Time for another Year in Review post for 2021!
This is the 12th (!) year that I've done this year-end meme (first one published in December 2010) -- and, although many of the answers don't change much from year to year (and I can't always think of answers, lol -- at least new or interesting ones...!), it's still a great way to look back and keep track. (And, like last year, my 2021 answers may be somewhat different than in years past, given that we've spent the last full year -- almost two full years! -- living with a global pandemic...!)Feel free to use these questions on your own blog (& let me know if you do!).
All of my New Year's/Year in Review posts are tagged with the label "Year in Review."
1. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make new year's resolutions anymore -- they tend to be pretty much the same ones, year after year (although I have modified some over time, and even deleted ones that no longer apply). Here are the perennials, and the progress I made (or didn't) in 2021:
(Continued to) live through a global pandemic, now in its second year (going into THIRD). (Needless to say, new/novel experiences have been further & fewer to come by...!). Finally saw my parents & sister for the first time in nearly two full years -- the longest time we've ever spent apart! :(
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Dh's cousin's husband died suddenly in early October at age 65 (not much older than dh). He was the first cousin/cousin's spouse of dh's generation to go, and his death was a huge shock to everyone. We were unable to attend the funeral because we were in Manitoba with my family for (Canadian) Thanksgiving. (Can I say that I was kind of relieved we had an excuse not to be there, because I knew there would be unvaccinated people there??)
Like most people, I would like this pandemic to just GO AWAY... but I'm not holding my breath...! I think it's highly likely it will still be around by this time next year... albeit I'm hoping it will be on the wane/not quite as prevalent by then...
7. What date(s) from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Maintaining my sanity??
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting out of the house for more walks!! (one of the few things we could easily leave the condo to do...!)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thank goodness!! Thanks to vaccines, masks, extreme caution (and a little luck), we have dodged COVID-19 (so far...!), and we are VERY grateful for that!
14. Where did most of your money go?
(See #11!) There was nowhere to go to spend a lot of money for most of the year. Beyond the usual bills, we have probably spent more money on groceries and personal care items. Prices have been rising, dh has been doing most of the grocery shopping, and he is not the bargain hunter I am. ;) With bookstores closed for several months (and shelf space in our condo at a premium), we also both spent a lot more money on e-books for our Kobo e-readers, albeit most of them at a deep discount, watching for bargains.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting around the house. :p There weren't many places to go, obviously, but we could have pushed the walking program more than we did. :p
22. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't watch a lot of TV shows regularly, and I don't do a lot of streaming/binge watching. We both still love watching "Bob's Burgers" (both current episodes and reruns). We enjoyed the most recent seasons of "Jann" on CTV and the latest season of "Finding Your Roots" on PBS (as well as several other PBS programs), and I was still captivated by the most recent season of "The Handmaid's Tale." Also, several series/documentaries on CNN, most notably "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy."
Hate is a strong word, and I don't like using it. Suffice to say, though, that I am definitely NOT a fan of the 45th President of the United States or his enablers! :p (See #13.)
24. What was the best book you read?
(See #1) It's always very hard for me to pick a single book as "the best," and I gave lots of books four and five-star reviews on Goodreads! My average Goodreads rating this year was 4.1. I've listed some of my favourite reads in my "Reading year in review" post (to be posted soon).
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
See #16 -- as in the past, I must admit, I don't listen to a lot of new music.
26. What did you want and get?
I desperately wanted those covid vaccines, and it seemed like forever until we became eligible (and then able to book appointments!), especially for that very first one in April. I jumped up & down with glee when I got those first shots booked. Those appointment days were three of the happiest days of 2021 for me!
27. What did you want and not get?
The end of the pandemic and a return to normalcy (whatever that is these days...!).
