December 28: Reflections on 2022/Writer’s Choice/ or YOUR WOTY (Word of the Year)
We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.
John Dewey
This is my last post hosting Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays. As of January, the challenge will change names to simply Wednesday Quotes.
To close out this challenge, I invite you to remember your year and your responses to it. That might include quotes that highlight pictures that you haven’t displayed, or possibly your favorite ones. You might have a poem for each month or a story based on a quote. It’s totally your choice.
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
― Peter F. Drucker
Act Reflect Effective Act with purpose By considering what went right or wrong ©Marsha Ingrao 2022
Don’t Forget to Vote for Your Favorite 2023 WQ (Wednesday Quotes) Logo
Featured Bloggers
I am super grateful for all of you who visit and post each week. You bring me joy, I learn about the world far and near, and feel close to you and what you are doing in your lives.
- LADY LEE – A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE FROM THE SNOW TO THE PHILIPPINES
- EKLASTIC – HAPPY HOGSWATCH FROM ELKE
- KEEP IT ALIVE – WINTER SOLSTICE IS HERE
- LOVING LIFE – THE WONDERFUL TRADITIONS OF KIRSTIN’S FAMILY
- MAMA CORMIER – BEAUTIFUL TREES AND ORNAMENTS
- THE SKEPTIC’S KADDISH – A STORY OF CHANUKAH AND THE MENORAH CANDLES
For More Reflections on 2022 Ideas Visit These Blogs
- EKLASTIC – “LOOK BACK, JUST DON’T STARE”
- KEEP IT ALIVE – REFLECT AND MOVE ON WITH GRATITUDE
- LADY LEE – TRAVEL, LOVE, AND VIBRANT LIFE
- LOVING LIFE A LIFE UNFOLDED IN 2022
- MINDFILLS – BEAUTIFUL POEM
- NEW2WRITING – REFLECTIONS ON WOTY – PLANNING
- PICTURE RETIREMENT – THE BEAUTY OF CHRISTMAS IRL – INSPIRING
- SECOND WIND LEISURE – SUNDAY STILLS RECAP OF 2022 – INCLUDING OUR VISITS
- THE SKEPTIC’S KADDISH – CHANGING SOCIETY – YOUR JOB IS NOT TO FINISH IT, BUT YOU CAN’T QUIT TRYING EITHER (PARAPHRASE)
- THIS IS ANOTHER STORY – AN AMAZING STORY OF COURAGE AND PERSISTENCE, AND SOME GORGEOUS PHOTOS. BE SURE TO READ HER ABOUT ME PAGE, TOO.
- TRAVEL WITH ME – TOONSARAH’S TRAVEL YEAR IN REVIEW
My Reflections on 2022
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
― T.S. Eliot
My Word of the Year was CURATE. So I have curated a photo display for you for each month of last year. Cee Neuner spent several hours helping me to learn to process my photos in Adobe Bridge this year for which I am very thankful.
I have kept busy organizing them, cropping, straightening, and sharpening them as well as adjusting the colors on some of them. I’ve gotten much faster. The hardest part now is choosing the pictures to post. After my trip to Portland, I spent some time getting acquainted with Lightroom, which is better for organizing and labeling pictures with keywords.
Terri Webster Schrandt of Second Wind Leisure and I spent a lot of time discussing this challenge and what I might do to improve it for 2023. I learned several tips from her about using Word Press in a more graphically pleasing way.
In our first quarter of the year, we traveled quite a bit from Flagstaff to Wickenburg. The weather welcomed travel. Friends came from California. We were both mending health-wise.
I spent one day on my own walking around town taking pictures of beautiful downtown buildings for several challenges, primarily Thursday Doors and Monday Windows. I happened to pass the Elks Theatre as I strolled down the street and found out that they gave free tours. What a surprise bonus!
We traveled to California in May, celebrated our 27th anniversary in June, and attended local events. The weather was beautiful and it was great being with family and friends. Blogger, Janet Webb from This, That and The Other Thing came from Phoenix and we had a couple of wonderful days walking around town taking Thursday Door pictures, too.
I enjoyed lots of blogger meetups in the summer starting and ending with Terri Webster Schrandt first in Prescott, AZ, and ending in Spokane, WA. For a high desert, we got tons of rain this monsoon season 13.5 inches, the highest in the state of AZ.
I thought the trees would never change colors. This beautifully shaped tree finally started to turn in mid-October. I enjoyed the gradual change. We started moving over to our rental and the pets picked a comfortable spot for their family picture. Nutter Butter (staring off into space) has been sick during most of the summer and fall so that limits our travel.
