I Am Thankful For:
A sense of peace
Christmas cookies
Spotting the "Christmas Star" on December 21
The grand kid's pride at his report card
Crafts with the grandkid
Time to do some personal crochet
Getting it all done
My family is all healthy
Having some help
Dogs in sweaters
New journals
Leftovers
A new light for the dining room
When the internet comes back on
Getting back on track
Meal plans
Pretty yarn
My One Word for 2020 was "Intentional'. When life as we know it suddenly came to a screeching halt a few months into the year, I felt that trying to be intentional in the midst of a global pandemic was impossible. How was I supposed to be intentional about things when life was so uncertain and topsy-turvy?
I was wrong. 2020 taught me more about being intentional than I could have imagined when the year began.
It taught me what's really important by making me take a look at what I was able to easily let go of and what was really important to me. Health. Family. Home. Those are things that this past year taught me to cherish.
I became intentional about memorizing Bible verses. Somedays those were the words holding me together when I felt the worry, the anxiety, and the panic start to rise. Days when thinking about all that I was missing out on had me sad and miserable - the Word of God helped me to refocus and think about what is true, lovely, and praise-worthy.
It taught me to be intentional about what I want to read since books had to be placed on hold and picked up curbside at the library. No longer could I just wander the stacks pulling out whatever caught my eye.
I learned to embrace delivery services and curbside pickup. This meant that I had to be intentional as I planned for meals and shopping. Running down to the local grocery store to grab a few items I wanted or needed was no longer an option. I had to think about what I wanted to prepare in the days to come. Plan a complete grocery list and be sure I scheduled a delivery ahead of time so that I would have what I needed when I needed it.
I had to be intentional with my business as I learned to take supply chain disruptions and shipping delays into consideration. Especially as the busy Christmas season began, virus cases increased and the postal system became bogged down with shipments.
And toilet paper. Surely we all learned to be intentional about our TP usage. Right?
I think we can agree that 2020 was not fun, predictable, or easy. It was an anxious year. The Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns, remote learning, unemployment, the elections, and social unrest had many of us feeling stressed to our absolute limits.
It was a year to let go of expectations, plans, and control to some degree. It was a year when graduations, weddings, and other celebrations were canceled. Sports seasons were delayed and games canceled. It was a year of loss. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives to the pandemic. We said goodbye to beloved and well-known names. RBG, John Lewis, Chadwick Boseman, Sean Connery, Alex Trebeck, Regis Philbin, and Eddie Van Halen - to name just a few.
But we also learned how creative we could be as we learned to celebrate in our own ways and make our own fun. We learned to embrace disruptions to our daily schedules and lives and go with the flow.
We figured out how to work or learn from home. In the comfort of our pajamas and lounge-wear.
Some of us learned to bake. Not me - but based on all the sourdough bread I saw showing up on Instagram, many of you did.
We cheered on our essential workers as they worked long hours to save lives, often without the proper equipment to protect themselves. We developed a newfound respect for healthcare workers and teachers.
We learned how to use Zoom and Skype. Not just for work and school - but to stay in touch with friends and family.
We made ourselves feel as if our lives were a little less crazy by comparing them to the drama lived out by a bunch of tiger owners. We finally caught up on all those tv shows and movies we've been meaning to watch. We fell even deeper into our infatuation with Baby Yoda.
It was a tough year. One we probably wouldn't choose to live through again. But it also taught us valuable lessons about ourselves. Our strength. Our resourcefulness. Our capacity for kindness.
Here's hoping for a happy, healthy, peaceful 2021.
