End of the Year Questions - Reflecting on 2021

These questions are from a swap on Swapbot that look back on 2021: 

1. If 2021 were a movie, what was the title, and what happened? The first thing that comes to mind is "Where Did the Time Go?" 

Even though the past year was packed with lots of activities, milestone birthdays, and challenges (like doing the 75Hard challenge and drastically changing the way I ate, exercised, and approached life), it went by so quickly. It seems like each year there never is enough time to get everything done that I want to accomplish. 

2. What worked well in 2021, and for what are you grateful? For the first 75 days of the year, I was using a habit tracker and doing the 75Hard challenge. I was eating well, exercising 90 minutes a day, reading at least 10 pages, journaling, and doing other activities that I wanted to do. 

I really liked the program and ended up continuing a modified version of it until about October. Then, I started getting side-tracked with the holidays and they took priority. 

I am very grateful I did the program because it showed me that if I set my mind to something difficult, I can do it. It is a matter of setting small, achievable steps to reach the major goal. 

3. What was challenging or disappointing about 2021? We had multiple major problems with our only car. This was a huge setback financially which was disappointing. 

We also struggled with Hoss's hooves from February through September, and worked with our vet and farrier to find a solution. They (and we) tried everything. In September, we made the difficult decision to give Hoss and Bailey (who were now a bonded pair) back to the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation. They ended up being able to discover the problem (an abscess in one hoof) that, thankfully, was caught in time. Olivia was very observant and - had she not been - things could have been a lot worse for him (either long-term issues or euthanasia). 

The good news is that both Hoss and Bailey were adopted within a month of going back to MHARF. Although they are in different homes, Hoss has a miniature companion and goats at his new farm and Bailey is at a stable with 15 other horses, and she is used for giving lessons. So, she's getting lots of attention.  

4. What were your most meaningful moments this past year? At the end of the year - from December 23rd to January 4th - we quarantined at the request of Sophia's study abroad program. In order to board her international flights, she needed a negative COVID test. So, we didn't want to risk it given the appearance and easy transmission of the omicron variant. 

Although we were sad that we couldn't do things we normally did - like go to Christmas Eve service, spend time with extended family on Christmas, go out to do special things for Sophia's 21st birthday, and go out to a Chinese restaurant on New Year's Day - we celebrated these occasions at home together as a family. 

We started some new traditions (like playing Risk together as a family over multiple days after Christmas and into the New Year), watched movies together, and made food together. We worked on projects that we hadn't had a chance to do because we were always out and about...rather than at home. 

5. Where did you spend a lot of time and energy? Although I felt like I was driving a lot to take Olivia to the homeschool co-op twice a week and to speech therapy, I did spend a lot of time and energy at home which I enjoyed. 

I enjoyed watching Olivia paint many barn quilts during the summer for clients. She was earning a lot of money that she has set aside for college.

6. What did you learn this last year? I learned how to take better photos and use my camera in ways I didn't know how to use it. 

I took a photography course at North House Folk School with Layne Kennedy, a very talented photographer. Olivia and I enjoyed photographing waterfalls.

We also explored places on our own - like High Falls at Grand Portage State Park. This park is adjacent to Canada, although - at the time - we couldn't go into Canada because the border was closed due to the pandemic.

The photography course challenged me to look at taking pictures different than I normally would do, and learn to tell a story about the places we visited.

7. Looking back on 2021, on a scale of 1-10, how happy were you overall, with 1 being depressed and 10 being happy and content? I think about a 7 or 8 in terms of being happy and content. 

8. As you look to 2022, what will be the highest use of your talents? As I think about different skills and talents during the upcoming year, I would like to use my:

- research skills to help find scholarship opportunities for Olivia, 

- writing skills to write a book for Olivia to give to her as she starts college, 

- organizational skills to keep everything in order as Olivia finishes high school and Sophia studies abroad, 

- decluttering skills as I get rid of things we no longer want or need in our home, barn, and garage, 

- organizational skills as we plan for a trip to England and Scotland for Olivia's graduation trip,

- gardening skills to make the farm look nice for Olivia's graduation party, and 

- communication skills to help me talk with potential employers as I search for a job later in the year. 

