Linda Jo Martin

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2018 Goodbye. 2019 Hello.

December 27, 2018 By Linda Jo Martin Leave a Comment

Every year is different. Every year changes life. Sometimes the changes are beyond what you expect. Goals and plans rarely work out. Resolutions are broken. Life takes on unexpected realities. We adjust.

You carried the sun in your hand for me...

Here are three things I loved about 2018

1. I read some really good books, too many to name here, but here’s my Goodreads “Your Year in Books” page, listing a lot of them. It has been a great year for literature.

2. I made a lot of videos this year. Great progress. I made 39 videos for my creativity channel, 133 for the Book Lady channel, 13 on Redeemed in Love (my Christian channel), and one on Travel Around… that’s a total of 186 videos for the year. So much more progress than before. It was fun. I especially enjoyed meeting other Booktubers this year.

3. I finally made a decision about which church I wanted to attend and feel good about it. I was torn between two churches for several years. Eventually I chose the church where I have more friends.

Now, one thing I didn’t love in 2018

1. Waiting. I feel like I’ve been waiting all year long and I’m still waiting for everything to align, if you know what I mean. For example, I was going to take that trip to Southern Idaho in 2018. Didn’t happen. That’s now rescheduled for next summer. Maybe June. Possibly May, but not likely. Of course, waiting is good for us, according to what the Bible tells us, so maybe I should be grateful for all that waiting I’ve been doing.

I was going to write three things I didn’t love in 2018, but couldn’t think of two more that were important enough to put here. We all have our little complaints in life, but why wallow in them? Overall, life is pretty good.

Finally, ten things I’d like to accomplish or do in 2019

1. I’d like to read five or six books each month and write book reviews on this blog for each of them. (Very optimistic – since that’s usually beyond my capabilities.) One can dream.

2. I’d like to revisit my home state, California. I lived there 61 years before coming to Idaho. I think it is time to go back, and I’d especially like to see Lake Tahoe again.

3. I’d like to buy Christmas presents in July. You know, thinking ahead instead of leaving everything to the last minute?

4. I’d like to make at least 100 more videos for YouTube, divided among my four channels.

5. I’d like to visit old friends and make new friends along the way.

6. I’d like to read more in the Bible than I did this year. I’d like to read the Torah and all four Gospels.

7. I’d like to embrace minimalism more than I ever have before. I have a long term goal of not leaving much for my children to have to deal with when I’m gone.

8. I’d like to spend more time creating art than I did this year.

9. I’d like to take some ten mile hikes.

10. I’d like to spend at least three hours a week at the gym.

Okay, enough of that. Daydreaming! I can’t say those things will be done, but they are some directional intentions that may guide my thoughts and actions in the months ahead.

I’d like to go more in depth about reading goals on this blog, but will do that another day. In general, I plan to stay pretty close to my book list for the 2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge.

All the best to you and your loved ones in 2019! Happy New Year!

Similar Posts:

  • My New Book Lady YouTube Channel, and What I’m Reading Now
  • The Booktube Habit
  • Book Lady’s Reading List, 2015
  • Book Lady’s October 2019 Reading Report
  • 2022 Goals, Intentions, Plans, Strategies, Hopeful Desires, the Annual To-Do List, Kitchen Sink Still Included, Etc.



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About Me

Hi, I'm Linda, the Book Lady, and I'm excited about reading. A book is a gift you give yourself. It is so much fun to open that cover and discover what was hidden within. Books share the wisdom of the ages with us. Who wouldn't want that? So I read frequently and encourage reading. If you're a reader, let me know by becoming my friend on GoodReads.


My novel, River Girl, is about a girl living in the Klamath River Valley.

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California Reading

California Reading

California Reading
5 members

This group is for anyone wanting to read California based fiction or nonfiction.

Our recommended shelf

The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience
The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience
by J.S. Holliday


Hillinger's California: Stories from All 58 Counties
Hillinger’s California: Stories from All 58 Counties
by Charles Hillinger





View this group on Goodreads »


RSS My Most Recent Book Reviews

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RSS Goodreads Status Updates

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