* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
One image series I curate on the Starry Night Elf Page on Facebook is “Star for the Day.” In this image series, I celebrate luminaries – some barely known to others vaunted worldwide. My time in Girl Scouts, where we learned of ladies pioneering in various fields – first female doctor to practice in the U.S., first woman pilot… and so on, probably contributed to this desire to acknowledge them.
I only learned of International Women’s Day, officially March 8 (today), in recent years. Yet, mentions of this holiday show up everywhere I turn – in books set in Ukraine, online, on the radio, etc.
So, today, I combine these two with the image included in this post. Check out these stellar women, my stars for International Women’s Day 2024. Do you know them, Gnomies?
In 2022, I spent much time thinking about books and reading. Not only did I exceed my Goodreads goal of reading 100 books, I also continued to regularly post Starlight Book Reviews (SBR). As mentioned in Episode #65, I completed 3 out of 5 Stellar Reading Challenges (SRC) by the afternoon of December 30. The next day, I also finished the 2022 Sacred Text SRC. Click here to read about last year’s SRC. I officially kick off the 2023 SRC on Sunday, January 15 so there’s still time to complete last year’s SRC.
Below are what I consider my “Top 9 Reads” in 2022. Some books I read for various SRC, others just happened to be stellar reads for last year. I listed the fiction in alphabetical order by author’s surname, nonfiction in order Dewey Decimal Codes. Books with SBR are linked.
Each December, I announce the Stellar Reading Challenges (SRC) for the upcoming year. With each batch of SRC, I learn something I want to do for the next year. As I know that any sort of reading challenge takes extra time for me to begin and end, my SRC start mid-January and end the following mid-January.
Towards the end of 2021, I determined I appreciate even more buffers than late starts. Heck, I still posted Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) through the end of February because I ran out of time in 2021. So, I decided to try SRC which only required up to ten books, with down time for part of January and all of December.
I think this served me well. I wrapped up the two 100 Years SRC earlier this week and completed the Local SRC last month. Click here to read more on the 2022 SRC. I look forward to sharing more of my thoughts on the 2022 SRC in the weeks to come.
I anticipate finishing the Sacred Text SRC tomorrow, New Year’s Eve. I also find myself eager to start reading the Bible again in a version to be announced in 2023. Once this happens, I will have finished four out of five of the SRC.
The only SRC that remains unfinished is the Foodie one. I did eat something from a book and reviewed it but I wanted to try out more eats. Someday, maybe I will.
All and all, this is to say, I think 5 SRC per year with ten “on months” suits me well, Gnomies… and I surpassed my Goodreads Reading Goal of 100 Books.
How do you feel about any reading challenge, SRC or otherwise?
Regardless, I thank all my Gnomies for continuing to read and follow me and I wish you a most stellar 2023!
Image of actor Jay Lee portraying Chris Park as the character investigates a murder involving Lilies in a Jug, a fictitious painting by Vincent van Gogh | Image Source: TV Fanatic
Manuscript Word Count (MWC) – 74,545
2022 Reading Goal to Date – 113/100
I enjoy watching stellar shows. One of my favorite shows to watch in the past was “CSI.” Although, I lean hard towards the liberal arts in my personal interests and talents, the science on screen in this show fascinated me. Yes, I realize much of this is as fictitious as novels I like to read but the idea of being able to solve a murder by looking into physical clues always holds my attention.
As the original “CSI” begat spinoffs and other shows began looking mightily similar to my beloved show, some of the sheen wore off for me. Then, cast changes happened and I switched the channel.
When I noticed “CSI: Vegas,” I approached the reboot with trepidation. Yet, I felt with the return of Jorja Fox and William Petersen as Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom respectively, I knew they had me. The cohesive combination of the original characters alongside new faces pulled me in even more.
After the exit of Sidle and Grissom at the end of Season 1, I knew “CSI: Vegas” needed a new hook to bring me back again for Season 2. Oh, wow, did they nail it! Marg Helgenberger came back Catherine Willows and entered the opening scene of the latest season. Oh, it’s so compelling, too!
So, as to not cross the spoiler line, I took in the episode which aired for the first time on December 08, 2022. It’s called “Grace Note” but I think of it as “Lilies in a Jug.” This episode dealt with a late, talented forger who completed several Vincent van Gogh fakes, including “Lilies in a Jug” (see picture in this post).
Yes, “Lilies in a Jug” looks swell. Early on, though, I exclaimed, “That’s no van Gogh!”
Still and all, I appreciated that this episode of one of “my shows” focused on one of my favorite artists and the immense value of his works.
Gnomies, what do you think of “Lilies in a Jug”? Does it look like a van Gogh to you?
Just 364 days ago, I shared in Episode #23 that my family treated me to an immersive Vincent van Gogh artwork experience. Click here to check out that episode, Gnomies!
Just as I clocked in at work this morning, one of my colleagues brought upstairs to the floor where I work a poster, asking “Hey, can anyone use this?”
A group of us asked, “What is it?”
She replied, “Oh, it’s a van Gogh poster.”
I responded, “Can I have it?”
After I took possession of the poster, I unrolled it and discovered that it was for an Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit!
So, happy Van Gogh Immersive Experience Anniversary to me, Gnomies! Pic included shows your Gnomie Hostess with said poster. Not such a bad day to come into work, huh?
Village of Lights in Leavenworth, Washington, USA | Image Source: TimeOut USA
Manuscript Word Count (MWC) – 74,545
2022 Reading Goal to Date – 103/100
I’ve spent countless hours of my life watching programming on my local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Station. I started with “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and grew into cooking and travel shows. Of course, I’ve watched numerous episodes of “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates.
A particular show that inspired me as a content creator, though, must be “Burt Wolf: Travels and Traditions” with Burt Wolf. With Wolf at the helm, I’ve traveled and experienced oh, so many places and traditions in various locales.
Since my online presence as Gnomie Hostess has grown on Facebook, I’ve presented a few image series such as “SN Elf’s Garden Tour,” “Gnomie’s Armchair Travels,” and a particular favorite “SN Elf’s Light Tour.” As I pondered what all sparked these ideas, I reflected on the work of those close to me, social media pages, and then Wolf’s show.
In 2022, I began a yearlong recognition of various festivals of light outside the holiday season to reflect what all is out there to celebrate! Yesterday, though, I began my annual daily increase in postings with the Village of Lights in Leavenworth, Washington, USA and look forward to many delights in this “lit” time of year.
Where should your Gnomie Hostess take the Light Tour next?
Starry Night Elf 