Highlights from 2020

I'm amazed at how quickly 2020 flew by while at the same time thinking it went by so slowly!  How is that possible?

The pandemic certainly was unexpected for our world, wasn't it?  Yet it was no surprise to God.  He has had a plan.....and we just keep plodding along doing the best we can, right?

Yet it's always good to look back at the year in review and reflect on the cherished moments.  The moments that brought love, and laughter, and pure joy, and maybe growth either physically or mentally...maybe emotionally and/or spiritually.  For me?  I saw some growth in each area. 

 So today I'm going to share the highlights of each month and let this be my "year in review" post.

Saratoga Paint and Sip
l-r: Courtney, Emma (niece), Claire the birthday girl, me, my sister Jill

 

• JANUARY: at the beginning of 2020, our Capital Region area had lots of ice but not deep snow.  I started the year out with a goal of hiking 10 "new-to-me" trails by June.  I began with my hiking buddy Anette by going on New Year's Day to a new to us nature preserve in the city just to the north of us.  It was a cold, bright day and we had a blast on this super easy walking trail through suburban woods.  The rest of January saw me hiking one other trail with my oldest daughter through some snowy woods.  January was mostly spent working, watching Netflix movies and reading good books. A major highlight was our "girls night out" with my youngest sister and her 2 daughters, Emma and Mady.  Claire, my youngest, turned 21 on 12/21 and she requested a "paint and sip" in the city to the north of us before she headed back to UNH.  We all had a blast!  There were only the 6 of us plus 4 other people that night.  Little did we know that would be our last social event for many months. 

Dave and I at The 100 Acres Woods trail
Clifton Park, NY

• FEBRUARY: February had a bit more snow but there were nice sunshiny days where it felt great to get some fresh air. I kept to my goal of finding new-to-me trails and enjoyed many local trails from a hiking guide one of my sisters had given me for Christmas.  My husband and I tried a trail called The 100 Acres Woods (our girls loved Winnie the Pooh when they were little and we read from the books often).  The trail system is rather new so is small with only about 2 miles worth of trails, but we enjoyed a day in the fresh snowy woods. The rest of the month involved leading my small group, Dave volunteering at youth group each Wednesday and during my winter break, I got together with friends and family for lunches, coffee, and hikes.  Little did I know that this would be the last month until late June for socializing and meeting in my home with my small group.

Heron wood sculpture art
Edie-Bullard Nature Trail

• MARCH : Well, as all of you know, this is when the world basically shut down...at least here in the USA due to the virus known as Covid19. I started working from home the same day my husband did.  It proved that working from home with special needs preschoolers isn't very good so happily we made plans to re-open for summer school.  Meanwhile, March came with the learning of Google Classroom and Google Meets, creating Learning Kits and delivering them to all the students in our classroom.  It also kept Claire from coming home for Spring Break and instead she quarantined in NH with friends in an off campus apartment.  Thankfully, UNH opened up again with remote classes for the rest of the year and the students could stay in their dorms/apartments. One thing about March was that spring came early and I discovered 3 new to me trail systems.  One is one that I hiked in with 2 other friends (Anette and Diane F) and although we walked 6 feet apart from one another, we didn't need our masks and we could still carry on a conversation and admire the wood sculpture art we saw on this trail.  For the first time ever, I didn't go inside a church building for Easter Sunday services!!  We watched it online and thanked God for this technology.

masks made by blogging friend Deborah

APRIL:  This month brought masks!  My blogging friend Deborah sent me several masks for me and my family.  This was much appreciated as we were having trouble finding ones that were washable and re-wearable.  Then another friend sent us some.  We wore these every time we ventured to the stores or to get gas.  April also saw more learning kit materials being developed but by the end of the month, we were allowed to go back into the school building although we had no students but we could work from our classroom.  We were able to organize and clean the entire room plus my little language classroom plus our large storage closet and we began to get things ready for Summer school as then the students would be back.  April was also the first time in 30 years that I didn't have a "Spring break" from teaching.  The governor  of NY had us working all month.  That was kind of strange. and useless. We also discovered that toilet paper was now a hot commodity. very odd.

