There is so much to say about the year that just passed, but it pretty much revolves around two subjects and you know what they are. We'll get to them as we travel through the alphabet in prose and pictures. I have a couple other things I can write about that start with the letter A, but I think this picture is a good representation of how 2020 affected the world!
Taken at the top of Pikes Peak, where they're building a new visitor center. (photo cred. Me 2019)
Afghan Hound
In February, these stuffed toys were a hot item amongst afghan hound owners. They were available at Target and people all over the world were collecting them. Folks who were friends on Facebook only by a shared love of the breed were helping each other acquire them when their own local Target ran out. It was a bit of fun & whimsy as winter was winding down, but coronavirus was ramping up.
(I bought two - a pink & white one. Photo cred. Me 2020)
Armillary Sphere - I finally got one! I first saw them on Game of Thrones (but they've been around for centuries) and thought it was the coolest thing. I found a stylized one and it became the final touch on my living room decor update.
Blessings
For such a difficult year globally, on a home level, we experienced many personal blessings. I think, instead of listing them here, I'll just hold them in my heart and continue to thank God for each and every one.
C
Covid
There it is. The new 'C' word. It's still dominating the news. It changed just about everything we do by tradition, routine, interactions. I love the scene in GoT with Arya Stark and her sword instructor -- Syrio: "What do we say to the god of death?"
Arya: "Not today."
Cabin - We had already booked a cabin in the Smokey Mountains in early January. When The Lockdown happened and it became clearer that "gee, this really is serious!" we still thought things would be back to normal by September. Ha! But we went ahead with our vacation. What better place to isolate than a beautiful mountain cabin?
Breakfast on the deck. Watching the morning fog lift through the second floor windows.
D
Drive-in Church - When the idea was first mentioned, it was in jest. We all laughed. Then it became evident that a traditional Easter Sunday wasn't gonna happen. Our pastor asked a member to build a small platform in front of the building. The guy owns a construction business and wanted to keep his men working. In less than a week, they built an entire set complete with 3 crosses, a tomb, and two camera platforms in time for the Good Friday service. We used it for Saturday evening drive-in church all summer. It was really fun!
Above, the summer sun sets behind the congregation. Below, we took communion in our car.
Doll Club (Art dolls) - On a personal level, this was one of the things terribly impacted by the virus and politics. At our March meeting, the club president told us that from what she was hearing from insider sources, we would not be meeting in person for a few months (specifically she said, "probably not until there is a vaccine.") We held online meetings the rest of the year, but personally I don't enjoy that format. Things got heated as a member of the club went on the attack (via Facebook) over a political comment I made. Several in the group had always been vocal at our meetings, but usually I blew it off. This time it got personal. Afterwards, I had 2 ex-members tell me that the strife and ugliness of the group was the reason they quit. A teacher canceled a workshop for the same reason.
One of my early dolls.
I completed this little shelf sitter in time for July 4th.
Dragons - The SpaceX Dragon rocket success was a much needed boost in the dreary early months of bad news. But even better, my sister sent me a replica of Game of Thrones dragon eggs in a little crate. She had witnessed one of the attacks by a Facebook "friend" and sent me the eggs with a note that said, "when the Facebook debates get you down, look at your little guests and say, 'dracarys' with a smile." And she surrounded those dragon eggs with my favorite chocolates. Now that is some sister-love!
E
Election
Well, that was crazier than expected! I was so excited about the upcoming election. I love watching the returns in the evening. But it was not fun this year - and not because of who won or lost. It was no fun because the commentators were so unprofessional, so obviously biased and clearly ratcheting up their spin cycles. I have much else to say about this but won't here.
Lines formed early but weren't too bad at lunch time.
Exploring Local - We took short drives to explore places close by that we hadn't seen before.
Pretty Water Lake, Sapulpa, OK (photo cred. Me 2020)
Gritner Sunflower Farm, Lawrence, KS (photo cred. Me 2020)
F
Friendships, Family, Facebook - Friendships really took a beating this year. Those old high school friends we thought it was so much fun to reconnect with - well, they have lived their lives too, in the past 40 years, and their own life experiences have informed their worldview in ways that may be quite different from ours. After getting caught up on marriages, jobs, kids, grandkids, what's left? Current events! And that's where our shared interests end and the trouble starts. Facebook was just the platform to sort it all out - genuine friendships vs social connections or Town Square gossip. I found out that sometimes people are just "Facebook Incompatible." If you could talk in person, it would be a great conversation. But opinions don't always come across in writing the way they're intended and terrible misunderstandings occur.
