At the end of the year, a lot of people look back at things that happened during the year. I’ve never done that before, so I figured it was time to give it a try.
So please bear with me as I take this step of looking at the top things I am thankful for this year. In no particular order…
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Indiana football’s success—The change that Coach Curt Cignetti has brought to this program since starting in 2024 is nothing short of remarkable. I’m looking forward to their Rose Bowl game next week.
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Finishing my second college degree—Yesterday marked the last day of classes for Laura and me as we both completed our work on data science degrees.
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LEGO—I rekindled my love for LEGO and ordered several sets of various sizes. I also sent one or two sets to our granddaughter to get her started.
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The visibility of American cycling—It was hard to watch any stage of Le Tour de France this summer without seeing the stars-and-stripes jersey of Lidl-Trek cyclist Quinn Simmons. It seems there is some fresh blood coming up the pro ranks of talent from the States.
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Changes to the blog—I challenged myself to increase the posting of content here. It’s been a real struggle at times, but I pushed through and stayed true to my plan. There are more plans for 2026—both for the blog and my photography as a whole—that I cannot wait to share with you.
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Fresh sourdough—My nose perks up, and a smile appears whenever Laura bakes a batch of fresh sourdough. We not only get to enjoy it ourselves but also share it with friends.
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Safe travels—I had a long weekend in Greenville, SC, and Laura had a couple of trips to Indiana and one to her corporate office. All safe travels there and back.
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Good food—Whether it’s Laura’s fantastic cooking or some of the local favorites (Railroad BBQ in Columbia and the stecca at Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery in Greenville come to mind), there is no shortage of good food regularly.
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The wood stove—Although we don’t get the below-freezing temperatures here that I grew up with, it still gets cold. The wood stove is frequently used this time of year, and our firewood guy, Ronnie, takes good care of us with wood deliveries.
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My wife, Laura—I bet she thought I left her off the list. 😀 She has stood by my side through good times and bad. And I am very thankful for that.
PHOTO CREDIT: A selfie with a bison sculpture outside of an antique store in South Carolina. It isn’t Hoosier the Bison, but I did take this photo during football season.