He is down to 7 pounds, about a 2-pound loss from when this picture was taken in November. He has tried all kinds of medication and had numerous tests, but has stumped about 4 or 5 doctors. He seems to have a strong will to live and loves to eat – even his special diet. He is crazy about turkey but nothing sticks to his bony sides. Moji has gained Nutter’s lost two pounds.
I am saddened by the upheaval around the world, the loss of Queen Elizabeth, Russia’s attack on Ukraine, North Korea running missile tests, floods in Pakistan and Australia, forest fires in Alaska, droughts, and record-hot weather. Through it all, my life has been blessed to be calm, healthy, and free from too much chaos – even with moving. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family, which includes Vince’s sister, who moved here from California with us two years ago.
I thank God for all of you, my friends around the world who blog and share your lives with me. I am grateful for friends here locally both new and long-time who stay in touch. We are never lonely.
I’ve tried to be more organized as I curate my life. Using Brian Tracy’s book Eat That Frog I have created a daily schedule, but it is so routine – even prioritized, that it seems silly to write it down. (but I do) It motivates me to at least walk 10,000 steps a day. I beat Terri by 35 steps last week! Wahoo!
I also include Vince’s projects on my list and break them down into doable parts so I can help him in little ways as we fix up this house (his hobby.) The days fly by.
Have a great New Year!
Upcoming and Ongoing on Always Write
- Voting for the top design for WQ (Wednesday Quotes) for 2023 ends January 3rd. Vote Here TODAY!
- Great Reveal happens on January 4th.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
50 responses to “WQW 50: Remembering 2022 With Quotes, Poetry, Photos, and Stories”
I’m sorry to hear about Nutter Butter but otherwise you seem to have had a great year Marsha 🙂 I love the sky in that last photo of Prescott!
If you’ll accept an entry with only one quote, here is one from me: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/my-travel-year-in-review-2022/
LikeLike
[…] asks us to remember 2022 with quotes and photos. I hope she’ll allow me to include just a single quote? Meanwhile Terri asks what we did in 2022. […]
LikeLike
[…] for RDP ~ path; Cee’s FOTD; Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt ~ tenet (60 words); Marsha Ingrao’s WQW 50 ~ remembering […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Marsha, here’s mine
http://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2023/01/01/57889/
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] And Marsha’s WQW – WOTY Edition. […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Written in response to;WQW 50: Remembering 2022 With Quotes, Poetry, Photos, and Stories, hosted by Marsha […]
LikeLike
[…] am participating in Writer’s Quote Wednesday (WQW) or it’ll be known as Wednesday Quotes in the new year. This week’s prompt: to reflect […]
LikeLike
What a great year Marsha..I’m so glad I was able to meet you and hopefully we will meet again. That last photo is absolutely stunning.
Here’s my link below.
https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2022/12/putting-fingers-to-keyboardwqwthemerefl.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the inspiration, Marsha ❤
https://skepticskaddish.com/2022/12/30/you-cannot-change-any-society-unless/
~David
LikeLiked by 1 person
touching post!
LikeLike
[…] This is the context for the quotes and reflections I’ve shared above in response to Marsha’s Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays #50 prompt. […]
LikeLike
[…] Marsha’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved it!
LikeLike
Why are you renaming it, Marsha?
~David
LikeLike
Wednesday Quotes. It’s simple and I hope doesn’t scare off people who hate to write a lot. I want to attract BOTH writers and photographers, yet keep the philosophical side of it going as well. 🙂
LikeLike
[…] guess I can add it into Marshas Remembering 2022 with Hammad.And there were probably more look back challenges over the past week or so that I […]
LikeLike
I love your picture of Prescott – those clouds are amazing! It looks like you had a great 2022 and have much to look forward to in 2023. Happy (almost) New Year, Marsha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Janis. Prescott is a beautiful place and it is photogenic! You have a wonderful 2023, too, Janis.
LikeLike
You are an inspiration, Marsha. You achieve so much and bring joy to others every day with your words and photos. Best wishes to you and Vince for 2023.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a lovely thing to say, Carol. Wow! You made my day! Lots of love you you and to your whole family.
LikeLike
❤️😊
LikeLike
Looking forward to more in-person fun in 2023. Love your shot of Prescott. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Janet. Can’t wait to see you again. Have a great New Years!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just don’t have it in me. I don’t have whatever I need to be optimistic. I’m physically and emotionally incredibly weary. Maybe I’ll feel better. Eventually. I think I need some evidence that life is potentially getting better because honestly, I’m not seeing it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Marilyn, I hope you feel better soon. It is frustrating when you don’t feel well and almost impossible to feel optimistic. I learned something about pessimism this week. Those who are are more accurate than optimists. Both have their place in our lives. Lots of love and best wishes for 2023, my friend.
