What brought you joy in 2023
Happy Friday.
Today, as we enter December and look back on all that was 2023, I’m sharing some of the wonderful messages readers have sent us about the best part of their year. Reading these notes is one of my favorite things about this job, and I hope you enjoy them too.
Please continue to message me about your 2023 wins at CAtoday@nytimes.com, including your full name and the city where you live.
Here are some comments from our readers, lightly edited:
“I have a cabin in the mountains of Trinity County. When it’s foggy and cool on the Humboldt coast, my greatest joy is driving an hour to my cabin and enjoying the 90-degree heat by the pool overlooking the Trinity River. This is the first year in so many years that I haven’t had to worry about the fire consuming one side or the other. What a wonderful summer.” — Pam Cahill, Bayside
“This year I had a cochlear implant in my left ear. I still have a long road of hearing rehabilitation ahead of me until I can fully understand people, but I am happy with my ability to hear sounds that I never had access to before. I discovered that my label maker makes a cute buzzing noise while printing. I now notice the leaky faucet in our bathroom when I work from home. I can hear my daughter’s cries at night and I don’t need a baby monitor. Most of all, I’m happy that I won’t miss my daughter’s first words when she starts talking soon!” — Audrey Sze, Foster City
“My husband and I both celebrated our 88th anniversary this year and, more importantly, our 70th wedding anniversary. Best of all, we have friends – most of whom are the age of our two sons who don’t live nearby – and they all treat us like dear friends.” — Jan O’Brien, Folsom
“This summer we moved my youngest child into their dorm at CSU Monterey Bay. It is a beautiful school, environment and atmosphere. They are the first person in our family to go to college, and they had their older brother, father, myself (mother), and an old family friend (graduate) to help them move and be there for them on the weekends. It was so joyful and wonderful. It has been a great joy to see them working towards this, planning for it and being there now. They live their best student life and try new things: rugby! – making new friends and discovering new interests and skills in their classes.” — Elena P. Craig, Fairfax
“First, the rain. Of course, it wasn’t just a gift for me, but I enjoyed every drop, even though my house was leaking like a sieve. And I’ll have just as much fun next winter, especially if it includes a lot of rain.
“Second, get a passport again. What a complete adventure. And it came just in time to allow me to experience the joy of travel for the first time in decades. Italy, a wedding and stunningly delicious food.
‘The latest and quite recent – don’t laugh – a vague beginning of the re-emergence of the phoenix that is San Francisco. Neighborhoods are vibrant, small businesses are opening their doors, theaters and comedy shows are opening, the streets are busy at night, the tables outside at eateries are filled, there is laughter in bars. It is not that our hardships are over, but there is something sparkling in the air.” — Eleanor Najjar, San Francisco
Where we travel to
Today’s tip comes from Jorge Moreno, spokesman for California’s state parks. Moreno recommends the Locke Boarding House Museum near Sacramento:
“The Locke Boarding House was built in 1909, before the formal development of the town of Locke. Chinese men who worked on the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad stayed there. Today, the guesthouse is operated as a museum that offers visitors a glimpse into the past, and is part of the Locke Historic District, a Chinese-American community founded in 1915. It is the largest and most intact surviving example of a historic Chinese -American community. rural community in the United States and the only remaining example in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.”
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in future editions of the newsletter.
Tell us
How do you celebrate the holidays in California? With a refreshing walk on the beach, a batch of tamales or stargazing in the desert?
Email me at CAtoday@nytimes.com with your Golden State holiday traditions. Please include your name and the city in which you live.
And before you go: good news
December is here and the Christmas lights season is just around the corner. Multicolored lights are hung on homes throughout California and dazzling displays line front yards.
In honor of the season and ample wattage, The Mercury News has published a list of the Top 21 Best Light Displays in the Bay Area.
The lineup includes neighborhoods like “Crippsmas Place” in north Fremont, where front yards are lit with cutouts of classic cartoon characters, and city institutions like the Oakland Zoo, which hosts a “Glowfari” in which giant lanterns in the shapes of zoo animals are on display. the terrain.
Other notable activities include San Jose’s “Christmas in the Park” festivities and a visit to a Newark home with a 35-foot inflatable Santa Claus.
Many of the exhibitions can be visited for free. Find the full list of great shows here.
Thank you for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. Nice weekend. — Soumya
PS Here it is today’s mini crossword.