2020 had a lot of difficult moments. That may be the understatement of the decade. It wasn't all bad for me, though. In between the national news of a global pandemic, a contentious election season, civil unrest, and disasters due to climate change, I had a lot of personal bright spots.
Over the next two days I'll share a highlight from each week of the year. Most are photos I took of activities I did to help me get through this unusual year.
Week 1: Setting goals. Who knew when I set these goals that they would be so helpful in keeping me sane this year?
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Week 2: Finding humor in mistakes ... and recognizing that googly eyes make everything better. Yep, that was hot wax. But no big deal, right?
Week 3: Many, many jigsaw puzzle builds. My goal was 20. I've now completed forty-two.
Week 4: Getting to know our new hometown. We got a membership to the Science Center so we could have dates at the planetarium. I was able to go once before things shut down.
Week 5: Celebrating minor holidays ... and the beginning of a "popcorn for breakfast" tradition.
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Week 6: Countdown to Valentine's Day goody bags for the grandkids. Fourteen bags of treats for our littles. I decorated the outside of each bag, and had a special gift for each child on the inside.
Week 7: Geocaching and exploring the Oregon countryside with Jodie. We'd planned to do so much of this! But, of course, it all got cut short within a few weeks.
Week 8: Setting up my Studio so I can exercise creativity ... with the help of Girl Scout cookies bought from our next door neighbor.
Week 9: Dale has a stroke. I didn't get any photos during that trying week, but this image was from a couple weeks later when his team from work sent him some get-well-quick gifts.
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Week 10: We sold our Post Falls, Idaho house to a lovely young family.
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Week 11: Covid 19 hits the country. We go further into isolation with the rest of the country, though we'd already been self-quarantined since Dale's stroke. Taking photos of "tonight's sunset" begins in earnest as a way to mark having made it through another day.
Week 12: I painted quite a lot of rocks in 2020. The first 20 all had hearts and dots.
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Week 13: Coloring to pass the time and try to remain centered.
Week 14: The last card I made for my Aunt Shirley. Her final illness left her very weak. She died in early summer.
Week 15: The Pink Supermoon.
Week 16: Granddaughter Annie's first birthday. We attended the party via Zoom.
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Week 17: Learning new Keto recipes. We tried these soft pretzel bites as a way to celebrate National Pretzel Day.
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Week 18: Sticker art. Like coloring, this quiet activity helped keep me grounded. I finished the entire sticker art book.
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Week 19: Mother's Day and Dale's Birthday. Jodie came by and we constructed these flower boxes together. The kits were made by a local group and sold as a fundraister.
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Week 20: New appliances. We continue to settle into our new home little by little.
Week 21: Granddaughter Melody's third birthday. I made her a special card that held real coins.
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Week 22: Jodie stopped by with roses from her garden. Jodie spent a lot of time in her yard last summer, learning the joys of home ownership and finding solace in "playing in the dirt."
Week 23: My flag wreath, made of painted clothespins and wooden stars. I'd planned this wreath for years and made the time to make it this year.
Week 24: Exploring the local countryside with Dale. He was a bit too weak for long walks, but was able to explore by driving. We thoroughly enjoyed our rides in the convertible. Fern Ridge Wildlife Area is a place we return to again and again.
Week 25: Father's Day. That's a headlamp to use while working with his telescope in the dark.
Week 26: Scrap patchwork sampler. This is another of my ongoing mindless projects that keep my hands busy and my mind calm.
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