What we’re reading, listening to and thinking about this month.

Todd R.: With all of the kids home for Christmas, we returned to the traditional baked potato bar and “Rapp Jeopardy” on Christmas Eve. Hustled through a pretty good bingefest of “Bridgerton” on Netflix over the holiday weekend, preceded by the excellent HBO documentary on the unique successes of the Bee Gees. Also read the latest John Grisham book “A Time for Mercy,” which was quite good, and “Sycamore Row” right before then to make sure I was caught up on the entire Jake Brigance story. Next good read looks like an extended piece in the New Yorker called “The Plague Year” – even though 2020 is just about over, we are still learning our lessons about this remarkable pandemic.

Alyssa: We were so happy to watch the snow come down on Christmas Eve so we could get a little skiing and snowshoeing in. We watched the new Pixar movie, “Soul,” which was great. Also, I’m a little late to this one, but we’ve been loving “Peaky Blinders” on Netflix and now I can’t wait for a new season to be released in 2021.

Rich: We spent December hunkered down until we can get the vaccine. We spent some limited (unfortunately) time connecting with family and friends. I spent a fair amount of time reading 2020 year-end summaries and thinking about this unprecedented year. It made me focus on the importance of relationships and the challenge of maintaining them in a pandemic. It also reminded me that all of us need to demand that our government must fund and staff our public health system. The coronavirus will not be the last public health challenge we face. Surely, we can do better in the future.

Todd S.: My family and I spent much of December hoping snow would return to Minnesota before Christmas (perfect timing). The colder days haven’t slowed down family walks and the occasional frisbee toss. Meanwhile, there has been lots of streaming. Recommend Paul McCartney’s latest and the movie “Soul” for the family. I won’t get into the “Wonder Woman 1984” debate, but I will declare the brilliance of “Schitt’s Creek,” which is wonderfully binge-worthy.

Sarah: Oddly, I watched very few holiday movies this December. The whole month felt like a weird time warp and barely like it was the holidays. We did watch the ~very festive~ “Chernobyl” mini-series, “24” and “Wonder Woman 1984.” Christmas 2020 was the year of the book and I’m so excited to dig in to my new titles – Molly on the Range, the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers, How to Sleep, The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert and Wine: A Tasting Course: Every Class in a Glass.

Anna: Well, I don’t think anyone can top my month – I got married to my wonderful husband Isaac at an intimate ceremony at our church. 2020 has been tough in many ways, but I’m grateful to end it with one of the happiest days of my life. Our first Christmas as husband and wife was another highlight, and Isaac gifted me my new obsession: crossword puzzles.

Quentin: While the holidays looked and felt different this year, they still served as a perfect reminder that we have much to be thankful for: friends, family and good health.

This month I procrastinated less on gift giving than in years past, which felt great. Thanks to Instagram, I found several new-to-me small businesses to support in the Twin Cities. I also reconnected with two of my favorite arts organizations — FilmScene and The Englert Theatre — and helped them raise money for their capital campaign through an online grassroots fundraising effort. Finally, a months-long goal of getting a Little Free Library in my neighborhood came to fruition! Getting it installed and stocked with books, personal protective equipment and dog treats (it’s next to our neighborhood dog park after all) was a fun journey and I’ve loved seeing neighbors enjoy the little project.

Cullen: December passed in the blink of an eye – a welcome end to a year that seemed to last for an eternity. Starting my position at Rapp Strategies certainly contributed to such a busy month, but I’m so grateful to be ending the year on a high note.

I spent much of December celebrating the holidays with my nuclear family, who thankfully remain healthy. With extended family Christmas parties put on hold, other traditions like cutting our own Christmas tree, watching Polar Express on Christmas Eve, and (virtual) midnight mass felt even more special.

The busy month cut into how much time I spent bingeing and reading, but I still managed to finish season 2 of “The Mandalorian,” “Gone Girl,” and David McCullough’s latest work, “The Pioneers.” All highly recommended.

To cap off the month, I spent some much-needed time with a few friends on Minnesota’s North Shore near Two Harbors. Nothing refreshes the soul like campfires on the beach and an afternoon of hunting for agates!