It has been another exciting year for the Spiegel family—more transitions and making new friends. In August Jim commenced his work as Executive Director at the Kalos Center in Columbus, Ohio. Amy continued her work in the office of Gifts and Estate Planning at Hillsdale College. Jim has been commuting to Columbus weekly, which we plan to do until Andrew graduates from Hillsdale Academy in the Spring. Maggie has been taking classes at Jackson Community College and plans to transfer to Wayne State University next Fall where she hopes to complete her degree. Sam will graduate from Taylor next month and is strongly considering a career as a commercial pilot. And Bailey has been working two jobs while working on his art portfolio. He just applied to several MFA programs around the country. So we are excited about all of these developments, as our kids continue to develop into interesting and ambitious young adults. Our family conversations about art, culture, philosophy, theology, and politics are more stimulating and enriching than ever. As usual, we are closing out the year with summary remarks about good and bad stuff related to film, music, books, sports, food, and family.
Film Experiences
Jim: Three films stood out for me this year, though only one of them was released in 2024. I loved Peanut Butter Falcon (2019), a unique drama about a young man with Down’s syndrome who, after escaping from an assisted-living facility, befriends a troubled fisherman. This film is both fun and profound with excellent performances all-around, including Shia LaBeouf. I also really liked Leave No Trace, a 2018 film that follows the relationship between a military vet with PTSD and his daughter as they live in a remote forest area and ultimately in a mobile home community. This one really sneaks up on you. And I thought one of the best of 2024 was Cabrini, a powerful historical drama about a 19th century Catholic missionary’s ministry to the poor of New York City. Inspiring and extremely well-directed.
Amy: I’m afraid I have no great works of art to recommend this year. I have spent the year revisiting old friends (rewatching all of Matlock, Columbo, and any period piece I can find). I’m always up for a good true crime series of documentary (The Man With a Thousand Kids, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and Scandal, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, to name a few). During the holidays, I enjoyed a couple Hallmark-esque movies (The Merry Gentlemen and Our Little Secret) and, before you sneer, I argue that balancing light-heartedness with good writing that doesn’t fall off the cliffs of absurdity is a rare jewel that should not be underrated. I did enjoy The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Something to Stand For with Mike Rowe, and After Death, a documentary about near-death experiences. The “film” experience I have spoken of most often with people is Hillsdale College’s online course on Paradise Lost which was beautifully produced and my first experience of the poem.
Food and Music
Amy’s Best Food Experiences of the Year: Food these days is more about the company than the menu for me. Every meal we’ve eaten with all four kids feels like a cause for celebration these days, knowing that meals will become fewer and farther between as the years go by. Jim and I had a wonderful night at Cascarelli’s in nearby Homer, eating pizza and drinking excellent cocktails, along with a few meals sampling some of the ethnic food Columbus has to offer. We also had a memorable “game night” eating wild game harvested by the Hillsdale Shooting Club.
Jim’s Best Musical Experiences of the Year: My favorite musical experience of 2024 was going to see Weezer with my daughter in Columbus. This was part of their 30-year anniversary (!!) tour for their legendary debut “Blue” album. Maggie and I are both big fans and had a great time. Two of my new musical discoveries this year were LP and Declan McKenna. In addition to being a strong songwriter, LP’s unique vocal style is mesmerizing, as is her uncanny ability to whistle. Check out her most well-known song, “Lost on You.” Declan McKenna, on the other hand, is a self-produced alt-rock Brit singer-songwriter that I’ve found to be quite addictive. Another band I was introduced to this year was the Lemon Twigs, who master a retro 60s-style that may thrill you or annoy you. I’m still trying to decide which category they fall into for me. As for my pick for album of the year, it is hands-down Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter. I had never listened closely to Beyonce’s music before, but this one got my attention both because of the media buzz and the very concept of the album. Some slam it for reverse cultural appropriation. Whatever. As far as I’m concerned, genres are made to be broken, blended, invented, and reinvented. Beyonce achieves all of that on this fresh and somehow timeless concept album. A profound achievement. Finally, I have to mention T-Bone Burnett’s latest album, The Other Side, which is stunning in both its musical simplicity and lyrical wisdom. If ever there was an album to live by, this is it. At least check out the opening track, “He Came Down.” As I slowly build my “best songs of the 2020s” list, I’ve already reserved a spot for this one.
Sports
Jim’s Favorite Sports Moments of the Year: Watching Andrew continue his prowess as a star soccer and basketball player on the Hillsdale Academy teams has been a lot of fun, as was watching Sam finish his college career as captain of the Taylor University soccer team. Sam had more spectacular moments in goal this year, culminating in his being selected for the All-Crossroads League team. It was also a fun year as a Detroit Lions sports fan. (Note: I’m not a bandwagon Lions fan but have rooted for them since I was 7-years-old kid, growing up in the Detroit area.) I feel like my half-century of loyal Lions fandom is finally being rewarded. Now, if they can just make it to the Super Bowl . . .. It was also a blast to watch the Tigers make a spectacular late-season run to make it to the playoffs and even win a playoff series. Looking forward to next season under the leadership of Hinch & Co. But the best moment of all was seeing my Michigan Wolverines win the NCAA football national championship. Go Blue!