9. What will success look like in 2022? If I am able to accomplish all the things I mentioned in #8, I would feel like 2022 is successful: 

- help Olivia secure scholarships, 

- write a book for Olivia, 

- see Olivia complete high school after being homeschooled since Kindergarten, 

- hear that Sophia had a successful trip in Thailand, 

- get rid of a dumpster of things from the home/yard/barn (so a thorough deep clean and decluttering), 

- have a great family trip overseas, 

- complete the gardens so they look full and colorful, and 

- secure a meaningful job. 

10. If you select a "word of the year" - share what it is for 2022, and why you chose it. I'm not sure what word I pick. I go between four words: Trust, Acceptance, Embrace, and Change. 

I'm thinking Change might be it because there is inevitable change that comes with aging, seeing the girls get older and move to the next stage of their lives, and change in relationships. 

Then there's change that I initiate that can be positive - like saving over $70 per month by changing garbage collection companies and changing phone companies so we get faster and more reliable internet while saving ourselves money. 

2022 will be filled with many changes. I just need to trust, accept, and embrace them - whether I am ready for them or not. 

Happiness Scavenger Hunt #3

In December, I did Happiness Scavenger Hunt #1 and #2 on Swap-Bot. This is the third and final Scavenger Hunt in a series of three. The goal is to photograph something that fits each of these six categories. Something that: 

Reminds you of someone you love 

Whenever I see cardinals, it reminds me of my parents - both who have died (Dad in 2012 and Mom in 2015). These cardinals were at our home on January 6th - what would have been my Dad's 90th birthday. 

They - along with another pair - are frequent visitors at our feeders. They love the sunflower seeds. The cardinals lift my spirits with their expressions, beautiful color, and gentleness to one another and other birds.

Is useful to you

The Ninja blender is probably one of the most useful appliances in the kitchen. There are three containers - this large one, a medium one, and a smoothie size. I use it to make everything from smoothies to sauces to dicing vegetables.

You like to share with others

There are a lot of things that I like to share. One thing that is on our farm is a barn quilt that I helped my daughter paint. She designed the barn quilt and picked out the colors. I taped it and did much of the painting of it. It is visible from the road so that the public can see it.

I like to share my cooking and baking skills with others. When people see some of the things I make, they ask for the recipe, and I'm more than happy to share that so they can make the food at their home. This is an egg bake that I made for Sophia's 21st birthday.

Continuing on that theme, I recently shared my beverage-making skills with my family. We had strawberry daiquiris (some had rum for those who were legal age and others didn't if they were underage and/or didn't want to drink). 

The other thing this picture represents is sharing my time to create memories. We played Risk for 4 days as a family before Sophia left for her study abroad trip to Thailand. Sharing my time so we all could build memories with one another is important to me.

Another thing I like to share are my sewing skills. Over Christmas break, I helped Olivia with a pattern modification and pinning the inner part of a bag to the outer part of it. She's holding her almost-done bag that I pinned. 

Another way I share my sewing skills is by making things for others. Below are five quilts that I made using squares that my mom had cut but never had a chance to sew together before she died. Two of the quilts I made for my sister, one for Olivia, one for my niece, and one is leftover. My brother didn't want it because he has a lot of quilts. Sophia didn't want a second one (last year I gave her and Olivia a quilt that my mom started and didn't finish).

I also like to share my past experiences as they relate to my daughters and what they are doing. For example, Sophia was packing for a four-month study abroad program. Although I haven't done a study abroad program, I have traveled internationally - including twice to China. So, I spent time with her during the week prior to her departure going over what she needed, how to pack, and getting the items that would make her time in Thailand easier.

Tastes delicious

On New Year's Day, we had a Chinese meal. Even though it isn't the Chinese New Year (which is February 1st this year), we have Chinese food each New Year's Day. It started when Paige and I lived in San Francisco in the late early 1990s and we were looking for a restaurant that was open on New Year's Day. The Chinese ones were open, so we went to one. Thus, started the tradition. 

This year we were quarantining because the study abroad program asked students and families to quarantine before departure. Students needed to have a negative COVID test in order to go on international flights. So, I ordered a bunch of frozen Chinese food and sparkling apple cider. Although it wasn't the same as going out, it actually was delicious. We all said that we would want to get the food again.

