; the red color symbolizes that when we open our minds, messages often comes in bold forms; the placement of the saying is reflective that sometimes message take subtle forms, often the more unexpected the timing the more serendipitous the message feels which encouraged me to try to explain my message with words and an image.

Julie Cord (ID | WRV Realtor and super athletic skier/hill climber/runner and now I will add a very thoughtful writer.)

Photos of some import. (Derek and Elias; Derek and Dad; a brick Derek found for Nancy some years back)

Nancy Svennungsen (MT | My step-mom since 1983 and has been nothing but awesome for all those years and even before that; there are still songs that I can’t hear without thinking of Mark and Nancy’s courting period.)

Below I included a song I wrote a little over year ago, as well as a quote (which my Dad always had up on the wall, so in a way he is involved too) by the Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata.

Uno más del barrio beat I ain’t just another one out the bunch, I’m a diamond In the rough Look at my surroundings and look at my upbringing then you’ll see it’s tough It’s tough to be surrounded by bluffing mans, always hounded by some lies, sometimes all I want to do is die But I can’t, I already tried twice but it clearly ain’t my time Cuz I’m a diamond in the rough, I ain’t just another one out the bunch Ain’t no such thing as a free lunch, you’re gonna have to work, you’re gonna have to grind and you’re gonna have to take re-control of your own mind This world ain’t run by the people we elect it’s run by money and deception Everything you see and do is meant to deflect your attention They robbing you right In front your eyes, They say the money they take from your check is supposed to be for schools but dawg all they do is hire more fools that suppress these kids’ most vital tool: their mind, Feed them a bunch of useless information but of course fail to mention the pieces that go against their indoctrination They say history is written by the winners but I say it’s written by the sinners Immorality is prevailing in our society, we ain’t got no leaders, no teachers, no role models- word to jcole Thats why so many of my brothers resort to picking up the bottle But I can’t blame em cuz we supposed to be in the land of the free But instead they made us be the pawns in their little game called life They wanna call me insane cuz I don’t want to conform to their so-called norms, they scared of me cuz I’m the truth, call me the clouds cuz I’m gonna cause up a storm Cuzzzz I’m a diamond in the rough, I ain’t gonna be one more out the bunch All you need to do to succeed is let go of lust and greed, cuz the day you win the race is the day you stop racing We all facing struggles but it’s aight cuz in the bigger picture it’s like puddles to an ocean I’m gonna be one to set this revolution into motion Cuz I’m a diamond in the rough, I ain’t just another one out the bunch Audari Tamayo (ID | Community School Class of 2021 and friend/teammate of Elias’s through the years and probably the most gifted young soccer player I ever saw and RIP Auerlio.)

Here are 2 people that I have enjoyed this year listening to their podcast and guest speakers: Joe Rogan Lex Fridman

Rachel Wolfe (ID | WRV Realtor and relentless hiker in pursuit of her children who are truly alpinic!)

Lots of people who know me aren't going to believe me when I say that my most unexpected source of connection and joy is...a video game! I have been tending four virtual farms in Stardew Valley, each one with a different friend/group of friends. It is a sweet, low-stakes, way to light up those reward pathways in the brain and feel good about something, like buying a cow or installing some sprinklers. It's also been a great way to chat with and stay connected to friends in a way that isn't as fatiguing as staring at each other over Zoom and feeling too tired or anxious or distanced or insert-emotion-here to properly have a conversation, much as you might want to. I will say that I am AWFUL at fishing, though!

Sophia Reading Rocco (CA/NY | Midland Class of 2009 and an equestrian and science aficionado who is probably only bad at fishing and absolutely nothing else.)

Wide open spaces helped me through 2020; however I’m looking forward to cities, crowded events and long lines for 2021!

Kirsten Dehart (ID | WRV Realtor but more importantly a great mom and friend and someone who has given so much of her time and expertise to Elias thank you KD!)

Ok here is what I have come up with. (I'm not a big linker but more of a lister....)

Movie: About Time Songs: Kacey Musgraves: Somebody to Love and Cup of Tea Podcasts: (Yes I know you are thinking, “What, Millie podcast?!?!?”)

Oprah's Supersoul Conversations Eckhart Tolle 10 weeks series on a New Earth So many good interviews if you get past the celebrities.

TV ( yes I am well rounded....): The Voice Season 18 or 19 I am not kidding this has been pretty much the highlight of our family time and well truthfully our time :) Book: Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Remen

Millie Gwiazdon/Flanigan. (MT/CO | WHS Class of 1986 and according to my mom my first friend as a toddler and according to me a phenomenal mom of an all-time awesome family [hi Gardner, Bode, and Merritt--we miss you!] and person and friend.)

I’ve been using this awesome New York Times app that has tons of incredible recipes. One of the coolest parts is that a recipe of the day is uploaded daily. Been cooking and baking tons this year.

Joey Hermosillo (CA | Midland Class of 2009 and a Santa Ana product who spent much of 2020 working on a vaccine for COVID and yet has the humility to send a link about cooking. No wonder I have loved this kid since the first day I met him in February of 2005.)

Currently at Midland, the freshmen are trying to convert everyone into Paulists, or people of the Paulism religion. In Paulism, Paul Gelles is God, which makes his son, now a freshman, equatable to Jesus. They've gone so far as to make a website dedicated to Paulism.

I should add, there’s also an anti-Paulism movement.

Will Goddard (CA | Midland Class of 2021 and Elias’s best friend growing up and now setting records on the x-c trails and probably going to go directly into a post-grad program from high school. [Editor’s note: this might be the single funniest thing in this whole compilation.])

One of my favorite recipes.

Neil Bradshaw (ID | Ketchum Mayor by way of Zimbabwe and possessor of an awesome accent and great collection of stylish driving hats.)

Cousins galore on the Svennungsen/Madison tree trunk.

Dan Madison (ID | Possessor of the patented “Svennungsen Head” which is to say round and big forehead and a keeper of many family stories.)

I don’t have a particular song or picture or one common thing but I do basically have a word….that being GRATITUDE. 2020 has reaffirmed my gratitude of life. It goes all the way back to being a 3 month old kid up for adoption and luckily my parents found me or me them and I am forever grateful for them and their decision to help a young infant have a fantastic life. This gratitude continues through my years at Whitefish getting to know so many people and to experience such a incredible journey. All my friends and acquaintances that help build my memories I’m so thankful for all of those people. I’m grateful for my athletic experiences that were such a strong part of my life. I’m grateful for my college experience…more friends and memories and to be able to call such a beautiful place home now where I live. I’m thankful for my career at the Fire Department, my wonderful and closest friend that I get to call my wife and the wonderful family that we created and all those experiences that come with children. I’m grateful for my mortgage career and all the wonderful people that I get to meet along the way. With 2020 in the books and all the turmoil and craziness…It just makes me so Grateful to have you Derek and all my friends and family in my life. Thanks.

Graver Johnson (MT | WHS Class of 1989 and my best friend for many childhood years and probably one of the most popular and well-known people in the entire state of MT except for among the jerk faces in Livingston ha ha just kidding sort of.)

Resonance on Location, an exploration of the Central Coast and singing (Editor’s note: “The Rose” starts at about 9:50 and it is beautiful beautiful).

Steinar & Melody Svennungsen (CA | My uncle and aunt who live in San Luis Obispo and among many other things sing in their church choir and have acted in plays and the like. So. Much. Talent.)

I chose to share this picture I took a few summers ago, I hope it is a foreshadow of the times ahead. On top of the Covid and all that goes along with it, there is a lot of animosity and hatred in America today. I am hopeful for the light on the other side of this, there is a lot of good out there too. Similar to how this storm blew over, with the dark storm clouds replaced by the clear blue sky and the rainbows.