We also found out that the tech czars of both social & news media have declared themselves the experts on truth. Censorship is alive and well on these platforms.
And I really experienced the truth of something my Dad told me in his last year - "at the end of the day, all a man really has in this life is his family." Dad, you were so right (again). I really miss you.
G
Gypsy - Mystical Gypsy has been blogging for 13 years now! I started off just wanting a place to showcase my photography, for my own enjoyment. It became a place to do some mild journaling or a bit of mindstreaming.
Gym - It was a tough year for gyms but great for the home gym business. At last I had an excuse to cancel my membership! I could get off the hamster wheel of walk/work/gym/supper/bed routine. For awhile there it felt like I had no extra time for doing things I really enjoy (coz I do not enjoy exercise). My husband, on the other hand, has been a disciplined fitness enthusiast since he was 15. He started out with a home gym, joined a club in the 80s, and now it's back to the home gym. I have to admit, he's in better shape than ever.
H
Holidays - Needless to say, the holidays were quite different this year for most people! However, not so much for me. I had to learn early in my marriage not to be bound to family holiday traditions or else I was going to be one miserable lady. We got married in the fall and moved too far away from family to make the trip home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas that first year. We attempted to build our own tradition, but I still cried that season. In the times that we did make the trip, it was fun, but not without the challenges of driving in winter weather or splitting holiday time between two families. Years down the road came ministry and church involvement. Ask anyone on a church staff what November & December is like. I think a majority just look forward to December 26. All that to say, our holiday tradition is to be flexible and go with the flow.
A favorite ornament on my tree.
House
Like so many Americans, we figured if we're staying home more, we might as well get caught up on the house! We painted, updated our interior style, built a deck and had a new fence installed.
I
Inspiration - I had to be intentional in looking for inspiration last year. Although I'm not given to depression, those first few months when one thing after another was being canceled started getting me down. Add the constant barrage of negativity from the major news sources and you have a cocktail for the blues.
A whiskey distillery in Tennessee. (photo cred. Me 2020)
J
Journal - I'm not really a journaler. But 2 years ago, I found this little 5-year Q&A journal. Each day it asks one question. That's it - just answer the question and you're done. I just started year 3. Sometimes my answers change from the previous year, but most often they don't. Apparently I'm getting set in my ways.
Journalism - I've ranted about this before. The Fourth Estate is sadly letting us down. You have got to carefully read between the lines and take note of the difference in how they present facts vs. what they want you think. It's become brainwashing disguised as journalism. Absolutely disgraceful.
Jinx - My sweet daughter-in-law is a bit superstitious (ok, ok, I can be, too, sometimes). When things are going well, she'll say "don't jinx it!" So we came up with a saying - "anti-jinx protocols in place!"
K
My Khaleesi is thriving and brings us so much joy. She turned 5 years old in September. She's still the queen bee in this house, but she humors me when I want to do a silly photo of her.
L
Lockdown - I know, I know. It was bad when it caused people to lose income. Don't hate me for saying I loved it. Oh my gosh, it was quiet without the traffic and crowds. Outside it looked like Pleasantville (a movie about an ideal 50s family tv show kind of town). People were outside, pushing strollers, walking the dog, jogging, having picnics in the church parking lot while the kids rode bikes. That part of the lockdown was glorious! The only thing I missed out on was working from home. I went to the office every day, although the phones were quieter and drop-in visitors were few (aahhh, so quiet). I was a bit envious of those who posted about organizing their closets, baking, or learning new crafts. But when I saw this in March at the local park, it really made me sad.
Haikey Creek Park, Bixby, OK. (photo cred. Me 2020)
Library - I miss the library! They went into lockdown mode early in the game. Then they opened for a very short time before another surge began. Like all the other businesses, they got creative, providing curb-side service. But I miss going inside and browsing. I only read 16 books this year. It takes me longer than it used to. I might do a separate blog of book reviews. Bright side: the library did away with overdue fines!!
M
Mondays, Movies, Masks & Memes - Oh man, we miss going to the movies! We're both off on Mondays. Often, we like to go to breakfast, then hit an early movie (price break & no crowds on Monday morning). But we adapted. During the lockdown, we fixed breakfast and had leisurely coffee and great conversation in our own kitchen. When things started carefully opening, we ventured out occasionally for breakfast. Masks - what a national conversation that turned out to be! It took me a long time to get used to seeing people with masks. It was so creepy at first, reminding me of The Handmaid's Tale. Memes - the best thing of all, we never lost our sense of humor. The memes of 2020 should go down in history as the ultimate statement of the times we lived through.
