Finally, the 12th Month of 2021: That's a Wrap

Ron and I visiting my daughter and son-in-law in Tucson, August, 2021

This year had it's various "ups" and "downs" and I am ready to bid 2021 "goodbye" even though the passing of each year means I am on the downward path toward my expiration date.  I have bad memories of:

 Covid-19 and it's variants - from Delta to Omicron, a violent insurrection at our Capitol  January 6th, another mass killing this week at a school in Michigan, the exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse for playing "Soldier of Fortune" killing Americans on the streets of Kenosha, the Senate acquittal of an ex-President who promoted the destruction of our democracy, the burning up of our planet's forests in drought-ridden wildfires, massive disinformation and conspiracy theories exploding to divide Americans and turn public health into a political "smack-down," and now a Supreme effort to overturn a woman's control over her own body...

 

On the other hand, we saw a Black man and a Jew elected to the U.S. Senate in RED State Georgia, we saw the final end of a 20 year $2.3 trillion war in Afghanistan, the federal government finally recognized Juneteenth as a Holiday to mark the end of slavery in the United States, several effective vaccines were rolled out for the general public to prevent Covid-19 infection and death, the US rejoined the Paris Agreement to again be part of the global climate solution, we saw the conviction of three Georgia white men who tracked down and killed an unarmed Black man who dared to run on their neighborhood street...

Of the many milestones this year, we witnessed the passing of many loved friends like my 83 year old neighbor Maria "Eddy" Vigil, our dear California friend Page Milliken, and my old high school boyfriend Bll Bagley.  May they rest in peace.                                                          

 

Ron and I were able to travel throughout the year to be with friends and family in California, Arizona, and Tennessee. We remodeled our kitchen, dining room, and a guest bedroom - making it an art studio for my painting. 

 

 

Since April, I started on a journey of healthy living and have lost 20 pounds so far. Our children are doing very well as they slip into middle age.  The grand children are healthy and happy with our oldest now a freshman at the University of Minnesota.

 

Last Christmas, Ron and I "escaped" to Mexico where we spent a week on the beach of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California del Sur.  It was truly a wonderful retreat from the horrible events of 2020. 

Christmas Eve (2020) on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas

 

 

This year, we will stay at home and enjoy a New Mexico winter and family holiday gatherings. In only 30 more days, we will all be thrust into a brand new year.  For me, I pledge to live each day with loving kindness and good intention. 

 

My sister sent me a table top fountain for my 71st birthday

Scoop: Santa's reindeers are fueling up, courtesy of my landscaping, for their midnight ride.

 

                  Happy New Year 2022!