It truly was a moment of pure astonishment when I went to my blog yesterday and discovered that the last time I posted was exactly two years ago to the day. I think 2020 and 2021 were the years the Earth stood still.
Major milestones for 2020:
- February/March – Flew to the east coast to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday
- March –
- Our last dog, Abby, died a couple of days after we returned from the east coast.
- Days later, we went into lockdown.
- A week later, Terry’s paternal grandmother passed away (not COVID-19 related).
- July – Terry’s dad suddenly and unexpectedly passed away (also not COVID-19 related).
- August – Started the cleanup and disposition of Dad’s estate.
- September – Left The Walt Disney Company and started a new job at Discovery Communications.
2021 was a little calmer, but still pretty chaotic:
- March – Finally sold Dad’s house in Maine and finished closing out the estate.
- March/April – Started dealing with some health issues with my mom.
- June – Mom moved into an assisted living facility.
- November – Left Discovery Communications and started a new job at Momentive AI (formerly SurveyMonkey).
All of this time, we have stayed in relative lockdown, seeing friends rarely, going out only to pick up orders or attend necessary appointments required to stay healthy. Terry still has to handle some work in person infrequently, so he has the most exposure to actual humans at this point.
I’ve found that one of the kindest things one can do for oneself in times of stress like this is to not set goals, so I have not set any specific goals of any sort for myself for two years. I think surviving counts as a significant win, at this point.
I completed an edit pass during NaNoWriMo 2020, but ended up abandoning another edit pass during NaNoWriMo 2021 after the first week. And I’m okay with that. Maybe. In early July 2021, I took a 5-day class on how to create a fabric journal. And proceed to dive in head-first into the world of handmade books.
In the meantime, I’m still crafting.
2020 Crafting Accomplishments:
- Stitched 10 bookmarks based on various weeks from the 2020 Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple
- Completed 24 cross stitch pieces:
- Gingerbread Angel Mouse by Just Nan
- Gingerbread Jingle Mouse by Just Nan
- Valentine Snowglobe by Victoria Sampler
- Water Wonderland by Joan Elliott
- Santa Claus from the Charmed Santa Face collection by Mill Hill
- Midnight Meow by Nora Corbett
- March Scissors Fob by Cherished Stitches
- Gingerbread Mrs. Santa Mouse by Just Nan
- Gingerbread Santa Mouse by Just Nan
- Blackwork Firefly by LooseThreadStitchery
- Glorious Morning by Linen Flowers Designs
- Oi Spaceman Blackwork by Highland Murr Stitches
- (secret project) by Peppermint Purple
- Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. by Beta Stitches on Etsy
- Stay Home and Stitch, a free design by Linda Stolz for Erica Michaels Designs
- 2020 Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple – an abbreviated version stitched on banding
- Taboo Kitty from the Autumn Harvest collection by Mill Hill
- Evergreen Sleigh from the Charmed Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
- 2020 Hindsight by Jenna Magee (proof of concept)
- 2020 Hindsight by Jenna Magee
- The Child by Highland Murr Stitches
- The Child with Frog by Highland Murr Stitches – 1
- The Child with Frog by Highland Murr Stitches – 2
- The Child with Frog by Highland Murr Stitches – 3
2021 Crafting Accomplishments:
- Took 18 pieces on which I had previously finished the stitching and sewed, framed, or otherwise put them into their final form.
- Sewed at least 10 project bags.
- Created over 24 journals, including 13 commissioned books.
- Completed 20 cross stitch pieces:
- The Cat by Minasyan Yana
- Patchwork Stars Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
- Heart Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
- Here Comes Treble by Ink Circles
- Stitch with a Little Heart by Crossing Curiosity
- Bargello Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
- Failte (Welcome) by A. Fox Originals
- Portrait of Antique Vines by Mirabilia
- Free Dutch Tile by Peppermint Purple
- Snowman Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
- Single motif from Nine Lives by Ink Circles – 1
- Single motif from Nine Lives by Ink Circles – 2
- To the Beach & Back by Needle Bling Designs
- Tree Stocking from the Charmed Stocking Ornaments collection by Mill Hill
- Dove from the Tiny Treasured Diamonds collection by Mill Hill
- 2020 Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple
- Autumn Key from the Antique Keys Trilogy by Mill Hill
- Christmas 2021 Vaccine by Beverly Ellis
- “Fluffy Joy” from Firebird
- Mermaid Heart by Just Nan
While life has not even remotely begun to get back to normal (what even is “normal” anymore?), I may be ready to set some goals for myself for this year. Soft, squishy goals.