This was one of the first memes I saw and it made me LOL. That was how I was starting to feel! This was before the mask mandates. Now if you sneeze or cough, you get the stink eye from everyone nearby and feel the need to explain it's all ok!
N
Netflix - I think we exhausted everything we wanted to see on Netflix and just recently canceled it. Once The Crown was released, I was good. However, when Ozark comes back, we'll have to subscribe again. Same with Hulu (Handmaid's Tale).
Noah - In early March, we went to Branson for the weekend to see the stage production of Noah. It was really good! You could hardly tell the animatronic animals from the live ones. The plague hadn't infiltrated the Midwest quite yet, but the signs were there that things were about to change. The Monday we left, shows and restaurants started temporarily closing. We just made it!
The Noah Musical, Branson, MO (photo cred. Me 2020)
O
Outreaches - The pandemic brought new opportunities to minister to people. Our ministry did not close its doors one day. Even our older volunteers stayed the course. Extra hygiene & distancing protocols were put in place and everyone worked a little harder. But people were fed and ministered to. Although people had the option to go to drive-up-throw-food-in-the-trunk services, and many probably did, those who came to our ministry always said how much they were encouraged. People need to laugh and hear a message of hope.
This cart was parked outside our building. To me, it was both a symbol of hopelessness and hope. Imagine not being able to fill a cart with groceries paid for with your own money. But when people leave this ministry, they need a cart to hold all the blessings they've received there.
P
Politics, patriotism, protests - Needless to say, politics was a hot potato this year. Actually, more like a grenade.
On our drive home from Tennessee, we saw a good half-dozen scenes like this on the overpasses. The TN battalion was coming home and proud locals were there to greet them. A heartwarming display of gratitude and patriotism.
On the road somewhere in Tennessee. (photo cred. Me 2020)
I'm not against protests per se. But I am against stealing, looting and destroying property and calling it a protest. That so angers me. When trouble makers were planning to hit our city, businesses started putting up defenses. They shouldn't have felt the need to do this. Shame on all thugs and punks.
Tulsa, OK (photo cred. Me 2020)
Photography - Looking through old files, I know I've gotten better; but there's still so much room for improvement. As mentioned previously, inspiration was a little hard to come by this year. I just didn't feel like going out and taking pictures for practice or fun. Business was better in the real estate photography side, but events were obviously off.
Please note, the pix on this particular blog post are a mix of phone pix & my camera. The line "photo cred. Me" is just because I don't want to put my name here.
Photography class assignment. (photo cred. Me 2010)
Q
Q Riddles & controversy - You probably haven't heard of Q. I'm not even sure where I stumbled on that rabbit hole. But I did, a couple years ago. I'm not a die-hard believer; I just get a kick out of Q's riddles, how people decode them, and seeing if any actually play out. CNN became absolutely obsessed with disparaging "Q-Anon" - which proves they have no idea what they're talking about. Q-Anon is incorrect; there is no such thing. "Q" is the invisible writer of the insider information posts, known as "Q drops." "Anons" are the anonymous people who try to decipher the riddles and share what they've figured out. But there is no such personage as Q-Anon. It's just more CNN propaganda.
R
Reconciliation, Release, Report - There was a reconciliation between some dearest family members recently. It made my heart so happy; the best Christmas gift I could have received. Release: we should always be looking to release and embrace. Release past hurts. Release people. Embrace circumstances we can't change or embrace where we are in life. I did a bit of that this year. It's very freeing.
Just some child's graffiti on an old building. (photo cred. Me 2014)
There's an old praise & worship song called "Whose Report" It's a very upbeat declaration of faith:
Whose report will you believe?
We shall believe the report of the Lord!
His report says I am healed.
His report says I am filled.
His report says I am free!
His report say VICTORY!
I chose and I will continue to choose The Report of the Lord!
S
Shopping - I think we all had new experiences in shopping while the stores figured out how to stay open but keep everyone safe. I'm all for that, but I drew the line of cooperation when they started putting directional arrows on the floors!
Walmart, Tulsa, OK (photo cred. Me 2020)
The Smoky Mountains - We took a week and just rested in the mountains. It was warm and beautiful.
I love the mountains. One thing I did miss were the fall colors; we went in September. I wasn't too terribly inspired (again with that word!) to take pictures but got a few. The week was about being together and leaving the world behind, resting the body, soul and spirit.
