When I started drafting this post, it was mostly positive. But then I got the horrible news that my uncle passed away from COVID, and it got turned a little on its head.
My uncle was always very kind; he never had a mean word to say to anyone. He was patient, worked hard, and loved to bring people together. He loved cooking and feeding people. He was a good man. I hope he is resting now, he deserves peace.
I hope you and your families are healthy during this time. Please take care of and be kind to each other.
2020 Recap
So, what a year. A mostly terrible, awful year. The pandemic hit us all hard, despite the fact that some people don’t believe that it is real (how?!), racism proved it was definitely still rampant everywhere, and it was an election year here in the States.
I’ll stick to what I did during the pandemic. I was out of work for a couple months and went on unemployment. While at home, I didn’t bake bread, make that whipped coffee, or join any Zoom calls, but I did try working out at home, finished the only jigsaw puzzle I had in the house (one missing piece!), and of course, watched Tiger King. I devoured a lot of TV and podcasts, and played so much Animal Crossing. I also tried to figure out my creative side; I journaled more, I tried watercolor painting, and even made a zine. Finally, I decided: yes, it’s time to start my Etsy.
Then, I went back to work. My bosses brought me back in June and I have been working ever since. The rest of the year went by like a blur. I’m so thankful to be keeping busy, to have an income, and to feel safe at work as I know I’m lucky to have a job and to feel safe at it.
The Good
In 2020, through all the bad, a lot of good happened (to me). My friend and I still hiked every month and we managed to finish our 2020 New Year’s resolution of hiking once a month together all year! I laser focused on my finances and managed to save money in this crazy economy! The Mandalorian was an amazing show and we should all be thankful that it exists in our timeline! I bought a bunch of fountain pens and ink! Oh, wait.
Creative Times
I still tried keep that ray of creativity from my shelter-in-place time going. For the holidays, I made some of my friends a calendar of fake vacations we didn’t get to go to, which I’ve gotten great feedback over.
Lastly, the other thing I made, for a special few friends, was a Dump Trump Countdown Calendar. It is like an advent calendar, except it’s for the inauguration of Biden in just a couple days.
To celebrate, I posted a free Dump Trump Crossword, along with some journalling cards that I made for the occasion! To get these you can go Inauguration Day 2021 Freebies.
It’s a new, shiny year, and I’ve got new, pristine goals. I revamped the blog a bit to something more minimalist. I like it, and I think it fits my personality more now.
I am going through all my old posts slowly to see which ones I’ll bring back to the public and which ones I’m going to keep hidden in the depths of the internet.
The Quiet Time
I never thought I’d be making a “It was time for a break” post but I’m have to be honest; I overwhelmed myself in 2019 with YouTube and Instagram. I was just doing too much and didn’t have time for my personal life. I wanted to slow down a bit and get my bearings. (So, I guess, thanks 2020?) My bullet journalling felt like I was just doing it for the ‘gram (or the ‘tube?) and it didn’t feel genuine. So I wanted to take a break last year and focus on my real life: my friends and my experiences off the internet. Of course, we couldn’t have real interactions with friends, but the intent was still there!
Here We Are
Now, 2021 has not been super great, but I’m trying to stay positive. I’m going to be working on some more YouTube videos, and slowly working up to an Etsy store, to be opened around my birthday. I have a 2021 goal to crochet a blanket a month, so you know I will have some Chatty Crochet With Me Vlogs on the way. I have not stopped bullet journalling so I hope to scan and post flip-throughs of my bullet journals soon! I also received a Cloth & Paper planner as a gift from my friend Sowmya so I hope to share my layouts in there as well.
