For me, this is “the most wonderful time of the year” — decorations sparkle, snowflakes glisten, and Michael Buble and Mariah Carey jingle all the way to the bank with their holiday classics!
I hope 2025 was a great year for you and you’re happy and healthy!
For this holiday letter, I can’t say what I said in 2024: “Life for us is very much the same as last year”. It’s been a whirlwind and many times over the past nine months, I said, “Well, that wasn’t on my 2025 Bingo card”!
First off, the “calm before the storm”: Miss Xanadu continues to bring so much joy to my life as she turns three just before New Year’s Eve.
She’s still the naughtiest, most mischievous, and the most adorable little pug!
In March, we moved to a new place with a balcony and a partial view of Lake Decatur.
Xanadu love the balcony and the tropical plants loved the sun and heat. My lime tree actually had limes this year.
Sadly, the central air couldn’t cool the apartment and it was in the 80s inside most of the summer!
Now, back to that elephant in the room and what made 2025 a “whirlwind”.
Last fall (2024), I extended my work contract. However, over the next year, differences in opinions and style with my new news director led to “irreconcilable differences”. It made me rethink my life.
The expression, “you can never go home again” is true to some extent because things and people change. Out of the blue, I was given the opportunity to right a wrong I made in 2017. That spring, my ex and I ended our eight-year relationship and marriage and I made the irrational decision to move away from the Quad Cities.
I took a job in Panama City (FL) and stayed a year, moved to Duluth (MN) for two years, and spent the past 5.5 years in Decatur, in Central Illinois.
I’m thankful for the first four enjoyable years at WAND in Decatur working with Deron and Sierra (above) and meeting Lacey (below) before I left the station.
Fate brought me full circle in early November.
I returned to the Quad Cities as the morning meteorologist and co-host at my old station, WHBF (OurQuadCitiesNews) in Rock Island, Illinois. I’m so happy to be “home” again. (I spent 11.5 years in the Quad Cities the first time.)
This photo is from 2013 when I started at WHBF the other time.
And, this is one of my favorite work wives, Emily, from 2016, at WHBF.
And, I have to say that I love my work photo. I think I’m holding up rather well. 🙂
Miss Xanadu now calls the Quad Cities home and she’ll enjoy the Mississippi River instead of Lake Decatur!
This year, I fulfilled my concert bucket list when I finally saw Kylie Minogue in Chicago in early April.
It was the most amazing time and I wish there had been two shows.
I’ve been wanting to see her in concert since 2001 and it was so worth it when she walked by this close to me!
I also saw two other concerts this year. In May, I saw international superstar LeAnn Rimes in Decatur.
It was the second time I saw her in concert. In 2005, I got to meet her in Salisbury, Maryland, before moving back to the Midwest.
And, just last month, I saw Grammy Award-winning, country superstar Clint Black in the Quad Cities.
My sister, Tammy, is still struggling with her health, but she’s alive!
This summer, we took a little road trip back home to Kentucky and spent a few days in Paducah.
We had a little party and I saw some friends I haven’t seen in almost 30 years! So much fun!
We then spent a couple of days in Murray (KY) with my two of my favorite cousins, Steve and Ronda, and did some boating on Kentucky Lake.
And, in October, we took another trip to western Illinois and stayed in a cabin on the Mississippi River.
To celebrate our birthdays (Tammy’s 59th, her boyfriend’s 60th, and my 61st), we drove to a casino for a crab legs buffet. It’s been years since we last pigged out on crab legs near Duluth!
And, the charcuterie board was amazing and beautiful.
Down the line, I still want to retire with a balcony view of citrus and avocado trees!
Oh, speaking of citrus, the limes — I now have eight and they’re loving the window view and are very happy to be on the inside with the snow outside!
With the recharge this November, I’m at peace and hopefully retirement can wait a few more years!
“May hope and faith conquer fear and hate this Christmas”.
Anthony
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