Good RIDDANCE to 2020!!

So...I haven't felt much like blogging the past...seven months...because, honestly, 2020 has been one big old DUMPSTER FIRE...

Don't get me wrong...there have been some nice moments...a trip to Iowa to see mom in June...a trip to Chicago to see my sister and her family in July...another trip to Iowa to see mom over Labor Day...lots of walks around the neighborhood...time to clean, organize, garden on my deck, etc., but COVID-19 has really done a number on friendships, and happy hours, and school, and shopping, and simply feeling safe going out and doing anything.  

As grateful as I am to have had Duane to share Easter, and Thanksgiving, and Christmas...and weekdays...and weekends...and evenings...and lunches...and dinners...and everything in between (and I'm EXTREMELY grateful...I can't imagine having gone through all of this alone), I miss seeing extended family, and visiting friends in other places, and TRAVELING!!

I'm TIRED of "pivoting" from regular school, to distance learning, to hybrid learning, back to distance learning, and now facing the possibility of going back to "full on" classes of students while still not having been vaccinated to be protected from the virus.  I'm TIRED of being vilified by the public for not wanting to be in school with large groups of students because I want to stay healthy and...alive.

I'm TIRED of masks, and face shields, and of my glasses fogging up every time I take a breath.  I'm TIRED of Google Meets and Zooming and FaceTime "get togethers".  I'm TIRED of stupid people who don't take COVID seriously, and stretch out the timeline for having to wear masks and face shields.  I'm TIRED of mask wearing being a "political issue".  I'm TIRED of 2020.

No "new year's resolutions" this year...just a wish for health, and an end to this WRETCHED pandemic.  I miss "normal", and IF I NEVER HEAR THE TERMS "NEW NORMAL", "SOCIAL DISTANCING", OR "UNPRECEDENTED TIMES" AGAIN, ALL WILL BE WELL IN MY WORLD!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, and here's hoping YOU are healthy, happy, and safe during all of this CRAZY!

BRING ON 2021!!!

More Flowers

Before everything shut down mid-March Duane and I drove over to Como Conservatory to see the winter flower show.

I LOVE Como.  It's one of my top five places to go in the cities (I'll add a post about the others sometime soon).  The sunken garden is an enchanting, beautiful, fragrant, amazing space.  Here are some photos from that day...

We also went to Colossal Cafe on Grand Ave. for lunch, browsed a couple of antique stores, and stopped in at an urban farm and garden shop that has the most amazing stuff for sale (beekeeping equipment, plants, seeds, cheese making equipment, live chicks...so cool!).  Little did we know that these would be our last "browsing in stores" opportunity for awhile.

When things reopen, and it's safe to visit, it's one of the first places I'm going to go!

Here's hoping YOU are finding the beauty around you too!!

I've Been Thinking A Lot About Flowers Lately

I LOVE flowers.  They make me happy.  They make me smile.  They remind me of fresh beginnings. 

I think I'm enjoying them even more than usual this year due to the feelings of being locked up with our COVID-19 "shelter in place" orders (which were recently changed to "safe in place", with more and more places of business opening back up, but don't get me started...the virus hasn't magically gone away...).

We are just beyond PEAK for crabapple trees and lilacs here.  I love them both, and think that the scent of lilacs is one of my favorite scents in the entire world.

So...here are several (several!) photos of the lovely lilacs and crabapple blossoms that we have been enjoying over the last few weeks...

 

Here's hoping YOU have been able to enjoy the lovely scents and sights of spring where you are too!