Welcome to January 2024!
If you celebrate the end-of-year holidays in 2023, I hope you found time for joy and relaxation with your family and friends.
The new year brings a new beginning.
Which I know many of my colleagues, friends, and family members are welcoming after a difficult and brutal 2023.
I’m hoping 2024 brings them and you positive change, full of hope, good health, and inspiration.
For me, I’m looking forward to 2024 to discover new adventures and return to some of my put-aside interests.
For example, it’s been a while since I’ve published a post about what I’m reading, writing, or what I plan to read/write in the coming year.
In past years, the first week of January has brought my commitment to reading a book a week or publishing a blog post daily.
For 2024, I’m returning to more focused reading and learning about my previous interests, including:
- Science
- Gardening, especially native plants
Science
I visit the NASA and Space websites regularly, but I recently discovered ScienceAlert which compiles all kinds of science news.
Fascinating to learn how the brain processes the numbers 4 and 5 differently.
An independent online news source with daily stories about the latest science news, I’ve subscribed to ScienceAlert via my Feedly feedreader.
And for a physical book, I’m reading Better Living Through Birding: Notes From a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper.
Gardening
While it’s 33 degrees Farenheit and overcast today with drizzling rain in southeast Michigan, it’s not too early to think about gardening.
Which has me starting off the year exploring the Michigan State University Extension Gardening in Michigan website.
So many resources and helpful guides!
And I was excited to learn about the upcoming Plant Quest four-part webinar program from the extension service.
Nationally known authors and horticulturalists as well as botanical garden and arboretum directors will share their knowledge about plants and landscaping.
The first webinar kicks off January 8, 2024 at 6pm Eastern Time (convert to your time zone).
Preregistration is required; cost is $40 US dollars until January 7, 2024. After January 7th, the cost is $50 US dollars.
Ordered, but I haven’t received it yet, is Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest: Bringing the Tallgrass Prairie Home by Judy Nauseef.
Summary
I’m excited about my reading plans for the coming year; you can expect some future blog posts about what I’ve discovered in the worlds of science and gardening.