Coby Grove (MT | WHS Class of 1989 and close childhood friend who is currently struggling with the fact that his son is going to the U of Montana when Bozeman has been THE family school. Alas.)

Avital Shimko/Carroll (CO/NY | US Ski Team member [moguls] and during my two years in Steamboat one of the liveliest, funniest, and most genuine students I got to work with.)

The quote below that has been in my phone since this summer. Something that gives me a little hope each day and brings me back to normalcy when things seem to be getting out of hand. It was the opening line in President Obama’s eulogy for John Lewis after his passing.

Chris Woodfolk (VA | STAB Class of 2014 and one of the more thoughtful and engaging kids I’ve ever taught: UVA grad.)

Visiting as part of a golf trip, I tried to capture the wonder of what I saw.

The (safe!) family trips are what helped us weather this perfect storm.

The family trip to Madeline Island was a first for all of us, sheltering in a big log cabin at the edge of a golf course deep in the woods.

Another first was the two-day trip to the Smokey Mountain National Park.

Birdwatching off Jared’s deck was so fun! After a large raccoon died on the road, the Jared and Elio laid it out under a huge hickory tree so we could watch the twenty or so vultures take over. An experience never to be forgotten.

Rick R. (MN | My step-father since 1974 and truly one of the two or three kindest men I’ve ever known. We used to fly to little golf courses in his Cessna in Minnesota and Wisconsin and play a round of golf then fly home and man, that was pretty cool.)

Covid has been a gift in that it afforded the time to stop working so F’ing hard to get ahead and rather start working more intentionally and focusing my energy in the direction of my objectives.

Jodi Fillmore (ID | Deservedly popular WRV denizen who skis and bikes like crazy!)

In considering the options in what at outward glance would seem a bleak, uninspiring year, I was struck by the seeming compression of moments - powerful imprints, or tokens if you will - of the little things that really matter. I landed on the poem I shared with our senior class today, a class whose small kindnesses have brought meaning and purpose to my days since I am working remotely. Our communication has been solely by email and Zoom, and yet they have managed to convey their caring through the warmest of smiles and greetings and gratitude. "These brief moments of exchange" are powerful indeed, and I am grateful for every one of them. This poem, “Small Kindnesses” by Danusha Lameris, captures this sentiment.

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you” when someone sneezes, a leftover from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.

And sometimes, when you spill lemons from your grocery bag, someone else will help you pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.

We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot, and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder, and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.

We have so little of each other, now. So far from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.

What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here, have my seat,” “Go ahead – you first,” “I like your hat.”

Ann Wicks (VA | STAB Faculty member and endurance horse rider with an infectious love of adventure and literature and service.)

Goodness knows we can all use some happy thoughts right now. I have had an especially difficult fall, so uplifting things have meant a lot to me of late. Here’s a video that makes me smile and feel calm. This guy actually has a series of similar videos.

Danni Dean (ID | A shining spirit in the Wood River Valley and centerpiece of a great family.)

Books - no surprise here - were our salvation. Warren truly became a reader, especially of new releases and current authors, mostly of color. Ta Nehesi Coates, Chloe Benjamin, Jeanine Cummins, and many more. He exposed me to Isabelle Allende, whom I'd not read before, and of course, the winner for me this year was Ann Patchett's Dutch House. However, I loved Pat Conroy's South of Broad, but that wasn't a new release. Much of what we read (and he did much more than I, since he has the time, was prejudice and bigotry bias consciousness raising). He will return as a black man in his next life; I'm absolutely positive about that. Or, he was already one in a recent life.

So, aside from trying to feed my mind and spirit with entertainment, I devote myself to family, self, service to others and my community, with a dash of personal growth thrown in to keep me young. Yes, I said “self ” in that list. You asked for wisdom: I’ve finally learned the hard way, that if I don’t take care of myself, I’m no good to anyone else.

Be sure to include the following every day.... Exercise, Laughter, Creativity, Gratitude, and Communion in whatever fashion that means for you. The vedics and sages want you to meditate. But for others, it’s nature, journaling, something introspective.

Let it be so. Go forth and prosper!

Pam Colesworthy (ID | WRV Realtor and a great friend who gives me the opportunity to talk about books and words while sitting in my real estate office and that, my friends, is a blessing!)

There is a great Netflix documentary called Kiss the Ground and it is about regenerative agriculture and soil health.

Clark Shafer (ID | Maybe my first friend in Idaho and don’t hold that against him--he takes Elias fishing and ties him flies and tells him lies and he also sharees my “sense” of “humor” which endears him to me and not many others but somehow Sara.)

This music video by Sylvan Esso has really brought me joy this year.

Elsa Godtfredsen (WA/CO/IL | My free-spirited and brilliant [no particular order] niece who will convince you that plants can communicate.)

With all this new-found free time we were able to learn new things and to sharpen some skills. Corona Projects consisted of many things. Whether it’s learning to drive a boat, picking up a new sport, putting time into training, or building stuff to make our homes more comfortable we all learned the value of investing in ourselves. And we are a better community because of it.

Pat McCormick (ID | All-around great WRV guy who bikes like the earth is on fire and skis and hires kids to help with hard labor when he’s not doing those things. Thanks, Pat!)

My little piece of happiness in 2020 was the arrival of our sweet baby boy, Gus. This little dude couldn't have picked a better year to grace us with his presence. Time passes so quickly these days, but in all of this craziness I’ve learned to stop and take time to properly enjoy all the little things like holding my sweet boy and drinking coffee while it's still hot!

Whitney Holts/Thomas (ID | Southern transplant to the WRV who loves to fish and is now a brand new mama to a super cute boy named Gus. GUS!!!)

I am enjoying puzzles these days. Turning the screens off, the noise off and enjoying conversations with loved ones.

Laurie Peters (ID/CO | Talented traveler [yes a traveler can be talented], writer and social media guru in the WRV.)

I acquired this hobby car by barter in January and spent all spring and early summer working on it myself to get it on the road by mid-summer. The biggest thing I learned was that turning the wrench becomes so all-consuming; no corrupting thoughts about the world or work can penetrate the mind - very cathartic or meditative almost. Charles Heery (CA/MT | Midland Class of 2007 and now in Bozeman and he always struck me as much more of a Montanan than a Marin County type of person and I bet he agrees.)

Meg Van Liew (VA | STAB faculty member and my lifeline while I was in Charlottesville, here with her daughter Ally and Ione STAB Class of 2015, who from day one was an adopted daughter for sure.)

A few images that brought joy, enthusiasm, and a bit of tranquility to our family and friends this year.

James Foster (ID | WRHS educator and Elias’s bike coach and a genuinely interesting and interested person. I hope St. Peter is just like James.)

The Sound of Wild Things by Wendell Berry

Nora Livingston (CA | Midland Class of 2007 and very clearly one of the great Midlanders of all time [she’s a Munger so there’s that but even if she wasn’t a Munger she would still be all-time] and now she’s engaged yay life!)

This video captures all the 2020 surreality and then makes you laugh maniacally.

Kathy Godtfredsen (WA | Sister-in-law who met my brother Kirk in a Seattle bar [I know, right?] because he didn’t have dumb shoes on and has a PhD from Johns Hopkins and is now one of my most trusted confidantes and mother of two super awesome girls.)

This year was really something, you are reaching 50 and I hit 30. Yikes! Turning 30 was soooo anti-climactic. I don't know why in my mind I thought "WOW 30" - so many cool things will happen. Now looking back kind of glad I had this Covid 30th Birthday. I found this picture on IG, probably around September and it has changed my thinking entirely especially when I get bummed out about something.

