Top 5 Fave Things About 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, I’m looking back at the year with gratitude. We keep a jar of “good things.” When something happens throughout the year we write it down and read them on New Year’s Eve. Otherwise, it’s easy to forget how much GOOD there was, even the small things, like finding a new recipe that’s a big hit.

This year, I got to meet some fabulous women I’ve long admired – Kathy & Kim of EnVy Pillow and Arlene Dickinson – all at the same event. Derek and I spent time with people we care about, settled into our community even further and threw our arms around small town life.

This list omits the obvious: my husband of 15 (FIFTEEN?!?) years, my baby brother, family and friends. They’re the core of every year but 2024 had some special sauce that made it stand out. Without further ado, my Top Five of 2024.

5. I’m still my favourite boss.

Working for myself is all that and a bag of chips. Yes, Artificial Intelligence and other factors are having a tangible impact on the voice-over world. On all creative worlds, actually. The peaks are higher and the valleys, lower. But we continue to ride it out. For example, Derek voiced a Canadian Tire commercial that almost the whole country got to see and hear. That was fun because most of our work is for projects outside of the public eye.

Another aspect of work that’s gratifying is the little conglomerate called Peter Canada. (The name is a long, silly story!) It’s me and two other female VO artists who advise, consult and support each other. Everyone should create a little, private group like this. Some days, it’s everything.

4. Cutting back on news

Ingesting less news has been great for my mental health. I was already consuming a lot less than I used to but this year I deleted X, TikTok and some news apps on my phone. It’s part of the Stoic values I’ve been drawn to: Don’t spend brain power on things you can’t change. Events I can’t take part in will unfold in their own way. Every generation has its crises. The world will keep turning. Worry has never changed a damn thing.

3. Gracefully and Frankly

This podcast has brought Erin and I, friends of more than two decades, even closer. It’s a different dimension as we navigate opportunities, challenges, and compromises. I’m proud to say that when it comes to working together we have the best intentions and watch each other’s backs. As we discuss topic ideas before we record, she waits patiently as I “talk through” things before FINALLY coming to the same conclusion she already reached! I’m so very grateful that we get to communicate with other women (and some men) and share the celebrations and concerns about our lives. And now we have a store and that’s a whole new (FUN!) aspect of it. It’s a gift to us as we head into year #3. New products are coming in 2025!

A Little Side Note

While Canada Post was on strike I searched the country for a shipping alternative that wouldn’t break us. The winner: Stallion Express. There are no minimums and no sign-up fee. You can check rates before committing. You complete everything online including printing and attaching labels, and either drop your packages at a Stallion location or arrange for pickup. (If you’re in a city, pickup is possible. Out here, not so much!) And if you use our special referral link HERE we get a tiny commission. When you sign up, you’ll get a referral link of your own to share.

2. Cuddles Cozies up to Derek

This year, while I was away on a couple of trips, Cuddles bonded with Derek. I used to be our cat’s clear favourite but now it’s a tie. Entering the livingroom to this scene made me so happy! Our skittish, timid senior feline spends a lot more time on Derek’s lap these days and I’m more than happy to share the love.

1. A Stronger Self

I want to get old, but I want to get old while staying well. Last year, I realized that continuing chiropractic treatments for my neck were keeping me weak and vulnerable. I’m still pro-chiropractic and super grateful to my last practitioner for her help but it was time for a change. So, I stopped going and there was a definite period of adjustment. (Pun intended.) But now I can move and lift and twist and raise my arms over my head without worry. Those activities used to spark terrible headaches and sometimes send me to bed in pain. Earlier this month, I helped with snow clearing for the first time in years and suffered no ill effects. This is HUGE. Massage therapy and staying active are the keys to this improvement for me. It’s been an absolute game changer and I feel physially stronger than I have in years.

Not everyone got to experience victories this year. Some years, just surviving is a victory in itself. As I get older, I find that my happiness is tied more to experiences, how I spend my time and who I spend it with than any things or stuff. What matters are people (and fur-people) and showing them love. That’s about it. I wish you a healthy 2025 and I’ll plan to meet you back here on January 3rd. Thank you for visiting this little space. Your time is precious and I’m grateful you choose to spend some of it with me.