January 1st of 2023 – seems like it sure took its time getting here. All the reviews of 2022 referenced the war in Ukraine, how badly the mid-terms didn’t go, and the current economic trends. You know – you’ve seen it everywhere in major media. So what will ’23 be like?

Let’s start with the economy: will there be a recession or will we stumble through without it? It’ll be hard to say as there are so many conflicting signs. Not enough workers means the effect on unemployment will likely be negligible. Demographics and lack of immigrants will greatly affect that element. So what’s a recession without a significant increase in unemployment? Wage stagnation? Not likely. Young people will job hop for a nickel an hour raise. I suspect business will finally begin to see that the trend they thought was temporary is here to stay. Wages will stay firm, but inflation will keep us all at about the same place. Do we care? Likely not. What will we care about?

I know what I’ll care about – finally being rid of Covid-19. Erik got it last week. Son-in-law Colter has it this week. Fortunately, granddaughter Kiernan with the dodgy ticker has escaped its wrath so far. So my New Year’s resolution is for the family to remain Covid-free. That’s more a matter of luck than skill now that whichever variant we’re on is so highly transmissible. And there’s no Fauci any more to explain where we’re at. People: we’re on our own. The little dude left for a well-deserved retirement.

Second goal? Reduce my sugar intake and work on improving dental health. Found a new dentist that is terrific, so it’s time to work on making sure good oral health is a top priority. New front teeth for starters. My current ones are 45 years old, so it’s well past time for a change. They were lost in a tank accident about that long ago. No, not a Sherman, a rolling grain feed silo on a rampage. Is there really a correlation between Alzheimer’s and sugar consumption like the pop docs would have you believe? Who knows – just know too much sugar is bad all around. So water instead of soda. Can’t hurt – can only help.

What else? Keep working on my goal of learning to be a better mother. It takes a whole lot of effort and I surely don’t ever succeed at every juncture. But the goal is out there, so I’ll keep working on it. It’s really important.

Anything else people? Oh yeah: pray the war in Ukraine is over soon before any more havoc is wreaked on the innocent families of that country. Vlad the Invader lost the PR war the first day when Zelensky stayed. Putin’s power is slowly coming to an end. Time to get it over with and let Russia find a new way to live, using Ukraine as a model. Otherwise, nobody wins.