When I am having an extra crappy day, I just remind myself of this. I take too much for granted always, but this pandemic has really taught me to value my health and that of my parents and grandparents. Something I think we are often conscious of, but personally never gave it much thought. I appreciate my family and our health so much more.

Vanessa Barrera. (CA | Midland Class of 2008 and if you were to draw up an ideal Midland student it would probably look like Vanessa because she was a city girl who embraced everything about the experience and not only that passed it on with an exuberance hard to match.)

Fishing has really made my weekends!

Miguel Lopez (ID | WRHS Class of 2020 and super suave and a hard worker and a good fisherman.)

A wine I would recommend is la Fantasia. 10/10 from Terry and me.

IO. (ID | Well all I can tell you is that “IO” is smart, swole, hard-working, decent, and maybe a bit too young for wine but who am I...?)

This little video is the last part of another full mountain bike film. It’s about Paul Basagoitia, a professional mountain bike rider that had a life changing back injury. After a few years off the bike he finally got to ride again with help of an Ebike. I find this segment to be incredibly heartwarming and uplifting. It combines my favorite sport of cycling with a great comeback story that shows nobody can be down for the count.

Carson Hampton (ID | Boise-area mountain biking peer of Elias’s but this kid is like super-duper-fast and is like 6’3” and you look at him and think, ‘that dude is probably fast’.)

My new puppy, Gidget, brought a lot of joy to my family!

Erin Clark (ID | Let me just say that I hadn’t been to court since I was six months old [ha ha ha] but I had to go in 2019 and luckily I found Erin Clark and SHE. IS. AWESOME. And a really great person.)

Gordon Ramsay Uncharted series.

Rose Wang (NY/China | STAB Class of 2015 with a fearless spirit that helped many students come out of their cultural shells. You should have seen her lead 70 boarding (largely foreign) students thru campus on a Mardi Gras night march!)

I would like to add the website for my wife Kirtan's business: She has had a long road towards establishing herself as a professional woodworker, and every time she had a bit of momentum, something would come along to slow her down again. First she had a difficult pregnancy, making long days in the workshop an impossibility, then we moved from NY to CA, and she struggled to find a studio out here that met her needs. And then, of course, the pandemic hit, and many of her clients had to postpone or drop their projects. Over the second half of 2020, despite the ongoing difficulties of the pandemic, she recovered all of that lost ground and then some. Now, she often has more work than time, and every day she can get into the studio brings her the deep satisfaction of pursuing her dream. With the world crumbling all around us, this building of dreams and beautiful furniture is a rare and simple joyous good.

Brendan Inman (CA/Japan | Midland Class of 2002 and probably THE SMARTEST person I’ve ever met [sorry A-Money] and while he enjoyed lording that over me for a year, during his senior year we clicked [Dostoevsky?]. Now a lawyer and father.)

This poem by Raymond Carver encapsulates a lot of my at-home-2020-mood.

Emma Duncan/Rose Went (CA/NY | Midland Class of 2008 and so exceptionally talented as to even impress her uber-talented parents!)

[Editor’s note: Brad submitted these without commentary which is fine because they speak for themselves.]

Brad Svennungsen (CA | Part of the Shelby crew of Svennungsens and he escaped both Shelby and optometry so nice work Cousin Brad!)

Here are the friends who got me through.

Ming Holden (CA | Midland Class of 2002 and celebrated author of REFUGE, which won the inaugural Kore Press Memoir Award. Let’s just say that Ming is a pretty good writer and spirit.)

These lived on our fridge and grounded me.

Nikki Reynolds/Reed (MT | WHS Class of 1989 and just an allaround great person and mom and educator. She turned me on to both Greater Good and the band Raising Appalachia--thank you!)

Here’s a link to one of my favorite bands, First Aid Kit, doing a lovely athome performance a little while back.

They are a band I turn to when I’m feeling blue, and I never tire of their voices.

Ursula Moffitt/Linor. (NM/IL | JMS student whose mom was a teacher at JMS and took a sabbatical which is how I got a job there and now Ursula is working on her doctorate at Northwestern [let’s hope her topic isn’t “Ways to Improve Middle School English Education”]!)

"The journey is the reward."

Not sure if you've experienced moments like this but I sometimes do feel as if there is something happening, really happening, really in the void in my life but I gotta move forward no matter what. I always remind myself of this quote to energize myself, though I've forgotten who said this.

Yifei (Kaos) Zhang (VA/NY/China | STAB Class of 2017 and maybe the coolest kid from China I ever had the pleasure of working with.)

Nadia Hebard (MT | My beloved sister-in-law who is a great mom and has been a phenomenal aunt to Elias, so good, in fact, that Elias used to cry “I want my Nadia” when he was in trouble or sad.)

I’m obsessed with The Sunday Read podcast from The Daily. I binge-listened to all of them when I discovered it a few months ago, and now each week drags on until the newest one is posted. My favorite is “David’s Ankles.”

And then…..a friend just sent me this poem by Mary Anne Perrone, which I LOVE, but I don’t think I can really claim it as something that has helped me through this godforsaken year.

I am no longer waiting for a special occasion; I burn the best candles on ordinary days.

I am no longer waiting for the house to be clean; I fill it with people who understand that even dust is Sacred.

I am no longer waiting for everyone to understand me; It’s just not their task.

I am no longer waiting for the perfect children; my children have their own names that burn as brightly as any star.

I am no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop; It already did, and I survived.

I am no longer waiting for the time to be right; the time is always now.

I am no longer waiting for the mate who will complete me; I am grateful to be so warmly, tenderly held.

I am no longer waiting for a quiet moment; my heart can be stilled whenever it is called.

I am no longer waiting for the world to be at peace; I unclench my grasp and breathe peace in and out.

I am no longer waiting to do something great; being awake to carry my grain of sand is enough.

I am no longer waiting to be recognized; I know that I dance in a holy circle.

I am no longer waiting for Forgiveness.

I believe, I Believe.

Surrey Schumm (MT | WHS Class of 1986 [and object of a one-time crush of surprising innocence by a certain awestruck freshman ahem] who now lives in Bozeman and works with her husband’s classic Porsche touring business. No, seriously.)

Had a good 2020 fishing and hunting! Living the dream.

Caught 4 fish over 10lbs and took a trip of a lifetime to Alaska after Caribou! Also traveled to Kansas and harvested my best Whitetail to date! Had our annual pheasant hunt with the boys and like always it was special!

Thank God we are all healthy and happy! Heaven knows that I lost about 5 years coaching you guys!

Julio Delgado (MT | WHS Class of 1971 and longtime boys’ basketball coach and the most hardnosed guy I’ve ever met and always doing whatever he could to make all of us hotshots better. Two great sons, Jose and Vinnie (pictured), and husband to everyone’s all-time favorite Benilda.)

This is Aaron Levine. He’s a homie in the menswear world. He posts honest insights from characters in the menswear and fashion world about where and how they’ve failed and succeeded, their challenges and wins. He posts a lot of selfies too with some great style and vintage finds too.

Also Alex Hillkurtz is a painter from LA based in Paris. I’ve learned a lot watching how he does his pieces and scenes.

Zeph Colombatto (HI/CA/NY | Midland Class of 2008 who was classy then and is even classier now--the kind of guy who could make burlap look cool.)

Being a person at severe risk from COVID-19, I turned even more to the great outdoors to keep my sanity. I also used zoom to not miss a very special occasion, which took place on Jessica’s back patio in New York, her mini-wedding! Most of my photos were taken while I hiked and kayaked here in beautiful Oregon.

Karen Plumbley (OR | Mom to Jessica [Midland Class of 2009 and Merlin 2012] and one of those parents that you wish could attend the school too.)