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
Dh & I LOVE going to the movies, but that hasn't happened since very early in 2020 -- and we don't stream a lot of movies or watch a lot of pay-per-view. But we're already talking about putting on masks and foregoing popcorn to see the new "Downton Abbey" movie with SIL when it comes out in the spring. :) (The three of us went to see the first one together and enjoyed it hugely.)
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 60 (!!) last January! I wrote about how we spent the day, here.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My answer to this question is usually travel-related. That goes without saying, I suppose...! But obviously, the end of this pandemic!!
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?
More of the same: mostly yoga pants and T-shirts (worn without a bra)(even more so than usual! lol).
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I have huge admiration for the doctors and public health officials who made frequent appearances on television this year, explaining the pandemic to us, and who did a great job of it.
The pandemic and how it's been (mis)handled by our leaders. (See #13.)
My parents & my sister. I was so happy to finally get "home" in October to see them, after nearly two years!
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Needless to say, this year -- like last year -- was NOT a good year for meeting new people!! let alone seeing your longtime friends. :(
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.
Once again, this year brought home to me that life, youth & health are precious, and disappear far too quickly sometimes. Enjoy it all while you can!
1. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make new year's resolutions anymore -- they tend to be pretty much the same ones, year after year (although I have modified some over time, and even deleted ones that no longer apply). Here are the perennials, and the progress I made (or didn't) in 2021:
- Lose weight. Last year, I was able to report that -- despite spending the better part of the year in couch potato/comfort food mode, I had gained only a net 0.2 pounds over what I weighed on January 1st, 2020. Not bad, but still just below my heaviest-ever weight to that point. I had kind of a rude awakening in August when I got on the scale (after avoiding it for several months) and found myself at my heaviest weight ever, by far. GULP. However! (No) thanks to gout and gallstones, and a rather limited diet these past few weeks/months while trying to put both behind me (again), I was about 11 pounds below that all-time high the last time I weighed myself, pre-Christmas (about 7-8 pounds of that since early November). So, I did lose some weight overall -- but I would NOT recommend how it happened! -- and (assuming those pounds stay off...) I'm still nowhere near the weight I really need to be.
- Exercise more. (And hopefully lose more weight...!) Massive fail on this one :( -- although we *have* been taking walks to a nearby park with SIL & Little Great-Nephew on most of our weekly visits there since May, weather permitting. I still haven't gotten back into yoga either.
- Write more in my journal &/or blog. I haven't written in my paper journal in years. I've been far more successful with blogging: I recently marked my 14th (!!) year in this space. AND -- I wrote more in my blog this year than any year since I first started blogging! (A separate "Blogging year in review" post will be coming up shortly.) This blog does not entirely take the place of a private journal, but it's the closest thing I have to one at the moment.
- Read more of the books that have piled up around the house. I increased my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal this year from 30 to 36 books, and reached it by mid-July. I will finish out the year with 59 books to my credit, 164% of my goal! (All books read were reviewed on this blog under the tag "2021 books"). See my "Reading year in review post" (coming up) for more detailed analysis.
- Keep the clutter at bay. (Goal slightly reworded from previous years.) As I've said before -- having downsized in 2016 from a 1,200 square foot, three-bedroom house (not including basement, garage & garden shed) to an 875-square-foot condo (plus one not-very-big storage locker) -- there's a LOT less clutter than there used to be -- and a lot less space for it to accumulate. I've tried to establish good habits & a place for everything right from the start, and so far, I think I've been pretty successful at doing that. Whenever the piles of books start to overwhelm my existing shelves, and/or I run out of spare hangers in the closet, I know it's time to do some weeding again, and make another trip to the thrift store...! and if I can get an e-copy of a book cheaply (or for free -- my sister has her sources...), in most cases, the paper one will go into the donation pile. The storage locker could use another going through/paring down, one of these days -- BUT -- we recently took a couple of cartons of books to Value Village, as well as some clothes, and I now have lots of free hangers in my closet -- so I'd call that a win, overall. :)
- Return to scrapbooking & complete unfinished projects. (Goal reworded from previous years.) Sadly, I have not done any scrapbooking in 10 years. And I donated the bulk of my scrapbooking supplies, including most of my substantial collection of pretty patterned paper, to the thrift store before we moved (sob!). I did keep all my unfinished projects, tools & a few other things, though. (They are sitting in a couple of plastic bins down in the storage locker. I probably need to go through those again, though... there are a lot of stamp pads, glitter glue, etc., that have probably dried up...!) So who knows, I may pick it up again at some point in the future & complete some of those unfinished albums...
