2024 was an amazing combination of wonderful moments with family and friends, new adventures, a little sadness…but much love. I grabbed at life knowing the importance of each precious nanosecond.

I’ll share a few of my 2024 favorites photos with text…And some thoughts on the past year. The iconic photographer Irving Penn said, “to me personally, photography is a way to overcome mortality.”

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH MARLA

Marla in Gorbio France, and in Paris with our granddaughters and with me at lunch by the Seine.

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH OUR DAUGHTERS

Lisa and Stacy in Gorbio, France.

FAVORITE MOMENTS WITH OUR GRANDKIDS

Logan, their “Papa”, and Paxton in Menton, France. Our wonderful Dallas crew in Gorbio, France.

FAVORITE DINNERS

Top left: At Mirazur Restaurant in Menton, France. Top right: Flagstaff House, Boulder, Colorado. Bottom left: At our home. Bottom right: Pizzeria 430 Gradi, Menton, France.

FAVORITE WINES

A BIG birthday requires BIG wines!

FAVORITE COCKTAILS

Aperol Spritz at Da Nello in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Amazing Mai Tai at Napua in the Mauna Lani Beach Club, Big Island.

FAVORITE LUNCHES

Top left: “Restaurant Beau Sejour” in Gorbio, France. Top right: “A picnic in the redwoods with our good friend Lea.” Bottom left: “Caspers Hot Dogs” in Pleasant Hill, California. Bottom right: “Red Barn” food truck at the “Waimea Farmer’s Market”, Big Island, Hawaii.

FAVORITE SALAD

Fabulous salad at Venice Restaurant, Greenwood Village, Colorado.

FAVORITE…GARLIC BREAD

We stayed a week on the island of Guernsey this summer. We love connecting with my niece Suzanne and husband Chris, nephew Steve and wife Karen, and my brother-in-law Vic. One evening we dined at Christies Brasserie in St Peter Port. We all thought their garlic bread was the BEST!!!

FAVORITE DESERTS

A special birthday treat at Mirazur Restaurant, Menton, France. Picking up “Princess Cake” at Alpine Bakery in Concord, California. Whatever Paxton is having at Restaurant Beau Sejour, Gorbio, France.

FAVORITE MUSEUM VISITS

Left: MFA Museum Boston with Logan & Paxton. Right: Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

FAVORITE CYCLING

Left: I cycled up a very steep and cold narrow road near Gstaad, Switzerland. Right: Next to the Freddie Mercury Statue in Montreux, Switzerland.

FAVORITE HIKES

Left: Hiking near Cedar Creek Lake, Texas. Right: Hiking at Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Colorado.

FAVORITE SHOPPING

Left: Galeries Lafayette, Paris. Right: The shopping in London is always quite amazing. Bentley & Skinner, on Piccadilly, in London, is the place when you are looking for important items like a…tiara.

FAVORITE 2024 NEW DISCOVERIES

Top left: “The Lennon Wall” in Prague. Lower left: Durnstein, Austria, on the Danube River. Right: “Renoir Tea Garden” on Rue du Moulin Huet, Guernsey.

FAVORITE SUNSETS

Left: Our back yard looking west. Right: With my brother at the Mauna Lani Point Resort, Big Island, Hawaii.

NEW ADVENTURES IN THE NEW YEAR…CYCLING IN SRI LANKA THIS FEBRUARY

I’ll be riding with my friends Tom and Jennie in Sri Lanka.

FAVORITE TV SHOWS & MOVIES THIS YEAR

We probably watched way more TV in 2024 than usual! Loved “Black Doves” on Netflix! (See trailer) We enjoyed “Pachinko”,”Shogun”, “The world According to Lidia Poet”,”The New Look”, “Slow Horses, season 5”. I really like “Van der Valk” and “Miss Scarlet” on PBS.”Blue Lights” on Britbox. “Signora Volpe” & “Inspector Ellis”on Acorn. I’m in the middle of “The Agency” with the amazing Michael Fassbender. Of course many more! We rarely miss the opener for “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “SNL”, “CBS Sunday Morning”, and “Fareed Zakaria”.

“Lee” & “A Complete Unknown” were really enjoyable movies.

FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEOS OF 2024

TO WRAP UP WITH A THOUGHT OR TWO…….

I would be less than honest if I didn’t admit to being shattered by the past election results. The Japanese proverb “Nana Korobi ya oki” to “fall down seven times, get up 8.” I know I must resume media engagement knowing “Democracy dies in darkness.” The new regime of selfish kleptocrats, hateful homophobes, and the far-right radical extremists will not be in office forever. Everything going forward will be different…some of it beautiful and transformative…other parts will be a test almost everyday. Darktimes will pass. Love will find a way. I will dig deep, come out smiling and ready for a new and hopefully enlightened day!

As the Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas once wrote…“Do not go gentle into that good night…” And...I will not!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.