Here are a couple of links on my wife's Instagram that come to mind, as I look back on this year. I finally got back into golf this year after about a 12 or 13 year layoff. We would play occasionally during those years, but this year we joined a club and I played more golf this year than I ever have. I even played 36 holes on my 50th birthday. The nice thing about it was my wife and son are crazy about it and they played as much or more than I did.

It was a great way for us to spend time as a family and get outside during this crazy year. Link one | Link two Greg Newton (MT/CO | WHS Class of 1988 and a longtime good friend not just because he is left-handed but because even though he is a quiet person he could unleash a furious humor that kept us all scared and amused. )

One Saturday in January 2020, my son Patrick called me from California to ask if my open invitation for him and his girlfriend to visit was still open. After I replied it was, he said great, we’ll be there tomorrow. Thanks to COVID, they are still here with me, although itching to get out and trot the globe.

For most of the summer, our schedules were busy and opposite of each other so I didn’t get to see as much of him as you would think in such a small house. However, we recently all went out and got our 1st Christmas tree together since he was small. With a quieter market, I am determined to spend more time with him and his girlfriend while I can. Time is fleeting, but I have been so blessed to have him for such a stretch of time. He makes my heart glow.

Ali Warner (ID | Good friend involved in WRV real estate and helped immeasurably with my townhome purchase--thanks, Ali!)

Editor’s Pick: Alfre Woodard reading Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” | One of my favorite actors going deep to deliver one of the most astounding speeches (delivered in 1851—18 freaking 51!) ever which is, 170 years later, still a question we are implausibly asking.

In a year where anxiety, dread, loneliness and crushing nostalgia can take over, music has been a wellspring to snap me out of that state and into a place where optimism, hope, joy and wonder can regain control.

The $10/month I spend on Spotify have been invaluable in empowering me to discover new music. By going to an artist you already know, and scrolling down to ‘Discography’ you can listen to all the albums an artist has ever released. One of my favorite ways to listen to music this year is to go into the discography, locate the very first album of an artist I am interested in, and play it all the way through. I find often get stuck in my old music/albums that can take me to joyful or painful places, and while that can be rich in evoking feelings, it inevitably takes me back in time, which can often leave me feeling sad, missing epic moments from the past which are often insuperable from the music. Finding ‘new’ music puts me in the moment, while it also takes me on a journey of inner discovery and can add such a depth to my current life experience.

The artist Zap Mama I first discovered in 2007, her album ‘Seven’ (released in 1997) had already had a big impact on me. The album I would like to discuss, ‘Adventures in Afropea 1’, deeply stirred my soul. This particular album is the music of Marie Daulne, her sister, and 3 other women of mixed African and European descent, all raised in Brussles, Belgium and is purely A-Capela. The inspiration for the music comes from a mix of Congolese Pygmy (Daulnes mother’s half of her heritage) harmonizing and European choral traditions and showcases the power of the voice.

For my favorite way to listen to this album, I recommend drawing a hot evening bath, adding epsom salts and essential oils, lighting some candles, turning off the lights and playing this album as you soak in both the sounds and the relaxing effects of the tub. Let go of external stressors and let the power of the original and perhaps greatest instrument of all, the voice, whisk you away to a magical forest of wonder!

Cyrus Bell (CA | Midland Class of 2003 and for anyone who knew or worked with C-Royce at Midland this whole submission is a revelation! C-Royce and Big Dub [Hacker] taught me the true meaning of a chest bump, and we still greet each other to this day with said simian ritual.)

As cliche as it is, the joy+accomplishment that I want to share from 2020 is mastering sourdough bread baking! I have followed a method that uses 'einkorn wheat' - a traditional grain that has not been hybridized and is more nutritious and digestible than modern wheat. I digress! I followed a method for creating my own 'starter' from the einkorn flour and water, a method that took about 3 weeks to mature and become alive enough to raise a loaf of bread! This hobby has provided immense enjoyment to myself, along with my family who gets to enjoy my creations!

The Jovial YouTube Channel walks through every step from creating your own starter, to baking your first loaf.

Jordan Baker (ha ha ha!) (WA | Cousin on my dad’s side who loves exploring the mountains outside of Spokane and working out and remodeling homes too when she’s not raising her kids and baking bread.)

Editor’s pick: My favorite newly-learned word of the year: AMBIVERT Finally, a word that I feel describes my desire to be with people and in a room by myself!

“Coronavirus has turned us all into dogs: We roam the house looking for food, we’re told ‘no’ if we get too close to strangers, and we get really excited about car rides and walks.” —Unknown Cooking has always been a meditative practice for me and especially this year in 2020. I'm sure many people feel the same way so I'm sharing the recipe of the year from 2019 because it's cheesy, rich and comforting; something we all need a lot of this year.

Regan Peschel (MT/NY | WHS Class of 19xx [stopped paying attention to that sort of thing after I graduated ngl] and after making lots of money in NY has returned to live a less chaotic and less expensive life in Whitefish, smart move!)

[Editor’s note: Yessie didn’t offer any narrative, just sent me this photo of her two sisters and Elias way back in early Midland times. Can? Anything? Be? Better?]

Yessie Murillo/Uribe (CA/AZ | Midland Class of 2004 and longtime faculty member who has just moved with her lovely family and their horses to the Sedona area.

Yessie’s family is one of the most generous and loving families I’ve ever met--yeah, I’m talking to you, Gloria!!)

Thank goodness for Schitt's Creek for laughter; Mary Oliver's poetry for introspection; The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett which gave me a new perspective on race relations; Hazy beer (too many brands to list) for tasty goodness, Clark Shafer's new bread obsession for daily bread and bagels; and a newfound appreciation for crossword puzzles.

Pressing pause in the spring was oddly wonderful...time with family, especially with two high school kids, is precious.

Social Media was my link to the outside world and I loved following my high school friend and photographer on Instagram @aworldseen.

New albums from Phoebe Bridgers (Punisher) and Chris Stapleton (Starting Over) added to my listening pleasure.

Looking inward during yoga and looking outward on multiple hikes to Idaho's alpine lakes nourished my soul!

Cheers to 2020...It wasn't ALL bad!

Sara Shafer (ID | So many “titles” including WRMS teacher, runner, great mom, tolerant wife of Clark, skier, and more.)

These are some images and words that really spoke to me in the last year.

Kristin Bevers (ID | WRV Realtor, vestibular therapist, and all-around dynamite person who bikes and skis and purveys both funny and poignant expressions.)

I am not a cook. I am not the friend who brings you a home-cooked meal. You wouldn’t want it. But when someone brings me SOUP – that is my favorite gift.

Generosity, a new recipe to learn, and a special hello are all cooked into a gifted soup. Here’s one someone shared with me – delicious, versatile, easy, and the absolute best gift.

Aly Wepplo (ID | WRV Librarian and actor and someone who makes a trip into the library [we have a great library in Ketchum] all the more enjoyable because she is both well-read and super irreverent, a rare breed!)

I don't know who took this picture. (I don't think it was me.) But hopefully you aren't approaching 50 and ending 2020 looking like this guy. Could have been at the Tahoe Relay race or your last day on the job.

Don Redl (WA/CA/China | Don and Jill showed up at Midland in 2005 after months in India, and we all fell into the most natural and appreciative friendship. No easy feat, especially as Don is perhaps the smartest person I’ve ever met. This photo is from the Relay Race around Lake Tahoe we all ran in 2007. I recall I had a huge zit on my face which you can see if you look closely and I think it actually slowed me down.)

Since buying ten deep country acres - deep in the south where the armadillos scurry, scratch and scarf through steamy midnight hollers, where less clothes is always better and your lover's sweat is the sweetest thing you could ever put your lips to - this song by Sean Hayes has been in constant rotation for me as we plan where to put the chicken coops and chicken runs.