- Perhaps a more realistic/pressing related goal would be to work on scanning more of my pre-digital photos. I didn't get a digital camera until 2004, but all my photos dating back to 1991 have been digitized. That's great but I've had my own camera since Christmas 1976, so I have a way to go yet...! (although we didn't used to take as many photos back then -- nobody had a camera with them all the time, as we do now, and film, flashes and processing were expensive!) There used to be a photo shop chain (whose operations have now moved entirely online) near my office where I could get 400 prints or 35 mm negatives scanned for $99, and I would take them in whenever I had an extra $100. I have a scanner here at home and do the odd one-off photo myself, but this would be a much greater undertaking...!
(Continued to) live through a global pandemic, now in its second year (going into THIRD). (Needless to say, new/novel experiences have been further & fewer to come by...!). Finally saw my parents & sister for the first time in nearly two full years -- the longest time we've ever spent apart! :(
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Dh's cousin's husband died suddenly in early October at age 65 (not much older than dh). He was the first cousin/cousin's spouse of dh's generation to go, and his death was a huge shock to everyone. We were unable to attend the funeral because we were in Manitoba with my family for (Canadian) Thanksgiving. (Can I say that I was kind of relieved we had an excuse not to be there, because I knew there would be unvaccinated people there??)
Also, my dad's oldest brother died in October at age 93. He was not my favourite uncle, but he was part of my childhood, and the first of my uncles & aunts to pass away. :(
5. What places* did you visit?
(* wording changed slightly from previous years; the question used to read "countries." I noticed that Kathy of Bereaved & Blessed used "places" in answering her version of a similar questionnaire in 2019, and decided to use her wording after that. Makes me feel less travel-deprived!)
Needless to say, COVID-19 kept us mostly close to home during 2021. We returned to our old community several times for haircuts (between lockdowns...!) and to visit Katie's niche. We did take a day trip to the picturesque town of Elora with BIL & SIL early in the fall, and have been to visit Older Nephew & his wife a couple of times in their new home, about an hour north of us.
(* wording changed slightly from previous years; the question used to read "countries." I noticed that Kathy of Bereaved & Blessed used "places" in answering her version of a similar questionnaire in 2019, and decided to use her wording after that. Makes me feel less travel-deprived!)
Needless to say, COVID-19 kept us mostly close to home during 2021. We returned to our old community several times for haircuts (between lockdowns...!) and to visit Katie's niche. We did take a day trip to the picturesque town of Elora with BIL & SIL early in the fall, and have been to visit Older Nephew & his wife a couple of times in their new home, about an hour north of us.
By mid/late summer/early fall, with travel restrictions easing slightly and all of our immediate family members fully vaccinated, we were able to start planning a visit to see my aging parents and my sister in Manitoba, and we spent a week there in October for (Canadian) Thanksgiving, after 22 months apart. It was the longest I've ever gone without seeing them, and it was SO GOOD to be "home" and spend time with them again! Despite Omicron and rapidly rising covid case numbers, we returned for Christmas on Dec. 18th. (We're still here!)
6. What would you like to have in 2022 that you lacked in 2021?
Like most people, I would like this pandemic to just GO AWAY... but I'm not holding my breath...! I think it's highly likely it will still be around by this time next year... albeit I'm hoping it will be on the wane/not quite as prevalent by then...
