Just a year ago, this blog sprang forth, fully formed, as though from the head of Zeus . . . Well, perhaps not so dramatically. On December 22, 2022, I introduced myself to the wonderful world of blogging with an article titled “This Is Me.” And on Christmas day, I posted my first story-line chapter, “My First Commie.”

My blog was called “All Roads Led To Russia,” and that’s what most of the first 28 chapters were about: my travel, business, and personal adventures in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Czechoslovakia, England, Hungary . . . wonderful, exciting times, since unmatched. Then I ran out of those stories, and turned to a mix of other topics: my early years, the world as it was throughout the decades of my life, and as it is now. And the name of my blog became, appropriately, “The Blog About Everything.”

It seems serendipitous that my one-year anniversary should fall just as we prepare to tiptoe cautiously into yet another year. Let’s face it: 2023 hasn’t generally been known for its joyous news items, and it’s not surprising that we’re facing 2024 with more than a little trepidation. Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first, and then remind ourselves that there was also news to celebrate along the way.

So here we go: 2023 in a nutshell.

*. *. *

There were natural disasters aplenty. A pair of earthquakes — 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude — struck Turkey near the Syrian border in February, killing approximately 60,000 people. More disastrous earthquakes occurred later in the year in Morocco and Afghanistan, taking another 6,000 lives. Volcanoes erupted in Iceland and other parts of the world. Droughts killed wildlife and evaporated water supplies in some areas, while at the same time torrential rains caused destruction and death in other parts of the world. Wildfires became commonplace due to the excessive summer heat. Entire species of animal life became endangered. It seemed as though the gods were angrier than they had ever been.

And the world’s humans didn’t help. Russia’s “special military operation” — in reality, a full-fledged war of attrition — raged on in Ukraine, and is now about to enter its third year. And lest the world become bored with that conflict, Hamas decided it was a good time to invade Israel from Gaza on October 7th — a day of autumnal celebration for the Jewish people — slaughtering 1,400 innocent men, women and children, seriously wounding nearly 9,000 more, and taking 250 (mostly civilian) hostages. Needless to say, Israel retaliated with a vengeance. That conflict, too, continues to this day.

Russia’s Vladimir Putin continues to tighten his grip on society, passing ever more onerous laws against practically everything and imprisoning people simply for speaking against his policies. He has become the 21st Century’s Josef Stalin, reincarnate.

The saber-rattling continues in China, North Korea, Russia, Iran . . . You’d think we should be used to it by now, but it’s a good thing we’re not. When you let your guard down, that’s when you’re doomed.

Donald Trump continued to campaign for a second term as president, despite his overwhelming legal difficulties, both civil and criminal. The really bad news is that — inconceivably — he could still win. I’m thinking that Canada is looking better and better every day.

Congress installed a revolving door on the House Speaker’s office, with one disastrous choice after another passing through it. And they’ve once again played havoc with people’s livelihoods, not to mention the efficient operation of the government itself, by failing to pass the annual budget, and only managing to come up with a series of stopgap measures. And why? Because tied to the budget is the question of further aid to Ukraine, which apparently hasn’t suffered enough.

A lot of good people passed away in 2023: Henry Kissinger, Rosalynn Carter, Tony Bennett, Betty White, and dozens of others. Rest in peace, each and every one of you; you’ve left the world a good bit better than you found it.

*. *. *

So now, on to the good news. Hmmm . . . this may be a little more difficult.

But we need look no farther than Taylor Swift, who has had enough joy this year to satisfy a whole bunch of people. She became a billionaire, through a combination of talent, business acumen, hard work, and more than a smidgen of incredibly good luck (being born beautiful, talented, and smart didn’t hurt). She is Time’s Person of the Year. Her tours are sold out almost before they’re scheduled. And her love life seems to be thriving. She is a dynamo, a force of nature, a role model . . . and we all want to be her. Wishing her well seems redundant and a bit late, but I do; she has worked hard and earned it.

The Covid pandemic finally slowed down. Not that the virus has disappeared completely. It seems that, like the garden-variety flu, it will be with us for the foreseeable future, but in a milder and more treatable form. It’s now okay to socialize and travel again, and even to shake hands. I never did take to that awkward elbow-bumping thing.

Finland gained admission to NATO, seriously pissing off Russia. So that’s two more good things.

Patches, a 40.3-pound cat in Richmond, Virginia, has finally found a forever home with a local woman, Kay Ford. Under her care, Patches — known as “the largest cat anyone has ever seen” — was last reported as weighing in at a much healthier 28.63 pounds. Good job!

And there’s more good news in the animal kingdom. A precocious sea otter named Laverna has been allowed to remain in her home off the coast of Malibu, California, since it was discovered that her previous naughty behavior (stealing people’s surfboards) was due to her unsuspected pregnancy. Now that her pup has been born and her hormonal condition normalized, she’s calmed down, and continues to live happily in her Pacific home. It makes me smile just to look at her. I don’t think it’s fair that she was named after the Roman Goddess of Thieves, Cheats and the Underworld.

After following Laverna’s story (and writing a couple of blog chapters about her), I found that I had fallen in love with otters in general. They are the most adorable mammals! So I’d like to close the happy part of this year’s retrospective with some proof of cuteness.

Now, if that didn’t make you smile, nothing will!

Happy New Year,
Brendochka
12/30/23