Jared Roessler (MN/NY/TN | My brother, connected to a different type of spigot in all the most interesting ways. Smart, funny, cynical, hard-working, full of love, and hirsute beyond comphair.)

Despite all of the terrible things happening in the world this year, I have been very lucky to have had many moments of joy and pleasure during this time. I've definitely sought out things that make me laugh and I happened upon the "First Time Hearing" videos on YouTube made by twin brothers.

They are young black men who listen to and watch videos from songs and artists they have never heard of. Their reactions and comments are priceless - so real, so thoughtful and so funny! I love these guys!

Here are links to two of their reactions.

First Time Hearing - Unchained Melody First Time Hearing - In the Air Tonight Maybe you've already discovered these guys, but if not, you'll be hooked.

Daniela Gelles (CA | Midland Class of 2021 [such a bummer!] and faculty brat.)

Molly! Goodyear (ID | WRV Librarian and yes, she uses an exclamation mark after her first name on her business card which should tell you something about her personality. Which is infectious!)

I try to live my life by this quote “I Take Life With A Grain Of Salt, A Wedge Of Lime And A Shot Of Tequila." I hope this is something you will think about in these very unpredictable times. And I'm going to leave you with my family's secret appetizer recipe.

Ingredients: wheat thins, peanut butter, crisp-cooked bacon. Place peanut butter on cracker, place bacon on top of that and EAT. Hope you will never be without Drink or Food.

Janet Bostwick (ID | A trusted and hilarious friend who works with Martina at Webb Landscapes and absolutely loves spending time with her dogs next to the river on just about every summer’s eve. A great golfer too and used to coach squash back in her New England days. Squash!)

These towers will always remind me of you and the first time I ever went hiking. Thank you for that experience!

Melissa Montalvo (El Paso | MMS student [El Paso] who made sure I was on my game every day I was teaching 6th grade. Now a devoted parent still in her hometown, which I miss desperately 22 years later!)

Here is a picture of the best part of 2020 for me. This is my Isabella. She's kept me company through one of the loneliest times in my life. She gives me cuddles and kisses and constantly makes me laugh with her antics. I tell her every day that I don't know what I'd do without her. So here's to our furry companions!

Sofia Embid (NM/NY | JMS student [Albuquerque] who was one of those quiet smart kids that you always worried if you were teaching them anything at all.

Now she’s in the movies so that’s pretty cool and surely attributable to the drama class that she took at JMS.)

Waxahatchee released Saint Cloud right at the beginning of the quarantine. I love Katie Crutchfield (reminds me of Gillian Welch, actually), and this album has definitely been a 2020 highlight for me.

Ali Newcomb (CA/Peru | Midland Class of 2002 and the first “kid” that really allowed Martina and me to understand what boarding schools were really about. In mostly good ways ha ha!)

“ I can attest to the fact that Jimmy Laidlaw was our king of the dance floor at TAS. I know because I was the lucky girl who got to go to the Senior Prom with him and he had all the right moves – on the dance floor, I mean.”

Jim Laidlaw (MT | My first boss at Jimmy Lee’s and my hope was he was going to share his recipe for Jimmy’s Lunch but this submission is pretty good anyway!)

I am on the board of the Hyperbaric Health & Wellness Foundation. The HHWF is a nonprofit set-up to help those that cannot afford hyperbaric treatments. Recently we've been treating veterans who suffer from PTSD and/or TBI and are suicidal. We, along with Mission 43, Higher Ground, & the Albertsons Foundation recently treated a vet who now has a brighter outlook on life and is no longer suicidal. He wrote a very moving and thoughtful letter, which is here in its entirety.

Sarah Shepherd (ID | A creative force in the WRV who designs websites and has a lot of fun with graphics!)

Being an introvert, this halt to our past far-reaching lives has fluctuated for me between cocooned comfort and guilt for the inability to have daily brief encounters with friends while we work, shop, or just stop by. But...

I am ever so grateful for having my family close. What the world now calls our "bubble" is in fact many bubbles like what is blown out of a bubble blower. Tennis bubbles, riding bubbles, intimate friend bubbles, family bubbles...those I now recognize as both safe and honestly sane. Let me float with them for a while.

I recognize the privilege I have of a home, a home with property where I can fill my time productively. My daughter sold vegetable starts at the beginning of the lockdown so I planted a more diverse garden than usual. I never tried cantaloupes before but they will be a staple in my garden every summer. Like homegrown tomatoes, they are a taste of heaven.

The song that tops my personal chart this year is The Stable Song by Gregory Alan Isakov. It will always conjure the memory of cleaning hundreds of shallots with my mom in her garden. It just hugs my heart to remember it.

Two podcasts that immediately come to mind are from On Being with Krista Tippett. One from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and the other from John Lewis who ironically both passed on this year. Their lives and commitment to their purpose is so inspiring. I realized through them and so many others that lived at the point of the spear that despite the personal struggle they changed our lives for the better. Maybe not even in their lifetime but for generations to come.

A sweet little book that took me away from any contention was Sit a Tall Horse by Paul Hunter. Written by a poet with insight to the work and community of cowboys.

I'm grateful this slowdown enabled the opportunity for my siblings and I to sit down together to share quiet conversations with my 99 year old mom. We are a compulsive family that is always busy with tasks and chores so the feet-up conversations were a whole new terrain for us.

The movie I most enjoyed was My Octopus Teacher. Truly illustrates you can love anything given empathy and the absolute intricacies of this life on earth.

The single word that becomes more and more crystal clear to me is: Faith.

The artist I've come to admire is Vicki Jauron, a wildlife photographer who shares her work on Instagram. I love how she showcases the beauty of birds, the wildlife of the sky.

This snippet of 2020 cannot end without recognition to the caretakers, the essential workers, the civil servants that we applaud as saints. As Pope Francis calls them 'the antibodies to the virus of indifference'.

Kristin Reynolds (CA | One of our “horsey� friends from the Santa Ynez Valley, and along with her husband Bill a super kind, knowledgeable, and generous example of how to live a good life.)

I wrote a thing this morning to add to your project. I suppose there's a bit of all the above in there, a book recommendation, a poem, maybe a joke or three?

I hope it brings a smile to your face when you read it. Here's the link to the google doc, If it's too long I'm attaching a cute photo as well.

Claire Wright (NM/WA | JMS student [Albuquerque] and possessor of one of the coolest minds ever. She does upholstery now and bikes and hikes and is relentlessly adventurous in body and mind.)

A killer ride and a great time seeing some old friends!

Nick Newcomb (CA | Midland Class of 2004 and a lovably cantankerous kid in his teens [“aw, that’s crap’] who is now just all types of interesting and grown up and making his way with aplomb through the world. Ahh, maturity!)

Here is something I submitted and had accepted by My Life in 6 Words: Eating, Shitting, Dying. Loving every second.

Here are two great covers of banal pop songs: Oops I Did It Again ..Richard Thompson All About That Bass…Post Modern Jukebox Peter Nassett (MN | One of our oldest family friends and a solid and inspiring force in my life in my teens and through college. )

Here is a mediocre picture to honor the immense amount of time you and Martina spent getting my shit photos developed at Midland. It wasn’t til i got older that i realized what an ask that was. And to say thank you for playing art critic so often with those photos. I really did learn a lot about process and composition through our conversations.

What stands out to me most is how pure and effective you in the role of teacher was. I had no idea how rare and wonderful that dynamic was until adulthood when it became absent from my life. To have such a curiosity about life and a mentor figure to answer and direct that energy is such a fundamental and important part of the human experience. Thanks for being that for me. I’m super grateful.