I'd like more time with family -- mine & dh's. More time with Little Great-Nephew (and the dog!).
I'd have liked to travel too -- but I'm not holding my breath for that either at the moment.
7. What date(s) from 2021 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Jan. 6th: 'Nuff said. :(
Jan. 12th: My 60th (!!) birthday.
July 18th: 20 years of childless living.
October 24th: 40 years since dh & I met!
April 5th, July 1st & Dec. 16th: Our first and second covid shots and our (third) booster -- AstraZeneca, Moderna & Pfizer, in that order!! lol
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Maintaining my sanity??
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting out of the house for more walks!! (one of the few things we could easily leave the condo to do...!)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thank goodness!! Thanks to vaccines, masks, extreme caution (and a little luck), we have dodged COVID-19 (so far...!), and we are VERY grateful for that!
However, I did have a bout of gout in late August, and my gallstone issues reared their ugly head again in late October/November. :(
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Beyond books (both paper and e-versions), and the occasional piece of jewelry from my favourite sterling silver jewelry crafter, I didn't buy an awful lot of stuff this year, for obvious reasons (i.e., we weren't going into stores -- either because they were closed or because we were avoiding the malls because of covid). I think the best thing I bought was probably the advent calendar (more like gift basket) from my favourite sterling silver jewelry crafter. I kicked myself for missing out on last year's (the first year she'd tried doing it), and I loved having a little surprise to open and brighten my day every morning during the first 24 days of December. :)
Beyond books (both paper and e-versions), and the occasional piece of jewelry from my favourite sterling silver jewelry crafter, I didn't buy an awful lot of stuff this year, for obvious reasons (i.e., we weren't going into stores -- either because they were closed or because we were avoiding the malls because of covid). I think the best thing I bought was probably the advent calendar (more like gift basket) from my favourite sterling silver jewelry crafter. I kicked myself for missing out on last year's (the first year she'd tried doing it), and I loved having a little surprise to open and brighten my day every morning during the first 24 days of December. :)
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All the frontline healthcare workers who have been putting their health & lives at risk to try to save others for almost two solid years now.
Anyone who stood up for democracy, decency, science and rational thinking.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Well, (once again) that's obvious. In the U.S., Donald Trump & his MAGA cronies/cult members. :( Not that we are immune here in Canada -- we have MAGA wanabes/imitators too, albeit not to quite the same extent.
Well, (once again) that's obvious. In the U.S., Donald Trump & his MAGA cronies/cult members. :( Not that we are immune here in Canada -- we have MAGA wanabes/imitators too, albeit not to quite the same extent.
The conservative premiers here in Canada who ignored the best medical advice about covid, only acting when absolutely pushed to do so. (Jason Kenney in Alberta and Doug Ford in Ontario, I'm looking at you in particular...!). (Ford has not been seen in public for a full TWO WEEKS now -- since Dec. 17th -- as Omicron runs rampant and new covid case numbers skyrocket. Grrrrrr....)
The people (on both sides of the border -- and around the world) who continue to ignore the science and refuse to get vaccinated, wear masks or follow other public health measures, thus dragging this pandemic out FAR longer than necessary, and resulting in far more cases and deaths than there could or should have been. :(
14. Where did most of your money go?
(See #11!) There was nowhere to go to spend a lot of money for most of the year. Beyond the usual bills, we have probably spent more money on groceries and personal care items. Prices have been rising, dh has been doing most of the grocery shopping, and he is not the bargain hunter I am. ;) With bookstores closed for several months (and shelf space in our condo at a premium), we also both spent a lot more money on e-books for our Kobo e-readers, albeit most of them at a deep discount, watching for bargains.
We also still managed to buy things -- mostly cute outfits and books -- for our great-nephew, as well as fatten his piggy bank. ;)
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting vaccinated! Dh & I literally jumped up & down for joy when I managed to snag appointments for our first shots in April.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting vaccinated! Dh & I literally jumped up & down for joy when I managed to snag appointments for our first shots in April.
