I had such high hopes for 2021 at the beginning. Surely it had to be better than 2020, which basically delivered a whole steaming pile of death, destruction and mayhem (and some significant savings on commuting). But in fact, 2021 has given us a crazy roller-coaster of whiplash moments that frequently left me feeling like I was a cat watching a game of ping-pong, quietly muttering to myself, “make it make sense…”
There were some silver linings in 2021 though, mixed in with some heartaches.
In May my heart broke when a long-time friend and ex-boyfriend died of a massive heart attack after spending ten days on life support. Although we were no longer that close, there was a time when he meant the world to me and it was so hard to see him taken so soon.
I also caught Yellow in May, a stray cat who my old neighbor had been feeding, and brought him inside. Over the last seven months, he has decided that the indoor life is really pretty good. He sits on my lap, sleeps on the bed curled up with me and doesn’t even mind Cora.
In June, I took a vacation to parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and even a bit of Wisconsin. The weather was hot and sunny, and good company made for a great trip. The lakes are warm enough that you feel like you are swimming in lukewarm bathwater! And the little sunfish come up and nibble on your legs…
I worked almost exclusively remotely until July, when we all spent 2 months back in the office on a full-time basis. Now, I’m back working two days a week from home, which is nice as gas prices are crazy with inflation lately.
In August a girlfriend and I got away to the Oregon Coast for a week of agate hunting, trying new restaurants and breweries, and sightseeing. It wasn’t that warm, but it was still glorious! We had such a good time!
I took two weekend getaways to the Washington Coast, one in May by myself and another in early December with a girlfriend. Beach-combing and sightseeing were on the agenda, and were good for the soul.
I did several Sunday Fundays with girlfriends, weather permitting, and found new places close to home to explore.
Sadly, 2021 saw people be viciously mean to others. A lot of people have stopped living by the Golden Rule, and somehow feel that they now have a right to judge others they don’t agree with. Unfortunately, the internet helps with this, as people feel more comfortable sitting behind their keyboards and expelling their verbal diarrhea on others. It has been hard to see. In the end, we will all be judged by God and him alone, so I hope people take a step back and move back into kindness in 2022. I have had to step back from people like that, as it just isn’t worth my sanity.
With so much time at home, I finished 11 puzzles and read 38 books!
We are closing out the year with two big snowstorms and frigidly cold temperatures. As I write this, the 23 degree temperature is warmer than it has been all week! Which isn’t a big deal other places, but it is rare that we deal with the threat of frozen pipes and black ice here. It really is pretty though when you aren’t out in it…
Given that 2021 did not indeed turn out to be the comeback year that I was hoping for, I must now cast my gaze towards 2022 and sternly notify it that it must, indeed be better. May 2022 bring you blessings…
Wine and History Visited 