Here is another mentor who I frequently look to for guidance in lessons of confidence and wit.

Callis Chambliss (KY | Midland Class of 2008 and the first kid to show up as a senior and make it work.

I’d pinch myself every day at my luck of enrolling a 17-year old who was so adaptable and truly made the place better.)

1. Here is an Alan Watts quote. I've been 'macro-dosing' his audio lectures...in response to stress/anxiety that's been flowing like a raging river this year.

2. I did manage to create an actual music 'product' in the midst of the pandemic. It's a short, silly recording/ music video called 'Bach-alypso'. Bach-alypso Video

Between my perfectionism, my distractibility (Attention Deficit Disorder confirmed this year), and the...wait, what was I saying? And that is why I have struggled to create/record music over the years.

I've included a few Pre-Covid photos...when we could travel... We took a wonderful trip to Vancouver a few years back.

-A fantastic dinner on Vancouver Island.

-Annemarie took the photo of me in a spectacular location...practicing T'ai Chi Chih. Healing thoughts...needed.

Robb Janov (NM | and here is his YouTube channel which only those with great taste will check out. This guy is one of those people you meet that you know instantly and who has the same thoughts and fears and humor and vision. Oh, by the way, he’s one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever worked with. [Sorry JT for the dangling preposition but it’ll have to hang.])

Maya Angelou’s quote: “You can’t use up creativity.

The more you use, the more you have.”

Kristin Bigelow (ID | Mom of one of Elias’s best friends, and a great cook who gave her initials to the “local chain” of KB’s.)

All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring.

Carole Peschel (MT | Longtime family friend, obviously with a very healthy spin on the way the world works.)

For me, here is a poem from WS Merwin, "To The Hand": Love the sentiment of the poem: this feeling that you can unlock the world, it's at your fingertips, but that unlocking the world is always going to be fleeting, just a dream ago or a few downriver yards away, and you'll never quite get it. It's a very balancing poem.

Brant Cebulla (CA | A Central Coast cousin clear-headed enough to know the Eagles are horrid and a super bright young man in spite of his genetic make-up on his father’s side.)

Editor’s pick: Steve Martin dancing on The Tonight Show always makes me laugh and even though I think I’m funny that makes me tend to not laugh at much else a bad trait I know but I’m working on it.

I’m sending you the link of the Luka Doncic playoff buzzer beater.

My brothers and I did not see each other much (or more like at all) during quarantine.

But once the NBA got going again, we would meet up once a week to watch the playoffs like we used to do.

We used to go watch the Dallas Mavericks games when Dirk was lighting it up and they were perennial playoff contenders. Attending playoff games was particularly awesome as the buzz and energy in the building was palpable and there was always good story for the game. Gilbert actually named his son Gideon Dirk Estrada, because Dirk Nowitzki was “such a big part of his life”.

And so, one Saturday afternoon, my brothers and I were watching the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs as we had done so many times before. But this time, it was different: 2020, Covid, no Dirk on the court, but Gideon Dirk at home with his first Mavs playoffs.

When Luka hit that shot, we all jumped up and screamed, which caused Gideon to get scared and freak out running towards his mom. We had quite the laugh. It was an interesting moment as the Mavs were passed to Luka, as we are passing down our love for basketball to our own little Dirk.

Leonel Estrada. (TX | MMS student in El Paso who was a total thorn in my side for a few months and then basketball started and he made the team (along with Big Al whose submission is below) and that seemed to give us that one thing to bond over and then it was just an awesome time. He’s a big fancy architect in Texas now! Education!)

Simple, but I love it.

Gabriela Segura (TX | MMS student in El Paso and part of this wonderful group of “Gifted” kids I got to teach for a year.

We laughed, learned, hiked, read, yelled, hooped, and so much more. What a fine group of youngsters, most of whom are making their way in the world now and that makes me happy.)

This is one of best memories that I have as it reminds of that school year as it was honestly one of most pivotal moments in my life. Having you and Mr. Cromwell as teachers made me think that something more was possible with hard work and dedication. It was the start of me thinking I could achieve something greater than the cards I was dealt, and it was the start of understanding the concept of “delayed gratification”. I started to understand that anything I set my mind on was possible with hard work. Mix that with it being the age that the influences around you impact your life and I’ll have to say that this class, those friends, you personally had more to do than me being successful than the 20+ years that followed, that time in my life was the fork in the road and you pushed us towards the best possible path.

Alfonso Portillo (TX | MMS student in El Paso, and Big Al helped me figure out how to teach with both the head and the heart. Now he’s doing all sorts of stuff with advanced degrees and that sort of thing. Education!)

The whole is so big to explore and damn right I'm going to try best seeing all. Nothing is going to hold me back.

Freeman Mercer (WA | Midland Class of 2003 and tried his damnedest to get thrown out but we just wouldn’t let him go and now he seems pretty happy which is all you can ever ask.)

Big Basin

Old toll road

Old Toll Road Federal/timber

Miner/prairie

Cove creek Upper Adam’s Gulch

Mormon hill

Mill lake slaughterhouse

Walla walla

Longhorn

Poverty Flats

Imperial Gulch

Martina Vala/Svennungsen (ID | WHS Class of 1991 and my wife and the wonderful mother of our child Elias and my indefatigable companion on so many trips and rides and runs and hikes and journeys for the last 20 years.)

(Counterclockwise from top right) Epic year for huckleberry picking. So abundant and easy...gallons in the freezer.

The only competition was Zodi the dog.

Spring and summer 2020...many great rides with my friend Mary, who shares her extra horse with me. On the sandy beach of Lake Kookanusa along the Canadian border.

My paddleboard has become a large floaty toy! Lots of outings on Flathead Lake.

Apgar Campground in Glacier National Park closed this year. Nobody there, yet thousands of cars driving up the pass. Sat at one of 300 empty campsites for a picnic dinner every Friday night from June to August. So lovely and quiet.

Aida Hebard (MT | My loving mother-in-law and a true Renaissance Woman who is an artist, a chef, an equestrian, a gardener, and an incessant explorer of her Montana backyard paradise [creator of the infamous “Aida’s Wild Goose Chase Days”].)

Choose a foundation to give to, Heifer, Grumman Foundation, Doctors Without Borders... Small gifts of cash to make someone’s life so much better. Water.org is my top choice. Our trip to Africa left an indelible image as we lined up for water with everyone.

I HAVE WALKED WITH A SARAH IN RWANDA. WHAT AN EYE OPENER. SHE WAS OUT THERE WITH A HUNDRED OF HER “SISTERS.” NO MAN HAD A LOAD LIKE SHE HAD. ALONG THE WAY WE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. Took out our “Jerry” cans and filled up at a well paid for by Norway. The “Germans” on our trip were the only ones who could touch the stored water. Janet’s job was to get out the “Detall.” A concoction of fluids to wash our hands in. Talk about worry!

No one on our 21 day trip was ever sick, even after having banana beer brewed in a 55-gallon can. Yup, we were camping our way around Kenya and Tanzania.

The last county Janet wanted to see was Ethiopia. Got close but no cigar. I have a mate who spent months and months working for AID to stimulate the country’s export business in leather. He has seen the bowels of history of Addis Ababa Uncle Hal Oyen (CA | Mill Valley denizen who traveled the world with his beloved wife my Aunt Janet.)

Editor’s pick: David Murray Amazing Grace--a free jazz rendition turns a classic on its head (as it should be this year)

Rolling through Covid on two wheels.

Elias Svennungsen (CA/CO/ VA/ID/? | The ? refers to the future as Elias is headed to college somewhere next year and will surely continue his dedicated exploration of mountains and trails and roads and elevation gains and switchy descents and I love him for that and for so many other things.)

