Saturday 25 December 2021

2021 - my year in review.

Linking with #WeekendReflection

 

With Christmas now done, and many friends in isolation, I feel a little adrift from the year that was. I'm feeling like all my plans might be snatched away at any point. I'm wondering if heding off to a movie might be the stupidest thing I've ever done...what a world we live in at the moment!

One thing I like about the blog, is that it's like a diary, and I can, at a glance, see where my head was at in a point in time. So the annual year in review is probably more for me than you, if I'm honest.

I was off the blog for quite sometime at the start of the year, a hiatus in Canberra. I did write a lovely little story that has yet to gain success, but I loved the experience of it and the Intrusion of the character as he came into existance and demanded my attention.


With COVID still affecting the borders and interstate travel, while trying to work out a holiday, I coined my now much used saying 'May the borders be ever in your favour'. In April we had a weekend in Katoomba for the sculpture amd Night Lit Walk and at Easter a few days in Hobart and a near miss seeing Orcas but the travel blog fell silent after that. I hope to rectify that soon, but I'm not feeling confident.

The Opera on the Harbour was sensational as always and I'll definitely be going to Phantom on the Harbour this year. We finally used our vouchers from 2020 at iFly and the joy it gave me inspired me to purchase more for this Christmas, as I'm chasing that feeling and it's a sure fire way to get it! I was estatic as I headed to Summer in the Domain, even though at that point we still weren't allowed to dance. I've my fingers crossed Field Day goes ahead but I'm dubious.



I was reminded by my ageing body that I am not as young or agile as I once was when taking the kids on a ropes course. The memory still makes me chuckle, but enough time has passed to make me think I should try it again!

April saw one of the longstanding bloggers retire from the blogging world. It really shook me, to be honest. The landscape has changed so much and it felt like more instability in this fragile universe we live in at the moment.








In May I discovered Share Four Somethings, a monthly link up I really enjoy - a quick point in time recap. May also saw me take over the #Allseasons link up rather reluctantly. It's dwindled a little but there's a small core of regulars. For those interested, it's weekly usually, but over the break is open until my return.


We were lucky enough to have an night in Canberra for a wedding and while I couldn't spare the weekend away, I still got to the Gold Coast for lunch with friends. It was fabulously decadante and rejuevenating all the same.

I was quite philosophical not realising that we were about to have all our slowly gained .normality snatched away again.  Goodbyes, change, what nourishes me and motivation were all discussed.

And then in June, just as we hit the school holidays, lockdown smashed all our plans. I struggled to find my groove this time and the months of lockdown were quite grey and subdued in my posts. The abundance of  time and stillness invades daily life. The limitations and uncertainty really messed with me, probably aided by menopause ticking away. Of course some small surprises really buoyed my spirits - like the red balloon or mystery flowers and of course forcing myself to write Furious Fiction. Reaching out to friends became more concentrated.



There was uneasy jubilation as we inched out of lockdown again, and picnics became the new 'freedom'. The HSC was already a mess with ever changing rules and expected COVID disasters. Spring was heralding not just the warmer weather but all the hopes of COVID being under control. The uplifted mood in Spetember saw the start of my monthly rainbow post of gratitude. Lockdown seems to have heightned my awareness of ageing due to all the wasted time.

In October we started cycling as a family - it's a lovely new routine that I hope we keep in the future. Lamenting that 'lost time is never found again' I jumped in to all the galleries, concerts and shows I could. Then numbers crept up. We managed a covid safe party that was elating. a boat day and many other joyful occasions. However perhaps due to irresponsible decisions, or perhaps it would have happened anyway, we are in shambles again due to theis virus. We hit a very slippery slope in a period of two weeks.


So regardless of the rules, wear your masks and check in whereever possible. If they say 'do nothing but monitor for symptoms' do a home test before visiting friends or goiing to shows. Get your boosters. We need to get this under control as it appears the government might not be capable of it. Let's do everything we can to avoid another lockdown. If you have friends needing to isolate, make sure you check in with them and offer food drops. We need to get systems in place to help housebound people as it appears that is the new normal.

May the arrival of 2022 be able to be celebrated. That's as much as I'm prepared to wish for at the moment. 




Take care everyone, and may the borders be ever in your favour, may your flights be operational and may your tests all be negative.




Note the photos are from our weekend in the Hunter Valley for the Christmas Light Spectacular (on until late Jan). I'll be off the blog until late Jan but on Insta here. Linkiung with #AwwwMondays



35 comments:

  1. Nice post and photos :-)

    Happy New Year have a fantabulosatastic time 🍾

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  2. Delightful photos! You had a lovely photographic year!
    Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/12/celebrate-season-with-stollen.html, and wishing you much happiness in 2022

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  3. Don't let fear or depression overtake you, my Friend, because that is what the ones who want to control you, are after. Think of all the good things you have, your camera for instance. Focus on learning new things, like new subjects and ways to expand your photography skills, cooking, journal-ing, etc. Anything that requires your attention, to get you away from those two things.

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  4. Beautiful photos of the not so happy year. The Covid has marked the life all over the world. In Southern Finland cinemas and theatres, swimming pools etc. are shut again today. At present Omicron spreads and causes many restrictions again. In spite of all this we have to have faith that this will be under control some day.