I Am Thankful For:
Dog stockings
Christmas shopping complete
Monday night football games
1 crockpot = 2 meals
Chocolate
A productive afternoon
Not much ice
Puppy eyes
Christmas music
Christmas cards
Christmas lights
Hot cocoa
Last Christmas order completed
Watching Home Alone with the grandkid
A new light for the dining room
Going to bed early
I Am Thankful For:
Shelter from the wind
More orders ready to ship
Silence
Peppermint mocha
Dental insurance
Stocking stuffers
Puppy kisses
Last minute orders
The ability to have almost anything delivered
Pink sky sunset
A fresh new day
Picking out a new book with the grand kid
Homemade pizza
An afternoon at the dog park
When the Man of the House makes me laugh
Slow cooker pot roast
Open windows in December
Nasal spray
If you're like me, this has been the year when you fully utilized the various delivery services available in your area. From Instacart to Amazon, to Shipt - I have tried them all over the course of 2020. Between grocery delivery for most of the year and now having done all of my Christmas shopping online - the delivery drivers could probably find my house blindfolded by now. (You know... if they really had to. I personally wouldn't recommend trying it)
I wanted to do something to thank the delivery drivers for all their hard work throughout the past year. They have made it so much easier for me to stay in isolation as much as possible and keep myself safer from the pandemic. So, when I saw this idea on Pinterest I thought it was just perfect for the situation.
I ordered a variety of individually wrapped snacks. In this case - trail mix, granola bars, crackers, some rice krispie bars for any sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), and some bottled waters.
I set up a selection of the snacks in a small basket along with a few of the water bottles, printed up a cute free sign that I found HERE. (Thank you MoneyFitMoms.com!)
When I placed the basket by the front door where it was sure to be seen last week, I had some doubts about how the whole thing would work. But each day when I brought it inside, a few snacks would be gone, along with a bottle of water or two.
I even heard the UPS driver call out "Thank you!" from the front porch. And one Instacart driver sent me a message through the app that it was "the sweetest thing ever!"
I hope it has helped them to know that their work to keep the rest of us well-supplied through the difficulties that 2020 sent our way is greatly appreciated!
I Am Thankful For:
A simple cup of coffee
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
My neti pot
Leggings
Streaming TV services
Access to clean drinking water
Christmas pillows
The grand kid's laugh
Craft stories
Craft stores
A warm place to sleep
The smell of brewing coffee
Christmas music
Quiet mornings
I Am Thankful For:
A trip to the dog park
Christmas decorations
Orders completed
The "Zoomies"
Kisses that take my breath away
Snow flurries
When the school day is over
Taco Tuesday
Welcome to December! Y'all - we have almost made it! One more month and we can put this whole phenomenon of 2020 behind us. It's true that all the stress that followed us through this year won't just disappear at the stroke of midnight when we roll into 2021, but at least we can put this year behind us and consider this a fresh start of sorts.
Working On: Lots of Etsy orders. I am happy to say that it's been a good holiday season for my shop so far. I hope that continues on into the new year!
I've also been decorating for Christmas. I was ready to start putting out my Christmas decor back at the beginning of November, but when I mentioned that to the two fella in the house I was told by one that I shouldn't decorate until the 15th of November. The other one told me to wait until after Thanksgiving. So, I waited...
Celebrating: It seems pretty obvious, right? It's December and that means Christmas! I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet focused on the things that really matter during this season.
I'm also celebrating that after a dismal first and second quarter, (as well as most of the third) for my Etsy shop, the last few months have been some of the best I have had since starting.
Loving: For a few years now I have been thinking about getting a Christmas tree for the dining room. A thin "pencil" tree to fit in front of the sliding glass door beside the coffee station. I finally decided to go for it this year. And I am just thrilled with it! It was worth the wait. I put all of my gingerbread and Christmas candy decorations. It's such a nice touch to that space.
Wanting/Needing: I need to sort out my One Word for next year. There's; a word that keeps coming up; that I feel as if I am being pressed toward. But truth be told - I'm resisting it. It is not a word I would normally think of or select, especially after the year we've just been through. So, I keep hoping that I'll find another word.
Dreaming About: Snow! Am I crazy? Maybe. They are calling for a few inches in the mountains just north of here tonight into tomorrow. And I wish we would see at least a few flurries down this way. That would really make it feel like the Christmas season!
December Goals:
Keeping it very simple for the busiest month of the year!
Are you ready for this month? Drop a comment and let me know what you have planned for the holiday season.