View from our cabin of the Smokey Mountains, TN (photo cred. Me 2020)
A foggy morning on Clingman's Dome, TN (photo cred. Me 2020)
Cade's Cove, TN People flocked to the national parks where they could vacation while social distancing. It took us twice as long to drive through the Cove as in prior visits. This was part of the line behind us.(photo cred. Me 2020)
Surgery - I had a minor outpatient surgery in April. That's a story in itself, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, I have zero pain threshold and only topical numbing was used. I also was not expecting this surgery - I thought it was just a consultation! On my way back to the car, I was alone on the skybridge and let out an expletive I never use, because I could not believe I had just endured what I did!
Now the upside of that adventure was, I saw a nest full of Canadian geese eggs and the parents guarding it, right outside the hospital. Every day for a month, I had to go back for a dressing change and I would peek at the nest to see if the eggs had hatched yet. Another upside - since people are required to wear a mask in the hospital, I could walk the corridors praying for the inhabitants and nobody could see it!
Travel (in a Covid world) - Our road trip to Tennessee was certainly different than in times past. When we stopped for gas & bathroom breaks, it was mask up, move quick, don't touch anything, sanitize, sanitize and get back on the road! We took all our own food for snacks and for the cabin. No lingering or side trips. We did overnight at the Marriott, which had quickly adapted to the new paradigm. Along with the courtesy toiletries, they provide disinfecting wipes for the tv remotes, and limit the number of people allowed on elevators. We joked about taking the extra toilet paper (but didn't).
After the tp shortage and other projected shortage scares, it was great to see America on the move again! Although, we were glad not to be in that traffic jam. We took a different route coming home to avoid this.
Toilet Paper - Oh my gosh, one of the earliest and best outlets for humor was The Great TP Shortage of 2020. Never in my life did I imagine seeing someone at the post office to mail this:
This is a real person at a real Post Office. I normally don't sneak cell phone pix of people but who could pass this up??
Trump Rally & Parade - The Prez made big, controversial, news when he planned a rally in Tulsa after several months of not being able to hold them. I didn't go but I wish I had (don't like crowds & was leery of protesters). I went downtown in the morning to see what was going on. (Now, this was a time I was inspired to do one of my Saturday morning photography runs). I also went to the gathering of one of the Trump parades & snapped a few pix.
Never thought I'd see soldiers on an American city street. (Photo cred. Me 2020)
U
Unicorn - No, I didn't see one. If ever there was a time for a unicorn to show up, 2020 would've been it. One of my friends got blindsided by a medical issue. She's my age and had never been on any medication until this happened. Now she has to take a med and she sadly told me, "I'm not a unicorn anymore." Well, I have news for her - she's better than a unicorn. She's real, she's genuine, she's down to earth. That's better than a fantasy horse any day!
V
Vacation Planning - A few years ago, we visited South Dakota and stopped at the Badlands. A friend had told me not to bother, as he found it boring, but we loved it. We're thinking about going back this year. I would love to catch the sunset on this landscape.
The Badlands, SD (Photo cred. Me 2014)
W
Wedding - One of our friends' daughter had a beautiful wedding all planned for June. As the virus drama dragged on, she decided to go ahead with a small, home wedding in April. I was so honored to take pictures for them. Her father performed the ceremony. They live-streamed it so the rest of the family could be a part. It was an intimate, sweet & precious time with dear friends.
Brielle & Christian's wedding. (Photo cred. Me 2020)
Words - did you know there's a website particularly useful to Scrabble players? I found it when I googled "words that start with...." for this blog (had to jumpstart my brain). I never heard of 90% of these words! https://scrabble.merriam.com/words/start-with/j
(Photo cred. Me 2014)
X
Xenophobe - Since I can't think of anything that happened in my year that starts with X, I'll just make a little comment about the xenophobe accusations thrown at Trump at the beginning of the year. Say what you will about the man, but thank God he had the cajones to stop flights from that country-I-won't-name-but-it's-a-plague-generator-with-a-sneaky-evil-government.
Y
Year - 2020 is gone but probably not soon forgotten. 2021 is here. Will it be much different?????
Smokey Mountain tunnel. (Photo cred. Me 2020)
Z
Zoom Meetings - Zoom gave me something new to write about using the letter Z. Let me tell you, I don't like zoom meetings. I didn't like them for doll club. I didn't like them for work. If you've ever seen that SNL skit with the two receptionists doing their first zoom meeting - although highly exaggerated - you've got an idea of what I'm like.
(from the web; Saturday Night Live)
And with that being said, I'm gonna zoom off here. Praying this year brings us all peace, prosperity, and an end to this pandemic with no zombies as a result!
