2020, My Year in Review According to My Blog, part one

Part One

I wondered what last year would look like if I only used my blog to remember it. Here it goes.

January 2020,  I did eight posts this month.

I started the year off talking about the controversy of whether the new decade begins in 2020 or 2021 since there was never a year zero. Little did I know the controversies that were to come were so much bigger and would make me want to crawl into a hole and never come out, she says with exaggeration. I explored the difference between homonyms, homographs, and homophones and it all made perfect sense at the time, but I'm hard pressed right now to remember exactly what the differences are. At least I know where I can go look them up again. I was fascinated by an apple that rattled because of loose seeds and was thankful that I had willing teachers in my new job. But mostly, I did porch updates on the porch that was being build on the back of our house.

This picture shows new trim that was added to the porch.

February 2020,  I did three posts this month.

February found warmer than normal weather and early blooming spring flowers. We also got a new-to-us car, and still more progress was made on the porch. We went to a concert and I had a cookbook party at my house. Boy, do I long for those days of socializing with others like I didn't have a care in the world. 

I discovered snowdrops blooming. I didn't even know that they were there until this year.

March 2020, I did five posts this month.

Spring began in earnest this month with blooms abounding everywhere. I spent a special morning with my buddy, Sarah, when she showed me that the back of daffodil leaves are softer than the front. This was also the time the corona virus pandemic reared its ugly head here in the east. We didn't know what it all meant and we were confused by the conflicting news that was emerging. We stocked our pantry for quarantining, in case it came to that, and Ward and I both began teleworking. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time reading news about COVID 19 and not following the good example that Sarah set for me by being in the moment and appreciating nature. 

Not only were crocus blooming, they were joined by daffodils and budding fruit trees.

April 2020,  I did seven posts this months.

This was a month of celebrations with a tribute to Wally on his birthday and pictures from past Easters spent with extended family since this one was spent without them. I featured birds that were coming to our feeder and wrote a poem about the pandemic. I rarely write poetry, but I think this was a way to release some of the high anxiety I was feeling about the scary, coronavirus world.

This Too Shall Pass

Gentle clouds

Apple blossoms

Bird warbles

It should be so easy

Warm house

Close family

Plentiful food

It should be so easy

But reassuring thoughts are fleeting.

Novel virus

Not knowing

Job loss

It is so easy

No masks

Uncertainty

No cure

It is so easy

For bleak thoughts to invade.

Deep breaths

Good books

Neighborhood walks

I will try

Friend calls

Nutritious food

Consistent sleep

I will try

Because this too shall pass.

 May 2020, I did six posts this month.

Except for a birthday tribute to Theo, the posts this month focused around the pandemic in one way or another. Ward and I finally got comfortable venturing out of the house and went on several outings to combat the cabin fever we were experiencing. We took three outdoor outings away from other people and enjoyed visits to a national battlefield, an azalea garden, and a barn quilt trail.  Another day, our van broke down and while waiting on the tow truck, we talked to our first family that had lost someone to COVID 19. We were overwhelmed by the kindness of the family who helped us and the story of losing their father last week to COVID 19.

One of the barn quilts we saw on our tour.

June 2020, I did five posts this month.

This was the month that I did two posts featuring my father. The first was for Father's Day when I shared some of the things I learned from him including freckles are fun, but wear your sunscreen. The second was being thankful that I got my father's ears, which stuck out, because my non-delicate ears were holding my masks very well. This was also the month we decided to have new siding put on our  garage and found a massive termite infestation. Not fun, but it all got fixed.  And this Thankful Sunday post below shows that I was still feeling quite a bit of anxiety about COVID 19 but trying to do some positive self-talk.

Life can be confusing. Terrible, beautiful, simple, complex. But everyday we get a new chance to make sense of it all.

So for today's sunrise as well as all of those to come, I am thankful.

Part 2 coming soon.