Another thing that was delicious was the homemade cake and cake pops for Sophia's 21st birthday. The cake pops, in particular, turned out. They had chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, chocolate chips, some crushed Oreo cookies, and chocolate frosting. They were dipped in white chocolate and had chocolate drizzled across them. 

Is all your own

My friend, Karen, made this table runner for me. She has such an eye for fabric colors and patterns as well as thread colors. She knows I love plants and flowers, so this is the perfect table runner for me.

Gives you hope for the future

My daughters give me hope for the future. They are both service-oriented, compassionate, loving young women. When I look at what both of them have done and what they want to do in the future, I am encouraged and inspired by what they will do.  

This picture was taken at the airport on January 4th as Sophia waited in line to check in for her departure to Thailand. We will see her again on May 1st. 

My Favorite Photos - September 2021

 Below are some of my favorite photos from September:

Olivia was accepted into Bethel University at the beginning of September. This is her top choice, so she is very happy.

Olivia and I - along with my brother (Jim) and one of his daughters (Addy) - went to Chalk Fest in Maple Grove. 

The chalk drawings were larger than I anticipated and many were three-dimensional.

The one below caught my eye because it is unusual. 

This month, Olivia finished another barn quilt. I helped her with the sketch because it is a different style and much more complex than what she is used to doing. 

The roses have been blooming throughout September. This is a tea rose that I got from Walmart that is for our growing zone. For $8, it was a good deal. 

This is another tea rose...also from Walmart. This one and the one above are very fragrant. 

I like this photo because I got Aspen with one of her stuffed animals - Bunny - that she carries around. They are like her security toys. She also brings them to us when we return to the house after being gone - whether it is 5 minutes or 4 hours.

On September 11th, I coordinated part of the Taco Daze community event. This one was, by far, the best one - according to many people who commented about the event online and in person. One highlight was seeing two Huey helicopters that were flown in the Taco Daze parade. There was a select group of people who were able to see this one take off from a friend's backyard. Almost everyone had cell phones and were doing videos of the take-off. 

At Taco Daze, Minnesota Armored Combat came out to do some demonstrations. It was really impressive to watch how they fight with big swords.

Sophia, in the middle, along with two of her suitemates, took a break from college and helped with the set-up as well as attending the Taco Daze. It was really nice to have them all at home.

Another highlight of the day was watching the firemen's waterball competition. Opposing teams used the water from their hoses to move the silver, metal container to the other team's side. 

To kick-off the Taco Daze parade, I worked with a pilot who had contacts with a group of veterans are pilots. They agreed to do a flyover and then in the last pass over, one of the aircraft would veer off in a different direction t show the missing man formation. 

Sophia, her suitemates, my sister, and I all had a chance to sit in a Huey helicopter that flew over the parade route. It was in the Vietnam War, was damaged, and sold. A veteran who is a pilot bought is, refurbished it, and flies it now. 

The next day, Sunday the 12th, my sister and I went to parade in Osceola - a nearby town.  This unusual costume caught our eye.

On September 15h, Olivia and I went to Bethel for the opening of their science building. We both really enjoyed the event. Our favorite part was seeing the green roof on top of one of the buildings. 

This is a blurry picture, but it is a picture of Bailey galloping through our pasture. It was the last evening she was with us. The following day she and Hoss went back to the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation. Hoss's hooves exceeded what we could provide for him, and our vet and farrier couldn't figure out what was going on and why he was having trouble walking. 

It was a very difficult decision, yet we knew it was the right one since they were a bonded pair. 

This is another photo of Hoss and Bailey together. 

A brighter day happened later in the month when Olivia was accepted into the College of St. Benedict. 

Last week, Olivia and I went on a short hike during "Blue Hour" - the period of time when the sun is below the horizon, yet there is still light. The sky takes on a darkish-blue - almost an indigo appearance.

This is the road in front of our pasture and driveway. There are telephone lines and tall tree silhoutted by the remaining light.

Looking southwest, we could see Venus.

My final photo of September is of my favorite oak tree. It is in the west pasture. Did a visual search on the SEEK app, and it came back as a white oak. Olivia is standing near it and her image gives an idea how large and majestic this tree is. 

 

It's interesting for me to go back on photos that I took during the previous month and get an idea of what I want to document and remember.