The calendar is winding down again, marking not just the end of another year but the gentle end to my sixth decade on this earth. Sixty-something years of laughter, loss, joy, grit, adventure, and the kind of wonder that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. As I sit here on the high-desert plains of Northwestern Nevada, watching Winterpast settle into the winter hush, I can’t help but smile at how fast 60 years have flown.
This year was stitched together with big adventures that will fill scrapbooks and memory boxes. Road trips across wide-open Western skies. Moments of belly-laugh humor with HHH that reminded me why this chapter of life is so sweet. Days spent in gardens, at church, with family, with dogs who think they’re human, and in places where peace hangs in the air like morning mist.
It was a year of long drives, quiet mornings, bright sunsets, and the surprising delight of finding blessings in unexpected corners, sometimes even under the washing machine. A year of celebrating anniversaries, tending to the land we love, and being part of a community.
But now, as December is about to wrap around us like a wool blanket, something in me feels different. Closing this year, I’m moving into the unexplored territory of a new decade of life.
I’m not sure if it’s bravery or simply the gift of aging gracefully, but there’s a tug inside whispering the next decade will be the grandest adventure yet. Not in a loud, dramatic sense, but in the quiet confidence of knowing who I am, where I belong, and what really matters.
It’s impossible to map out every journey (heaven knows the detours are the best parts anyway), but I’m stepping into this next season with an open heart. With HHH by my side, Oliver and Tanner always ready to create mischief, and the big, blue Nevada sky above me, I’m ready to face whatever comes. So here’s to closing my sixth decade with gratitude.
Here’s to the unexplored.
Here’s to the adventures still out there waiting.
Here’s to trusting that the best chapters aren’t behind us, but the ones still being written.
I’m taking the last month of the year for our own private celebration. I’ll be back January 5th with stories about our amazing adventure. From Winterpast to you, may your next steps be bold, your blessings abundant, and your heart wide open.
Happy Holidays — Joy