End of the year that was..............

 

Why are there unwrapped packages and still to be pulled Christmas crackers lurking on December 27th?  People are fighting health issues big time this year.  Sometimes big holidays just don't work out as planned. This time of year the northern hemisphere is rife with respiratory illnesses. Old style colds, beginning of the influenza season, more variants of COVID, and this year, a myriad of nameless upper respiratory viruses knocking us over and flattening us like rows of falling domino tiles!  

Personally I have coughed my way through the past four weeks. Still am. Have run a low grade fever - something I don't recall since childhood - had no appetite, and have lost weight. Getting ready for the holidays was not fun as I was exhausted every waking hour despite sleeping quite well at night.

Next week we have our initial visits with a new to us medical practice. Our Primary Care Physician shocked us in November with news she had decided to retire early. She has cared for us for almost 25 years and closes her practice this week. It's not easy to find a physician who welcomes geriatric patients. At this new practice will will be seen by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner as the actual practice MD is not taking new patients. We'll give it a try in hopes we'll be welcomed and treated kindly.  We're both trying to remain positive about the whole experience. Fortunately the location is a new medical building just a few minutes drive from home.

The weather is dreary today. Thick fog envelopes the now mostly brown and beige garden. The feeders are empty again so birds are few. Squirrels are active and a few days back there was a young deer in the garden.  We have some errands to run later and will buy birdseed and a few more odd and ends.

I'll then be packing away Christmas decor later in the week and readying for a quiet, stay-at-home New Year's Eve, popping the bubbly cork and nibbling on the Christmas leftovers!  Life goes on - may your days be happy and healthy and the coming year be a good one.

Between the book covers -

There's something really special about friendships made with bloggers, even when one hasn't been fortunate enough to meet them in person . . . . . . yet!  They arrive on your computer screen in ways often unexpected, and you cannot always recall how they found you, or you them!

This year I 'met' wordsmith Mark Charlton, via his exceptional blog, VIEWS FROM THE BIKE SHED. I love Mark's posts on life in Wales and France. I have yet to read them all from years back, but will return to those as time permits because I have a feeling each one will have something of interest to tell me, teach me, or make me feel grateful that he took the time to share each post with us, his readers, in wonderful words and photos.  Mark leads a very busy life with his job, family, travels, creative and sports pursuits, blog posts etc., yet somehow squeezed in writing a remarkable book. 

COUNTING STEPS ~ A Journey through Landscape & Fatherhood has definitely been my personal favorite read of this year.  Here you see it waiting to be tucked into my 'favorite books' shelf - although I may just read it again before doing that! Thank you again for such a remarkable book Mark . . . . . . looking forward to your next one.

Thank you all for following my blog through yet another busy and

quite difficult year. 

You actually helped me through 2021 by reading my words, viewing

 my photography, and leaving such generous, often funny, but always

 greatly appreciated, comments. By doing all that you gave me the

 opportunity to 'follow' you, keeping up with old friends and making

 new ones.

I hope to see you here for a long time, you will always be welcomed.

I wish you all the best for the New Year.

May you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy, and be happy every day.

Packing up Christmas . . . . and the loss of a blog friend.

 I have to admit the 'taking down' is taking much longer than planned!

Perhaps if I'd had warm, sunny weather I could have been outside

removing lights, garland etc., and the decorated Christmas tree

 in the gazebo. Instead, I spent much of my time at the windows

 taking numerous photos of the many beautiful birds at the feeders,

 flying in non-stop during this miserable weather. 

They included a first, 6 Eastern bluebirds at one time, definitely a family. 

I'll post some photos another time.

Most of the indoor holiday decor is down and packed away now.

I did edit a little as I have just too many things for this time in my life.  

I love decorating however one needs to stay within somewhat 

smaller bounds as lifting, reaching, hanging, moving etc. become

 more difficult, even painful at times! 

A box will be going to favorite charity shop this coming week. . . .their

 sales benefit domestic animals (spaying, neutering etc.) which makes me

 feel I'm helping somewhat.

This year I found that putting everything onto the bed made wrapping and

 packing so much easier - this photo was when I was just starting - there

 was another load yet to come! 

Thankfully Bob carries the boxes back up the stairs and places them

 in the far reaches of the storage attic.

Next year, hopefully, we plan to do it all over again of course.

I feel here that I should pay tribute to a wonderful lady whom some of you

 may have known from her longtime blog Scene Through My Eyes, and

 her great book Are We Walking To Alaska?

 I learned from the recent post shared by her daughter - link below - that

 JoAnn Dunlap Bayne of Bellingham, Washington, sadly passed away in

 November from what I believe was quite a long illness. 

We had tried to meet up with her in Bellingham a couple of years ago but

 sadly she was unable to make it.

JoAnn wrote great posts with awesome photos of nature's beauty, flowers, 

farms, wild birds and her much-loved barns scattered throughout the

 scenic Pacific Northwest countryside.

Comments are still open on her blog however do not seem to be published.

JoAnn was a long time friend and sweet blogger and I know will be missed.

http://scenethroughmyeyes.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-turning-of-seasons.html