Thursday, December 31, 2020

Looking Back

 

Only a few more hours and 2020 will be history. What a weird and strange year it has been. While this was not the worst year in my life - there were years far worse than this - it certainly was the most unique.

Much has been said about 2020 and I don't want to waste your time with repeating the same old sentiments about the virus and its consequences. The circus about the election still hasn't stopped. The life of too many people has been disrupted in a terrible way.

When I look back at the year I am surprised how quickly it passed, even though there were times when we thought nothing was moving. Despite stay-at-home orders and lockdowns I had more work than before. The new situation of teaching online had its fair share of challenges, but also many opportunities. While preparing classes was taking a lot longer, teaching was still a positive experience. It forced me to keep an open mind, to learn from my mistakes, to see what worked and what didn't and make amendments. It was interesting and exhausting at the same time. I was able to offer new classes which added to my work load, but boy! did I like it!

My Esty store also took off this year in a way I hadn't experienced before. While at the beginning of the year it was mainly Valentine's cards that I sold, customers were asking for hand knitted socks once the pandemic was under way. I knitted 68 pairs of socks for the store alone, plus some more for friends, famiy and myself. Add to this some hats, scarves, mittens and photo cards you can see that I was busy.

Since there was no way we could go anywhere I spent a lot of time in the garden whenever I could. I was digging and planting, changing the layout of the garden and enjoying the beauty surrounding me. That certainly kept me sane! Due to the unhealthy air for several weeks due to the multiple wildfires in our state and beyond, this time was cut short in the second half of summer, but by then the new school year had already started and I didn't have that much time for this kind of leisure anyway.

When I went to see Kaefer in Davis on Valentine's Day and we had a nice lunch on the patio of a restaurant, I had no idea that this was the last time I ate at a restaurant this year. After that it was me preparing meals every single day (sometimes, though, it was just a frozen pizza from Trader Joe's). I think we only picked up food from a restaurant two or three times. Since I had subscribed to the Morning Briefing of the New York Times which includes one recipe each day, I didn't run out of new and inspiring ideas. I tried many new dishes and some of them quickly became favorites.

Good thing that Kaefer had given me a fun apron! I wore it almost every day.

The big event in our family, of course, was Kaefer's graduation from the University of California, Davis. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Global Disease Biology which is a good foundation for her new undertaking, studying for her Masters in Epidemiology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. She left right after Labor Day - bittersweet for us and I sure miss her a lot.



When I look back at the time since the beginning of the pandemic, I am amazed at the creativity that I saw during those months. First it was just the "communal howling" in our neighborhood every evening at 8:00. Then the virtual wildlife turned up, including the tiger in our backyard. Everywhere something was turning up - sidewalk art, people playing music from their balconies (Italy), others reading to kids via Zoom etc. The creative solutions we found at work and new ways to exercise. We started a Happy Hour in the street with our neighbors that we only stopped a few weeks ago with our holiday lockdown that didn't permit gatherings of any size, even outside.


What did I miss most? Certainly being together with our friends - that was worse than the cancelled trip to Australia. We had a few social distanced get togethers, but this simply wasn't the same. I miss the spontaneity of "normal" times and I wonder when or even if we will ever experience that again. I miss not being able to hug my friends. 

I sure hope that 2021 will bring vaccines to all of us and we will be able to hug each other again, to be together without being afraid to spread a virus that we still don't understand. 

To all of you I wish a happy, peaceful and healthy 2021.





10 comments:

Magic Love Crow said...

Such a beautiful post! Loving all the photos!
Congrats on all the socks! Loving the picture of you and your apron!!
Congrats to your beautiful daughter and her graduation!
Sending you and your loved ones many blessings for 2021! Happy New Year! Big Hugs!

Elephant's Child said...

The New Year has arrived here. She knows her way and I didn't wait up to usher her in.
I do hope that this year is hopeful, healthy and happy - for you and your family, and for the world.
I loved all of the beautiful captures in this post. Many, many thanks.

Willkommen auf meiner Kreativseite. said...

Hallo Carola,
ich freue mich zu hören, dass es dir gut geht. Danke für die schönen Fotos in deinem Post. Wir können nur hoffen, dass das neue Jahr ein besseres Jahr wird! Ich vermisse auch am meisten die ungezwungenen Treffen mit Freunden, Umarmungen und Spontanität. Bin gespannt, ob es jemals wieder so wird wie vor Corona!
Danke für den Kommentar auf meinem Blog!
Bleibt gesund!
LG
Renate

Magdalena said...

Liebe Carola, ich glaube, alle werden dieses Jahr in Erinnerung behalten. Für manche wird es eine bittere Erinnerung sein. Du hast das sehr gut zusammengefasst. Hoffen wir, dass es im Januar eine geordnete Übergabe gibt. Seit Monaten verfolge ich die Ereignisse und wechsle zwischen Entsetzen, Fassungslosigkeit, Gelächter und Staunen. Ich wünsche Dir das Allerbeste für 2021.
Magdalena

Jeanie said...

It has been a remarkable year. Some good, some not. But the good was very good indeed. You must be missing Kiefer but what an accomplishment. And yes, if there is joy to be found, i think you will find it. Happy New Year.

Barb said...

So good to see that smile on your face, Carola - it makes me smile back at you. The photos are just wonderful. That CA Poppy catches my eye. You sound busy and happy. I hope Kaefer is doing well with her studies and with life in Munich. We remain isolated here at our mountain home. Snow is on the ground, and we try to go into the forest daily on skis. Happy 2021 to you!

Vagabonde said...

I enjoyed your post, it was uplifting even though the year has not been the greatest. I liked all your photos but specially the second one, the road a bit foggy but with the sun piercing – this is what 2021 will be. Have a great year.

Lowcarb team member said...

Lovely post, lovely photographs.
Happy and Healthy New Year Wishes.

All the best Jan

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Thanks Carola fir a post that didn’t recount the year just past as one full of regrets and sadness, which we all know it was. It was good to read the positive news about your online teaching, Etsy shop, your daughter, time spent in the garden, and the photo of you in that cheerful apron. Certainly, we all hope for a better and happier year ahead but recognizing that we do have much to be happy about until that happens is a better way to live in my opinion, and perhaps yours as well.

Iris Flavia said...

Bummer 68+ socks!!!
LOL, you admit pizza from Trader Joe's! Cool apron, cute pic, too. And yay for the degree.
To a soon (?) normal New Year...