Happy 2017 to us all!

wonder | wander | women and wonder | wander | world happily bid goodbye to 2016 and eagerly welcome 2017.

2016 was a tough and challenging year that has tested many of us.

One of the best things about it is all the great stories that have come out as a result.

What better way to celebrate the year end than with a good read from the best books for 2016.

remember the true meaning & purpose of Christmas

We all have been exchanging holiday gifts for centuries.

Eleanor Robson Belmont

Few remember that only after the ritual became legal in 1680 following a ban by the Pilgrims, who considered it a crass anathema, was it made possible.

By the 19th century Christmas gifts were a firmly entrenched tradition.

Members of The Society for the Prevention

of Useless Giving were known as Spugs

But by 1911, when a few dozen women in New York City formed what would later be called The Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving, it had reached an early fever pitch.

Read the full article here. Women Rally Against 'Useless' Christmas Giving

Read this and other incredible stories at Atlas Obscura: a definitive guide to the world's hidden wonders. 

the art of movement

This week we are inspired by the stunning images of The Art of Movement, the new coffee table book by photographers Ken Browar and Deborah Ory aka NYC Dance Project.

Image courtesy of NYC Dance Project

great losses of 2016

As 2016 draws to a close, wonder | wander | world takes pause in our holiday festivities to remember and honor some of the greats we have lost who contributed much to our lives and our world.

Happy trails!

OBITUARIES

The Last Word: John Glenn

By ERIK OLSEN, JOHN SCHWARTZ and TAIGE JENSEN | Dec. 8, 2016 | 6:44

John Glenn, a symbol of the space age as the first American to orbit Earth, sat down with John Schwartz in 2012 — the 50th anniversary of his flight — to talk about making history and that “beautiful view.”

My Three Days With Fidel

By THE NEW YORK TIMES | Nov. 26, 2016 | 4:57

Richard Eder, a former New York Times foreign correspondent, recalls interviewing the Cuban leader.

Related: 

• Article: Fidel Castro, Cuban Revolutionary Who Defied U.S., Dies at 9
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• After Leonard Cohen’s Death, ‘Hallelujah’ Lives On

• By ROBIN LINDSAY | Nov. 11, 2016 | 1:04

  Leonard Cohen’s most well-known song has found new life through film, television and other musicians.

  Related: 
  

  • Article: Leonard Cohen, Epic and Enigmatic Songwriter, Is Dead at 82