Amy’s Favorite Sports Moments of the Year: I have a terrible memory for specific games and details. I love sitting on the couch any given Sunday watching football with Jim and marveling at my predictive abilities. (Did I mention I am currently leading our family Pigskin Pick Em’s league?). I’ve tried to soak in Andrew’s and Sam’s last seasons of high school and college soccer respectively and am grateful for the way sports has shaped their character and mindset.
Jim’s Most Disappointing Sports Moments of the Year: My Detroit Lions getting knocked out of the NFL playoffs by the 49ers last January, after squandering a 24-7 halftime lead. Ouch. But it doesn’t take away the joy of watching the Lions win playoff games for the first time in over 30 years. It also hurt to see the Tigers bounced by the Cleveland Guardians in the second round of the MLB playoffs after leading the series. After such an improbable run to make the playoffs, we Tigers fans had dreams of running the table. But it was not to be. Maybe next Fall! Of course, these sports sorrows don’t compare to the more poignant endings of our sons’ high school and college soccer careers. See Amy’s thoughts below.
Amy’s Most Painful Sports Moment of the Year: Seeing Sam’s college soccer career end after a tough season was bittersweet. So proud of his dedication and talent but sad to see that chapter come to an end. Andrew’s high school soccer career ended with a brutal loss but it was wonderful to hear his coach reflect on Andrew’s leadership on and off the field.
Good Reads
Jim: This year I actually had time to read a few works of fiction. After a conversation with a former colleague who wrote her dissertation on Thomas Hardy, I decided to read The Mayor of Casterbridge, which is a powerful, if a bit dark, moral tale. It made me more happy than ever that I’ve never sold my wife and child in a spontaneous public auction. (Yep, that’s the book’s premise.) On the negative side (a definite “bad” read) was Cormac’ McCarthy’s The Road. Despite whatever undeserved awards the book may have won, it is a dreadful piece of fiction. See Amy’s blurb about it in a previous post. Blecch. As for non-fiction, I enjoyed Edward Klein’s The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America’s First Family for 150 Years. If you think you know the whole story when it comes to Kennedy family tragedies, check out this book. It runs far deeper than even most students of the topic realize. Other works I’ve enjoyed in the past year include Rizwan Virk’s The Simulation Hypothesis, The Works of Joseph Butler, and The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, a wide-ranging compendium of classic writings falling under the (somewhat loose) heading of mysticism.
Amy: I’ve had a lot of great reads this year. Most recently Shepherds for Sale by Megan Basham, Overruled by Neil Gorsuch, and Troubled by Rob Henderson were all interesting and eye-opening reads. I can’t remember how I stumbled into listening to I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, and I can’t say I “enjoyed” it but it was well-written, and McCurdy gives the reader a disturbing window into the world of child actors while displaying an impressive amount of understanding for her parents (despite the title’s shocking title) and avoiding playing the victim. Hannah Coulter left me asking where Wendell Berry has been all my life, while The Road by Cormac McCarthy left me wishing I had taken a detour. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Marier and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro were both page turners worth the time.
Best 2023 Family Memories
Jim: Our annual Bell (Amy’s side of the family) summer reunion was great as usual, though this time we had a new addition—our great niece, Margot, who is a total joy. Another highlight was painting the exterior of our Jonesville house, which I did with some help from our boys and a hydraulic lift I rented for a week in July. This was made all the more rewarding by the daily compliments I would receive by passersby. The house had been painted a hideous yellow with red trim before we transformed it into a stately overcast grey with white trim, far more befitting the classy exterior features with which it was endowed back in 1846.
Amy: Welcoming my great-niece Margot into the family, experiencing the solar eclipse with Andrew and Maggie, and welcoming Bailey home from Bolivia were definite highlights. I got the chance to spend time with my mom and sister in Ohio which is a rarity I greatly enjoyed. Our beloved (Jane) Austen made it through a tough bout of pancreatitis for which we are extremely grateful. We have had more than our fair share of car woes this year which ironically have been an opportunity to be blessed by the generosity of our friends and community.
New Year’s Resolutions
Amy: Continuing to see God’s grace and mercy in all circumstances will be a goal this year and every year after. I am still hoping to concentrate on being a better steward of my time and body, especially after turning the big 5-0 this year.
Jim: Having nearly fulfilled my 2023 New Year’s resolution of completing our Jonesville house renovations (we still have two rooms to renovate), my 2024 resolution is to finish those two remaining rooms!
Happy 2025 everyone!