LikeLike
I pushed myself to perk up today. After a while I begin to annoy myself, so I can only imagine how annoying I am to other people. I repotted a couple of rootbound orchids, cleaned up the whole “garden table.” Put down a new rug in the dining room (huge improvement). Baked a couple of dozen meatballs. Tried to convince myself to actually eat some food. I lost four pound between last week and this one. I don’t mind losing a few pounds, but I have to start actually EATING food. I seem to have lost my appetite.
I don’t feel great, but I’m not exactly at death’s door either and sometimes, I need to slap myself around a bit and remind me to stop moaning and groaning and be a person. It is hard sometimes. I swear that every single piece of bad news comes into my inbox.
I know we need to do something, or anyway SOMEONE needs to do a lot of things but why am I personally deluged with horrible news constantly? I get HUNDREDS of bad-news-the-world-is-ending-there-is-no-hope (please send money) emails daily. If this is the end of everything, is it okay to at least not be depressed about it ALL the time? Especially since there’s absolutely NOTHING I can do to make it better that I’m not already doing?
So I had a reasonably normal day AND I plan a reasonably normal day tomorrow and the next day TOO. I can’t fix the world. All I can do is feed the birds, remember to make supper, and put out the recycling every other Tuesday. Beyond that? The fate of the world lies in other hands.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should read David’s post for this week. You have verified exactly what he said. If you don’t know him already, you will like his blog. https://skepticskaddish.com/2022/12/30/you-cannot-change-any-society-unless/ I’m glad you had a normal day and that you feed the birds. I just found out that in this new condo we can’t put out bird feeders except hummingbird feeders. Isn’t that crazy?
LikeLike
Birds are very messy and condos like to be very neat. I’ll check out David blog. I keep discovering that no matter how hard I push, I’m still really tired. But at least I got up and did what I needed to do.
Beware of ants. I took DOWN the hummingbird feeders. The ants found them and we had to get the exterminator back to get rid of them. Hummingbirds will have to come to enjoy the red flowers I plant. That sweet goop was an invitation to every ant in the county come hang out here!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The other pest that loves hummingbird feeders is the wasp! Bee Ware!
LikeLike
I settled for red petunias. They love red petunias. AND they don’t attract ants or wasps (though we have plenty of both).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love red petunias. They’d be all gone here by now.
LikeLike
Ours were still making buds a week ago. This week, finally, they turned brown. But they really lived long and well and made many hummingbirds happy as the week rolled on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our weather here is so fickle. We can get so hot in the summer that petunias hate it, then in the fall, we might get a day of hole-rending hail. Winter can come early and stay long, or we can have Indian summer into November. Petunias don’t know what to do in our climate. 🙂
LikeLike
A lovely wrap Marsha. I am glad I found you and do find inspiration even if I don’t contribute all the time.
I am still coming to grips with a new computer and getting around the newness of it all. Happy New Year 🎇🎆😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
BB, it’s hard to keep up with all you do! You are amazing. Have a wonderful New Years. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are one whizz of an organiser, Marsha! May when you met Janet? Seems just the other week. The most delicious Dahlia! Sad about Nutter Butter. I can only make text visible in my galleries if I use the old WP editor and I don’t want to switch back and get all muddled up. Again! So frustrating. Wishing you and Vince a beautiful 2023, and good health and happiness always.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Jo! I hope you and your family have the best year ever. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great year and you have done justice to all you share about. It’s amazing all of your beautiful pictures and time you have taken to “eat the frog”! You have done a LOT this year and it’s commendable! Looking forward to your year ahead. Great pictures… so vibrant and full of life! 💞
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Cinderella! 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful photos for all these challenges. It is a gorgeous dahlia 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Cee. Have a great rest of your week. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
2022 was a great year for blogging and meeting bloggers in-person. Didn’t we have fun, Marsha? I can’t believe all the activities we did in our 2 weeks together in September. Thanks for the shout-out, glad to lend my small part to your success! I’m writing my year in review for Sunday Stills and it is getting wordy! I wish you a wonderful year for Wednesday Quotes, which continues to inspire me as well. A little change is always good as our blogs continue to evolve and thrive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s always good to have a good friend with whom you can bounce off ideas. Thanks for taking the time to respond during these VERY busy times! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed your look back, Marsha. Done that. And now on to new pastures! (see post) 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love your post, Elke. It is hilarious! I love that you write to the point – short and sharp!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. That means a lot. Because my sentences are usually longwinded. And I have more of them. And then I start whittling them down. I don’t always manage.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely have that problem! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
great post, Marsha 🙂
Thanks for being a great host ❤
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2022/12/28/reflections-on-2022/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks to you and my other friends, I get to host! You are a wonderful participant, Lady Lee. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you better. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays: Looking Back on 2022 […]
LikeLike