Sentimental Moment or Why Did the Baguette Cross the Road?

Don’t fill up on bread I say absent-mindedly The servings here are huge My son, whose hair may be receding a bit, says Did you really just say that to me?

What he doesn't know is that when we're walking together, when we get to the curb I sometimes start to reach for his hand —Robert Hershon Zachary Andrews. (CA/NV | Midland Class of 2002 and a good friend since then who has his own family now and, like someone else I know, will always enjoy the well-delivered bad joke.)

There can be only one thought that makes me smile regularly when thinking of our relationship. "Ref with burrs." I truly feel it sums up the characteristics of our time together as an authority figure in art and on the field of play. The burrs representing the law of the land the referee takes into his hands, and the game life really is.

Kidding, it just makes me laugh because it's silly and makes me feel good.

Kersh Ruhl (CA/ MI | And it’s really too complicated to unpack his submission other than it’s a long-lost photo that I took early in my Midland career and the fact that Kersh found it funny solidified our friendship like a shot of liquid nitrogen. A great father, chef nonpareil, and one of the best Realtors in the Midwest.)

My Spotify Playlist My husband, James, posted this on his facebook page after a metal object appeared in a local hiking spot and got a huge public response. James's post got a pretty great laugh out of me and a lot of our friends, so I thought you may enjoy it as well.

Also, I am excited to start rollerskating in an effort to one day skate like these girls, haha. We all can dream, right? It’s a cool video anyhow, shot in one take on site on a utility rd.

Antxon Iturbe (VA | Teacher/Coach/ Residential Supervisor at St Anne’s Belfield in Charlottesville, he played hoops for the Spanish Nat’l Team so there’s that. And at 6’8” his “El Tractor” nickname was most appropriate.)

Blaze Elation (CA | Midland Class of 2009 and now a mother of two (yes, two) twins an running a farm in the Central Coast, something I think she was born to do.)

A 1920s guide to life which is still very appropriate and my reading material on a sailboat in the Bahamas in 1991.

Sue Engelmann (ID | You may know I landed in the world of real estate when I moved to Sun Valley and Sue Engelmann is one of the main reasons why I’ve stuck.

She is the best and at the same time the most generous and funniest and authentic person ever to don a “Realtor” pin ([which of course is something she would never do ha ha!])

Wild Geese By Mary Oliver (watch her read it here)

Silviano Valdez (CA | Midland Class of 2009 who once had wild hair like Mowgli and explored the campus like few before him and now is clean-cut and yet still has the heart of a rambler.)

Nothing better than feeling at peace while hiking Lone Pine in the frosty air.

Karen Cebulla (MT | Kalispell-area cousin who is closest to my age so we grew up together [with her twin sister Sharon too} and still remain close and she has three wildly different and cool kids. I mean, at least Molly is cool.)

Richard and Sarah Laidlaw (MT| Life-long great friend who has, as he approaches 50, gotten married and is expecting a baby girl! Yay life!)

We are taking turns following in each other's footsteps and breaking trail. Young getting older, older getting along. Our paths connect across fields, on dirt, over snow. It's a dance made frozen with the push of a button, creating a montage of friendship trails and tails.

Nicky Elsbree and family (ID | The Elsbree family is cut from the same cloth as us, as they are skiers, explorers, photographers, smart-asses, and all of that good stuff!)

Kari Godtfredsen/Schein (MT | WHS Class of 1985 and my sister since 1983 and a lover of life and spirituality and health who has had to wait for me at the top of many a trail.)

Sitting on the banks of the Yellowstone near Hayden Valley with my 9 month old, who was just learning to crawl. I love her little dance at the end. And then chest-deep in the snow at our Colorado home! Thankful for the extra time 2020 gave us to be at home, with our new daughter.

Here’s a little video.

Abbie & Andy (and now Avila!) Radzavich (CO | Abbie is one of our very dearest friends and has been an integral part of our lives for the last 10 years. And now the A-Team is 3 members strong!!!)

Instagram feed i have been following Some albums that have keep me going in 2020: Seven Days Walking - Ludovico Einaudi The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Thomas Velazquez (CA | Midland Class of 2004 and super talented artist who is making a living with his art.)

I have an Indian dessert recipe to share with y’all! It’s for Soji.

Ingredients: 1/3 cup sugar, or sweetened condensed milk 1 1/2 cups whole milk or cream for a richer recipe 1/2 cup ghee or butter 2 cups Soji (fine semolina or tasty wheat) 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder or 3 crushed cardamom pods 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick Optional garnishes: toasted coconut, cashews, sliced almonds, golden raisins, etc.

Instructions 1. Pour semolina into a pan and toast on low heat constantly stirring until grains are evenly brown and nutty smelling.

2. Put the semolina aside in a separate bowl once toasted.

3. Heat pan on medium heat and melt butter. Then, add your spices and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

4. Add semolina to the butter, and stir constantly for 3 minutes.

5. In a separate pant on low/medium heat, add sugar and milk and stir until sugar is fully dissolved.

7. Carefully pour milk mixture into the fried semolina, stir continuously until the grains absorb the liquid, and thicken. Keep mixing for 2 minutes until semolina leaves the sides of the pan.

8. Serve warm and garnish if desired.

Bradley Thathiah (CA | Midland Class of 2003 and even returned to campus to get married and continue to share his effervescent spirit. This recipe is Bradley Thathiah personified [including the “nutty smelling” part ha ha].)

Here’s an album for you… Starting Over by Chris Stapleton. Had Stapleton playing all year. Bad days, good days, rainy days, alley drinking days. Music is life. Music is food. Music is the cure.

Chris Hunt (CA/MD | Midland Class of 2005 and who can ever forget this young man’s stirring impersonation of Paul Squibb for his Senior Chapel?)

As the editor of the newsletter for our Hawkeye Packard Club, I try to put a funny in some editions just for fun. Here are a few which I liked and used in the Newsletter: I once knew a man who was addicted to drinking brake fluid. He said it was ok as he could stop any time.

Two elderly men from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says ----"Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you are about my age. How do you feel?" Slim says, "I feel just like a newborn baby." "Really! Like a newborn baby?" “Yep, No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants!"

The four stages of life: 1. you believe in Santa Claus 2. you don't believe in Santa Claus 3. you are Santa Claus 4. you look like Santa Claus

Dick & Sue Boswell (NE | My sister-in-law’s parents and clearly fans of my favorite type of humor--bad/Dad.)

A New York artist spent $65,000 buying art to support fellow artists struggling because of the pandemic.

Paul Stevens (ID | Graphic artist in the WRV and has more style and pizazz and panache than most.)

2020 was about moving to Florida which definitely was a challenge during the lockdown. 2021 is 'Back to the Future" as in no masks.

Alan Brown (FL/CO | A British Realtor from Montrose now living the sunny life with his wife in Orlando. Talk about Brexit!)

What made 2020 bearable was my amazing family... I pulled my boys from school and began to homeschool. In the Spring we did ranch Tuesdays and beach Thursdays. This school year my schedule isn't as flexible but we do adventure Mondays and hands-on history. I have never learned so much about history and LOVED it. My oldest may have learned more than me though and makes sure to let me know when I have the facts wrong. He he. We have done "drive-in movies" in my front yard with friends, planned hiking scavenger hunts for friends and had a drive-by Santa event.

Watching my boys grow, learn and spending quality time with them has been the BIGGEST gift 2020 could have given me. As a family we work on cherishing this time before it is gone. As much heartache as I have endured this year there have been some amazing silver linings as well.

Lana Riley (CA | Elias’s first teacher of import back in the Santa Ynez Valley, and a remarkably generous person with a trio of great boys!)