Going "home" and seeing my parents and sister in October, for the first time in nearly two years. :) And making a return trip at Christmastime.
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
I'm not sure. I Googled "top songs of 2021" and I think the only ones I'd heard were "Cold Heart" by Elton John and "Easy on Me" by Adele, which shows you how current my listening is, lol.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
Probably about the same in terms of happiness (started out the year happy about vaccines, ended it feeling somewhat depressed about omicron), slightly thinner (but I could have done without the gout & gallstones...!), and probably a draw on the financial front.
16. What song will always remind you of 2021?
I'm not sure. I Googled "top songs of 2021" and I think the only ones I'd heard were "Cold Heart" by Elton John and "Easy on Me" by Adele, which shows you how current my listening is, lol.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
Probably about the same in terms of happiness (started out the year happy about vaccines, ended it feeling somewhat depressed about omicron), slightly thinner (but I could have done without the gout & gallstones...!), and probably a draw on the financial front.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Walking/exercise. There was just no excuse for it -- although the summer heat & humidity was discouraging.
Walking/exercise. There was just no excuse for it -- although the summer heat & humidity was discouraging.
Reading more books than I did (although I did well in terms of meeting & exceeding my Goodreads challenge goal). But hey, there's always next year...
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting around the house. :p There weren't many places to go, obviously, but we could have pushed the walking program more than we did. :p
Watching too much news on TV. I like being well informed, but sometimes it just gets too overwhelming and depressing!
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my parents, sister & her partner in Manitoba (after spending Christmas 2020 at home with just the two of us). Because of omicron and skyrocketing covid case numbers, we didn't spend as much time with PND & her family as we normally would, and we scaled back on the presents considerably. But we still had presents & stockings to open, we still had a couple of really great meals with most of our traditional favourites, and we still played lots of cards & dominos. (We're still here.) It's been a good holiday! :)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my parents, sister & her partner in Manitoba (after spending Christmas 2020 at home with just the two of us). Because of omicron and skyrocketing covid case numbers, we didn't spend as much time with PND & her family as we normally would, and we scaled back on the presents considerably. But we still had presents & stockings to open, we still had a couple of really great meals with most of our traditional favourites, and we still played lots of cards & dominos. (We're still here.) It's been a good holiday! :)
21. Did you fall in love in 2021?
Never fell out. :)
Never fell out. :)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't watch a lot of TV shows regularly, and I don't do a lot of streaming/binge watching. We both still love watching "Bob's Burgers" (both current episodes and reruns). We enjoyed the most recent seasons of "Jann" on CTV and the latest season of "Finding Your Roots" on PBS (as well as several other PBS programs), and I was still captivated by the most recent season of "The Handmaid's Tale." Also, several series/documentaries on CNN, most notably "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy."
I STILL haven't yet watched season 3 or 4 of "The Crown" on Netflix!
23. Do you hate anyone now that you did not hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word, and I don't like using it. Suffice to say, though, that I am definitely NOT a fan of the 45th President of the United States or his enablers! :p (See #13.)
24. What was the best book you read?
(See #1) It's always very hard for me to pick a single book as "the best," and I gave lots of books four and five-star reviews on Goodreads! My average Goodreads rating this year was 4.1. I've listed some of my favourite reads in my "Reading year in review" post (to be posted soon).
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
See #16 -- as in the past, I must admit, I don't listen to a lot of new music.
26. What did you want and get?
I desperately wanted those covid vaccines, and it seemed like forever until we became eligible (and then able to book appointments!), especially for that very first one in April. I jumped up & down with glee when I got those first shots booked. Those appointment days were three of the happiest days of 2021 for me!
Thanks to those vaccines, I finally got to go home and see my family, after almost two years apart, and then to spend Christmas with them again. That's a pretty big "get" in my books! :) And because of vaccines, we also got to spend more time this year with Little Great-Nephew. :)
27. What did you want and not get?
The end of the pandemic and a return to normalcy (whatever that is these days...!).
