2021 Review

 

2021 was, as they say, a mixed bag. At the beginning, we had such high hopes: "this year has gotta be better than 2020." And six days in, we had second thoughts. We continued to deal with Covid, we continued to deal with loss, we dealt with false hopes.

I don't want to dwell on the many negatives of the year that just ended. Instead, here are some of the joys for me in 2021:

• The family members who got Covid had mercifully mild cases; some who were exposed were spared completely.
• I had a quilt accepted into a major show for the first time.
• I deepened my interest in Jen Kingwell's designs.
• Joe and I both stayed healthy; neither of us had so much as a head cold.
• The Renegades were able to go on retreat, TWICE!
• We saw more of our children and grandchildren than in the previous year.
• We returned -- for a time, anyway -- to live music with The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.
• We enjoyed eating out, again, for a while.
• We got to spend some days in Vermont with our dear friend Sharon.
• Guild meetings via Zoom have been surprisingly delightful.
• The food pantry became a very important part of my life.
• We were able to visit family in State College and old friends in Kent.
• We've subscribed to BritBox and are re-enjoying the old, original "All Creatures Great and Small" even as we await season two of the new version.
• Cape May is still wonderful Cape May, as demonstrated on two visits.
• I have continued to grow as a quilter, attempting -- and succeeding! -- more difficult techniques, and hand-piecing as though the electricity is out and will never come back on.
• I've delighted in becoming more re-involved in my church, strengthening old joys and forging new ones.
• The first full year of retirement is under my belt, and I've never looked back.

I could go on. And, perhaps, I shall -- in my head. I've written enough, I think, to make my point that the year that begins today will not be what we anticipate, that it will bring horrors and unpleasantness that we don't expect, and that it will also bring joys and satisfactions that it will be rewarding to calculate in another 365 days.