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    1. Our theatres have shut while cast members isolate with covid. Cinemas are still open - mangaged to see two films this week. Trying to book out a luxe with friends for the Matrix. Excited about that.

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  5. Thank you Lydia for sharing your recap of this past, mad, year - I'm sure most of us can relate in one way or another. A lovely series of images. Here's to a safer, happier and healthier year ahead!

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  6. I hear you and we head back into another bad time….. I think of the dear blog friends who have passed away since I started in 2007. We were a family, not huge but they all felt like friends…. Michelle

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  7. ...I wish you a Healthy and Happy New York.

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  8. Hi Lydia,
    Wow - you are a busy gal.
    I'd love to try the ropes course but would likely pay for it later.
    Loved you photos BTW.

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  9. It's good to reflect on the year just passed. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2022! Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare.

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  10. Hi Lydia I found writing a review of my year very helpful. As you would have read my husband and I were under a 'cloud' of an Estate issue and a family contesting my late MIL's Will. I thought my whole year had been taken up with that but writing my review took me back to looking at photos and I was happy to see that there were many bright spots in a difficult year. You, like many have had a mixed bag but I think you still managed some highlights. I've just come back from having my booster so that's another tick off the list. Take care and enjoy life! #lifethisweek

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    1. Glad you are uptodate on the shots. I just popped back this week and discovered one of the women I link up with lost her huband of 50 years to covid last week. I'm shocked. It's such an awful disease.

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  11. Hi Lydia - the borders are definitely out of favour with WA - we're locked down tight - but with the plan that we'll throw everything open on Feb 5th (and be inundated with the virus that none of us have experienced) it's a crazy world! Shops are empty of stock (and we don't even have covid here!) and life continues on its rollercoaster and I've given up on the idea that 'next year we'll be back to normal' and just keep rolling with the flow.

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    1. My dr friend said this will be around for 5 years. I don't know if he means 5 years from now or we're halfway thru. I was too depressed to ask. He's furious with the government because the hospitals are at capacity (his in particular) and the govt is doing nothing to curb the spread so many people will die unnecessarily (of not just covid but cancer and car accidents etc). So I'm quite jealous of you guys. It's really a weird headspace to be here. Walking up King street, all the restaurants are empty because no one knows what is safe. It's worse than lockdown in a lot of ways because I think we went out and spent money on takeaway etc, but last week I couldn't even get takeaway from one restaurant because they didn't have enough staff to run it. However, we will get thru it one way or another.

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    2. All I can say is if you do open, get your shots and get the N95 masks and wear them. Cloth and surgical are not enough anymore, apparently (And get some RATS because you will need them.

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  12. A great review of the year and I really love 'May the borders be forever in your favour' - it's a real time of uncertainty - still!

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  13. I feel your pain! With plans being snatched away and the neverending uncertainty. We're not in lockdown here (although certain restrictions are in place, but nothing is closed) but I live as if we were, because of the very high infection rate.
    I really hope, for you and everyone else, that 2022 will bring more positives.

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    1. This is sort of the vibe here - no one really knows what to do. It's so weird.

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  14. Quite a year you (and we all) had. I look at blogs as diaries also. Hopefully we can get this virus defeated or at least tamed down a little.

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  15. Lydia, I struggle with Instagram - the whole 'life envy' thing... even though I know it reflects people's highlights not their whole life but I find that it offers a nice reminder of what I've been up to for the year. My blog doesn't do that as much. What my blog does is remind me how I moan about things and vow to change, but a year later I see a memory of the post and realise I'm still moaning about the same thing!

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    1. My insta is just pretty pics, def a highlight reel (with rarely words or #'s) I see it like an art book. My blog, on the other hand is more a brain dump so the moans and gripes are there in all glory....Think of it like Van Gogh painints - beautiful scenes but what he was thinking at the time was very different.

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  16. Well so glad you did link up but also glad for your very realistic and true account of life that was/is with Covid. It's good to have it documented. It sure is an uneasy time and I am finding the uncertainty even harder this time...maybe over it?? B & I are vaxxed and boosted as our all the members of our family who can be. This Friday we have everything crossed that all of our family will be here for lunch. I appreciated you taking the time to write a post and link it up for Life This Week on my blog this week. Thank you kindly. Denyse.

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  17. I enjoyed your year end review.

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  18. Despite of the lousy last year and beginning of this year you have managed to catch beautiful sceneries and lovely animal photos, congrats for that.

    R. Täysin arkista vol.2

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  19. So great to be able to look back over what has happened this year. Beautiful photos too. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time

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  20. This is lovely! Thank you for sharing your adventures. And, yes, wear your mask! Stay safe and thanks for linking up. I enjoy your blogs. #KCACOLS
    www.growingexceptional.com

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  21. Beautiful wildness. I'm an Australian fan since I lived in Adelaide and Burra as a kid.

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  23. It sounds like you've had a busy 2021, despite all the challenges! Let's hope that 2022 brings us all a less dramatic and more normal year. #KCACOLS

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  24. Beautiful photos and the reflection is amazing!

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  25. You captured some marvellous scenes. Well done!

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  26. A huge Awww. What a wonderful year you've had.

    Thank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.

    Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week, Lydia. ♥

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  27. My goodness- amazing photos and memories. Happy days to you!

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