Somewhere in the river valley of western Minnesota — Late on a Tuesday night in November, Wayne the well-coiffed plumber swept in and saved the day. I gazed starry-eyed at the water swirling down the drain, reminiscent of Wayne’s voluminous waves twirling above his gap-toothed grin. No more sewage in my kitchen cabinets!

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My apartment adventures have settled into “Guess the Movie?” with my upstairs neighbors, and box elder bug invasions on unseasonably warm days (of which this December has boasted record amount). I make a point to post myself near the interior of the apartment on windy evenings, since the windows allow a bit of the outdoors in. The apartment management doesn’t talk much, and I have yet to receive receipt of my December rent payment; perhaps they won’t notice their lack of January rent.

I’ve enjoyed the challenge of home-ing an unfurnished apartment with minimal trips to Wisconsin in my hatchback. If I didn’t love my musical instruments so much, I could have made it all in one trip! I’m especially fond of my side tables: empty plastic moving totes draped with bright fabrics from Peru and Kenya. Multifunctional and a great conversation piece!

The inflatable recliner/bed/parent-trap has made a reappearance, much to my family’s dismay. And I can’t forget my super-sweet thrift store find: sheets for my cot! Living my dreams, snuggling in with C-3PO and Yoda, camouflaged under a handmade faux fur blanket.

I’m expecting a call any day now from Better Homes & Gardens to discuss my remarkable decor.

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I’ve kept my itchy feet moving, taking advantage of ice-free December evenings to take exploratory (AKA I get kinda lost) runs of the neighborhood. One evening resulted in an additional heart-pounding 1.5 miles to retrace my steps after finding a pocket devoid of apartment keys. Praise God they were sitting on the sidewalk at the feet of a jolly green Giant!

My runs regularly take me up Church Street as a final turn before reaching the apartment. I smile every time I run up that steep pitch, humming a tune that became my anthem for 2023:

So she made a promise right there on Church Street
To let the light in and stop living in the back seat
And in an instant something was different
Her eyes inhaled and woke to see what she’d been missing
…The world sang: “We’re getting older by the minute.
What’s this life if we’re not brave enough to live it?”
Now she sees in color, now she moves like fire,
Now she hears in harmony…

“Church St”, by Julianna Zachariou

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I’m so grateful I found and turned onto my proverbial Church Street this year. Thanks for joining in the journey!

May we all be brave enough to live this crazy, unpredictable, beautiful life.