We're certainly not alone, but 2025 was a year that found our family trying to balance competing work and home life demands.  

After spending twenty-five years in the same Northern Virginia home, we sold it in July 2025.  Packing up twenty-five years of memories and stuff (including over 10,000 record albums) was difficult.  Most of that material remains in a pair of storage units.

After a couple of years of personal challenges our younger son started college in August 2025.  Most people would not have been able to "tough it out" like he has.  I can't begin to tell you how proud of him we are of him.  His fortitude and determination put me to shame. 

When we sold our Northern Virginia home we were already living in the small Eastern Shore town of Chicoteague Virginia.  We'd purchased a home down here in 2022 with the hopes of renovating it.  We could not find a contractor willing to take on the restoration project so after surviving a Winter in the home, this Spring we moved on to plan "B" which was to tear down the 1950s era structure and build new, smaller, but up to existing codes.  That forced us to find a set of house plans we liked; find a construction contractor we were comfortable with; find financing; find a rental home and once again pack and move our belongings.  The tear-down has started.

With all of that going on, there was precious little time for BadCatRecords.  In fact in March 2025 I started packing the 10,000 LPs and the BadCatRecords website and all online sales shut down.  I sure do miss having a turntable at my disposal.

The result is an abbreviated "favorite finds" list.  Here are the five albums that I purchased (or re-purchased)  this year that captured my attention and have become repeats on my listening list.  Yes, I realize they are all "oldies".  

As always, comments are welcome.  If you're interested click on the artist name to see the album review.

UPDATED DECEMBER 30, 2025

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