Well, friends, it has been a hot minute since I last posted on this blog. So I thought I would take the excuse that it is a new year to write a post! This is likely to be kind of long and rambly, so go ahead and get you a cup of coffee and a comfy chair.... I'll wait....
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I don't know about any of the rest of you, but there is a part of my brain that is stuck in March of 2020. It's like I've not move beyond the lockdown and back into real life. I mean, I do go out and go to the grocery store and I've actually been known to eat in a restaurant. But there is still a teensy part of me that feels like we are all still back in March of 2020.
I was cleaning out my Gmail last week since I haven't done that in a hot minute, either. I'm not going to tattle on myself and tell you all how many unread messages I have - we'll get to that in a bit - but there were a LOT. Well, I had started with the oldest and had gotten to January 2020, then February, then March. And I started seeing the myriad COVID-19 response emails we all got from companies telling us the special precautions that they were taking to keep their employees and customers safe from this virus.
When did you know that this whole thing had gotten real?
I mean, I know that there are some folks out there - though I hope that you are not one of them, gentle reader - that still don't believe that the pandemic is real despite the hundreds of thousands of people who have died from the coronavirus. But for those of us who have believed the pandemic to be a thing, there was almost always a point where you really, most sincerely believed it.
For me, there was a direct, personal moment and a more global moment.
The direct, personal moment was when a dear friend from high school who was about a year younger than I am died. He died pretty early in the pandemic, so they were calling it "complications due to pneumonia". But, later, it was determined that it was most likely due to COVID-19. I am super, duper grateful that no one in my family has succumbed to the virus. While I've had family and friends who have contracted COVID-19, the number of cases that have involved hospitalization or ventilation have been blessedly few. The husband and I have also been extraordinarily lucky in that this specter has not shadowed our household, and we are vigilantly attempting to extend that streak. With the omicron variant being as transmissible as it seems to be, I don't know how long we'll be able to keep it up, but we are still masking in public, keeping Purell in business, and maintaining physical distance as much as we can. We are both fully vaccinated, though we are needing to get our boosters. But I digress.
So, what was the global moment you might ask.... And, even if you didn't, I'm gonna tell you anyway.
The moment that I knew that the pandemic was a real, global thing was when the announcement came through that the Boston Marathon was cancelling in 2020 and going virtual. I mean, world wars didn't cancel Boston. Getting the start line bombed didn't cancel Boston. But here is a disease that has caused them to cancel. Yeah, that made it pretty darn real for me.
So, 2020 is still kind of a blur, to be honest. I joked that the only reason I knew that time was passing was because I'm a gardener. LOL
Then 2021 came. COVID still rages and people are still in denial and are relaxing their vigilance.
2021 brought a lot of changes in my life, too. I got more active in my Extension Master Gardener program and was able to do a lot more volunteering. I also expanded my own garden to include new raised beds and some cattle panel arches! Isn't it gorgeous?
But, the biggest change that came in 2021 was my leaving my job of over 7 years. Yes, friends, I was part of the Great Resignation. Being a decision-maker during a global pandemic with minimal guidance really took a great toll on my mental and physical health. So, I made the decision to leave. Right now, I'm working at home on my creative endeavors: YouTube, blogging, art, writing, et cetera. It's not making me a whole lot of money, as you can imagine, so I am looking for some remote work (hit me up if you have any suggestions!) but it has definitely improved my mental and physical health!
Let's get to the good stuff, right? What goals am I setting for 2022?
In 2022, I am planning on expanding the garden a little more as well as continuing with my creative pursuits. Will I be able to work solely for myself? That remains to be seen, though I will certainly not be against it. I'm also determined to build on the progress I've made in my mental and physical health.
I'm currently registered for the 2022 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. I ended up going virtual last year, and it looks like I may have to do the same this year because my pace isn't quite up to the time limit. Can I finish a full marathon? Yes, yes I can. Can I do it in 7 hours? Well... not yet. But I'm getting there. I may have to go virtual for a number of other reasons, but that's okay. I have it on my bucket list to "finish on the 50 before I'm 50" as a nod to when the CHKM finished on the 50 yard line at Neyland Stadium. Well, I turn 50 in 2023, so I fully intend to work really hard this year to get my marathon pace to under 16 minutes per mile. I'm not registered for any other live races ATM, though I intend to register for Crazy 8's (which was my only live race in 2021) and the Haunted Half Marathon - both of which are local, so more likely that I'll be able to make them. LOL My goal for them is to get a Personal Best (PB) time. The marathon goal, if I am able to do it live, is "to finish and not die". LOL
With regards to my health, I want to get my blood pressure down a little more and get off some meds. I also want to get closer to my goal weight. Ideally, I'll actually reach my goal weight by the end of the year, but it'll take some doing. Right now, I'd be tickled several different shades of pink to reach "Onederland" (where I weigh under 200#). I don't have far to go for that.
One of my biggest goals for 2022, though, is staying organized. I told you I'd get back to that.... And that means keeping my unread emails down by unsubscribing from mailing lists I've not looked at in YEARS. Thankfully, Gmail has that handy "you've not opened any messages from [company] in two weeks do you want to unsubscribe" thing, which I have been taking advantage of. 😁 I've also upgraded to a Big Happy Planner since it has more room to write in. :-) Check out my Instagram if you want to see how I decorate it!
I also want to do a much better job than I have in keeping up with my housework. Turns out "not having time" wasn't really why I wasn't doing it. LOL But mostly, 2022 is all about getting, and keeping, my head on straight.
What are some of your goals for 2022? Did you make New Year's resolutions? Set intentions?
Whether you did or did not, I wish nothing but the best, happiest, healthiest, most authentic, and most prosperous 2022 to you, my friends!
Be happy! Be healthy! Be you!