28. What was your favourite film of this year?
Dh & I LOVE going to the movies, but that hasn't happened since very early in 2020 -- and we don't stream a lot of movies or watch a lot of pay-per-view. But we're already talking about putting on masks and foregoing popcorn to see the new "Downton Abbey" movie with SIL when it comes out in the spring. :) (The three of us went to see the first one together and enjoyed it hugely.)
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 60 (!!) last January! I wrote about how we spent the day, here.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My answer to this question is usually travel-related. That goes without saying, I suppose...! But obviously, the end of this pandemic!!
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2021?
More of the same: mostly yoga pants and T-shirts (worn without a bra)(even more so than usual! lol).
Cloth masks, matched to outfits (much to dh's bemusement...!) (although we now have some N95-equivalent masks too).
My watch stopped working shortly after the pandemic began in March 2020. There's a kiosk at the nearby mall that replaces batteries, fixes watches, etc., but of course the mall was closed for long stretches of the past two years too, and even when it was open (with masks and social distancing measures in place), I wasn't keen to go there...! So I went without a watch for more than a year -- which was weird, as someone who has worn a watch almost daily, since I got one as a gift from my parents for my 8th birthday (a simple Timex, which I still have!). But in July, we went to the mall to get me a new cellphone, and I took the opportunity to check whether the kiosk was still there. It was! The guy there replaced my watch's battery, and I've been wearing it daily again ever since then.
32. What kept you sane?
(This question assumes sanity on my part, lol. ;) )
(This question assumes sanity on my part, lol. ;) )
Sanity was slightly easier to find in 2021 than it was 2020, particularly once we became fully vaccinated in July, and things started reopening again in the summer (with some restrictions in place) -- and we were able to get haircuts again!! (lol) -- after salons were closed for 14 weeks and then 17 weeks! Trips to the bookstore once or twice a month since it reopened in the summer also lent a small semblance of normalcy to our lives. Being able to download e-books while it was closed also helped maintain sanity and morale for both of us.
Being able to spend more time with Little Great-Nephew, once SIL started looking after him weekdays and once we all became fully vaccinated, was also a big boost to the spirit.
In-person meetings of my library book club haven't happened since early 2020, but my online book clubs have continued to be a blessing. Regular Zoom chats & Skype sessions with friends (both online and "real life"), former co-workers and relatives also gave me something to look forward to regularly.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I have huge admiration for the doctors and public health officials who made frequent appearances on television this year, explaining the pandemic to us, and who did a great job of it.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The pandemic and how it's been (mis)handled by our leaders. (See #13.)
35. Who did you miss?
My parents & my sister. I was so happy to finally get "home" in October to see them, after nearly two years!
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Needless to say, this year -- like last year -- was NOT a good year for meeting new people!! let alone seeing your longtime friends. :(
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021.
Once again, this year brought home to me that life, youth & health are precious, and disappear far too quickly sometimes. Enjoy it all while you can!
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Last year, I quoted "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney & Wings, from 1974. I couldn't think of anything new at the moment, and it still fits!. :)
Last year, I quoted "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney & Wings, from 1974. I couldn't think of anything new at the moment, and it still fits!. :)
Stuck inside these four walls,
Sent inside forever,
Never seeing no one
Nice again like you,
Mama you, mama you.
If I ever get out of here,
Thought of giving it all away
To a registered charity.
All I need is a pint a day
If I ever get outta here
If we ever get outta of here
Sent inside forever,
Never seeing no one
Nice again like you,
Mama you, mama you.
If I ever get out of here,
Thought of giving it all away
To a registered charity.
All I need is a pint a day
If I ever get outta here
If we ever get outta of here
*** *** ***
Coming up: 2021 in blogging and in books!
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