So many things to share that inspire me even in a year like this--here are some things I am grateful for:

The science of longevity. if we can thrive for a few more years, then it will only get better and better.

Zach Bush anything--conscious conversation around health and sustainability.

Fasting--this is a reset for the body on every level.

Mobility Practice--makes mornings easier to enjoy--The Ready State is a great program.

Minimalism--I have officially become my father and could wear the same things every day.

Poetry--in particular Mary Oliver, David Whyte, Young Pueblo, Cleo Wade.

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl--read this every year for perspective. (Editor’s note: Thanks to our great high school teacher Jael Prezeau for giving so many of us the gift of this book in Senior English.)

Personal Story Telling--Reframe how your life experience shaped you. Bo Eason is a great start.

Sober Curious. I don't really imbibe, but I think this movement via Ruby Warrington is due especially in small towns.

Wim Hof--I'm not a fan of cold therapy because I remain a wimp and I still don't like skiing or winter sports, but I do dig his philosophy on life.

Flow Genome. and Flow Research Collective--I really dig the conversation that Jamie Wheal and Steven Kotler are having on flow, culture and the art of being human.

Crystals and plants. Dad always said I would fall in love with a rock star--my collection is growing. Nice to simply have pieces of the earth as art. My favorite is labradorite.

InnerU by Handel Group. This is a fun self-coaching program that takes you through an inventory of the areas in your life that you are being either a chicken or a brat--and to discover your ghosts.

Good brand commercials that make you cry--like this one from Girya Garage.

Creative Live--learn anything here.

Jim Kwik--speed reading. Read faster, retain the information and still enjoy what you read!

Sound Baths. Sound therapy and resonance is on the horizon for healing. Sara Auster gives great experiences.

Stories on progress that give humanity hope for the future. With everything going on its easy to feel like the world will end, but conversations like this between Peter Diamandis and Ray Kurzweil give me energy.

Caffeinated Power Naps, my secret weapon. Drink coffee or espresso, then jump into a cozy spot and nap for 20 minutes. Wake up superhuman.

Friends, new and old. especially in times like these. thank you for being one of them!

Lashaun Dale (MT | WHS Class of 1989 and someone who is in touch with a lot of the elements and energies I know we all wish we were in touch with!)

Editor’s Pick: Jimmy Santiago Baca reading “I Am Offering this Poem” | For many years I tried to write like I was Baca—his exuberance and acknowledgment that pain can lead to redemption still fuels me 25 years after first seeing him in person.

50 Good Things About Turning 50 Years Old, Many people tell jokes about turning 50, but funny stuff aside, there are a lot of benefits, as well. (Editor’s note: there are two 16s, which maybe means that 16 was an awesome year for Debra?? It also means the editor was feeling his age and didn’t chose to correct the numbers and instead typed this explanation.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

You're less fearful.

You're not afraid to have opinions.

You know yourself.

You have a greater appreciation of life.

It's easier to laugh at yourself.

It's easier to laugh at others.

It's easier to take life less seriously.

You stop caring what other people think.

You stop sweating the small stuff.

You have wisdom to help you make decisions.

You are more at peace.

You're less critical of your body and weight.

You know that eating right and exercise matter.

You embrace your imperfections.

You make jokes more often.

You get to use the excuse: "I'm set in my ways."

You have a reason for forgetting things.

You have a reason for losing things.

You have a reason for telling the same stories.

You can be as grumpy as you wish.

You can learn to dance.

You can learn to sing.

No one cares if you're a bad singer.

People expect you to be a bad dancer.

Your inner confidence shines.

You can go home early without offending anyone.

26. You can enjoy being settled in life.

27. You can be more spontaneous.

28. Your kids stop expecting big gifts from you.

29. AARP discounts are everywhere.

30. Other discounts and free stuff for seniors.

31. Younger people will help you more.

32. You have more time to explore new hobbies.

33. You can wear red hats that don't match your clothes.

34. You can wear glitter or funny sweaters.

35. You can wear funny sweaters in public with pride.

36. You can go gray with your hair.

37. Retired life is just around the corner.

38. You have more time to relax.

39. Nap time is fun again.

40. Waking up too early means you get to watch the sunrise.

41. Resting feels natural.

42. You have license to buy more comfortable clothing.

43. People make fewer comparisons to younger folks.

44. You've seen amazing things that younger people have not.

45. You're older and wiser.

46. You can give good advice based on experience.

47. You have a better ability to let go.

48. You have better ability to forgive others.

49. You have better ability to forgive yourself.

Debra Vadalma (ID | One of the funniest people in the real estate industry, and if you want I’ll forward you the ribald emails that she and her colleague Paige send me with surprising frequency.)

While riding the lift recently a man shared he had been married a number of times but things just never seemed to work out. Finally, in the age of Covid and masks a lift ride took a sudden unexpected turn. After a random conversation with a masked stranger and an invitation to take a run together, he felt that sudden urge of curiosity and attraction that had led him to many of his previous marriages. Perhaps this was finally the right one after years of failed marriages and unrealized expectations. This mysterious woman seemed to have it all. At the conclusion of the run, he asked if she would like to take another run with him. She laughed, politely declined and lowered her mask. It was his first wife!

The moral of the story is to appreciate what you have and beware of what you think you wish for!

Jeff Pfaeffle (ID | Realtor in the WRV and perhaps the most sophisticated person you’ll [or is that “Yul” as in Brenner who Jeffie looks and acts a whole lot like ha ha] happen to meet in the little hamlet of Sun Valley.)

Editor’s pick: Josh Ritter’s painting IG account. He’s always been one of my favorite folk/rock singers, and now his off-kilter paintings are giving me more to think about.

One day this past fall I picked these stones off a beach on Lake McDonald. On each one (you can't read them very well) I wrote what's most important to me after 67 years and going forward. Love, gratitude, forgiveness, hope and faith. I added courage later. I saved the stones as a motivator and reminder to myself.

Also on Lake McDonald, this heart was done on Valentine's day by my life-companion - and sent to our loved ones.

A special moment.

This was an impromptu art session with the girls using Flathead Lake clay motivated by Drew. As usual he found the clay, gathered it from the lake and motivated his nieces to get creative. Another special moment.

Steve Hebard (MT | My father-in-law and as he nears 70 he is still the epitome of fitness and adventure and most importantly decency and kindness. Go Bills!)

These 3 videos hit a chord with me this year: Today I Rise.

Times Like These.

I love this Harry Styles song, and I tried to learn the dance, but it's harder than I thought!

Christi Reece (CO | Realtor and good friend from Grand Junction--Christi has her own brokerage essentially so her team can give a significant donation to a GJ non-profit every quarter. That’s pretty indicative of the type of person she is.)

I get morning words of inspiration/meditation every day. Most are good, some really resonate with me. I love the ones that make me think and this one touched my head and soul, like this one by Mary Sarton: This is the harvest. The seeds sown long ago The careless word, sly thought, excusing glance.

I reap now everything I let pass, let go.

This is the harvest of my own indifference.

Greg Cebulla. (CA | Kalispell cousin of significant thoughtfulness and basketball coaching skills and wine-tasting acumen. Used to have hair. Still has great taste in music and is pretty funny. I did NOT expect Mary Sarton from him, but that makes it even better.)

This book of Beautiful Results (a line from a Walt Whitman poem) was compiled in December `20 and January `21, for the purposes of giving everyone I know a chance to share some of the things that helped them get through that most unusual of times we will forever call “The Year that Shall Not be Named.� Also known as XX/XX, fittingly.

A massive and heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed. The range and depth of what the people in my life are capable of and care about, as illustrated in this collection, is inspiring. May we all strive, always, to turn whatever happens to beautiful results.

Derek Svennungsen | Hailey, Idaho | January 2021