Vermont, MA, and NY as seen
from the Taconic Crest Trail

• MAY:  This month brought Claire home from UNH for the summer and back to her job as a Starbucks barista.  It also had Dave still working from home so we moved his "office" up to the bedroom where it's quieter and warmer. May was a gorgeous month with perfect spring weather, so I ate outside on the deck for almost every breakfast before work and we even had a couple of deck dinners.  We had our first bonfire of the season, and this year I decided to hike a new trail in MA with a co-worker.  It was a tough little climb at the beginning to get to the top of a ridge-line but once we were up, the rest of the trail to the "snow hole" was fairly flat and easy.  I also enjoyed a trip to where my parents' summer camp used to be and spent a day with my cousin up there exploring a couple of waterfalls he had never seen.  May also brought with it the long Memorial Day weekend but because of traveling restrictions, we just stayed home and did yard work, putting in flowers and relaxing on the deck/cooking on the grill. 

Desserts on the deck!

• JUNE: We were disappointed to learn that the Saratoga Performing Arts Center would be closed for all NYCBallet performances...actually it was closed for all performances of any kind, due to Covid, so we donated our ticket money back to the venue as that seemed the kind thing to do.  June also brought our first family get together (with my youngest sister's family) since Christmas.  We of course only went into her house to use the bathroom.  We celebrated both nieces birthdays that afternoon and just had fun taking turns going up to the deck to get food.  I also hosted my Dessert Night for my small group as we wrapped up our study via online meetings in my backyard one evening.  Everyone brought their own chair and we took turns going up to get yummy desserts and drinks.  June also brought a couple of kayaking trips to our fave lake and more weekend hiking trips.  We also started meeting with Dave's side of the family via Zoom each Sunday and then decided to do it just the first Sunday of the month until the pandemic is over. The last day of the month was our 30th anniversary and we celebrated it with a self-guided tour, picnic and hike at the Martin Van Buren (former US President) Homestead/Farm.  This is located about 35 minutes east of us.  Because we had to stay local and not travel out of NY, our cape cod trip was cancelled. 

Stewart Flow on the Oregon Falls. Trail
Wilcox Lake Wild Forest Area
Southern Adirondack Mts

• JULY:  This month brought birthdays for my nephew and niece (Adam, Debi) and my sister in law Karen.  Our oldest daughter also had a birthday and turned 27 with a celebration at home and then my husband had his birthday the end of the month when we celebrated with a huge chocolate chip cookie pie made by the local bakery. Dave and I celebrated Independence Day with a kayaking trip on a fave southern Adirondack lake and had a picnic on the beach there with my sister Hope and her husband. There was a parade of boats, all socially distanced and that was loads of fun.  Most village parades were cancelled of course so this was a fun option.  July also brought very hot, dry weather but I loved it and spent most weekends either biking or hiking.  I actually took my niece Mady and a co-worker up a very difficult mountain.  We had a blast although I was very sore the next few days from it.  It was so worth it!  The high peaks area of the Adirondacks is just breath-taking. Summer school started and lasted in-person for all 6 weeks. The agency I work for was actually commended by the NYS Health Dept for doing a fantastic job with keeping all students safe and maintaining proper Covid protocols. Out of 12 students, we had 8 return for summer school.  Huge success.

Summit of Hopkins Mountain with Mady
3, 183 feet high
High Peaks Area/Giant Mt Wilderness Area
ADKS, July

Sunset over Long Lake 
Owls Head Mt in background

• AUGUST:  Summer school ended 6 weeks after it began the first week of July so I had 3 weeks off before heading back to the classroom in September.  The place where we rent a cottage on Long Lake (Central Adirondacks) was still allowing guests as long as we wore masks in the main office and in town so we all headed up there for a glorious week of rest and relaxation.  Our oldest daughter joined us for 3 days as of course her vacation to Texas couldn't happen.  NYS was still on travel restrictions so we stuck to the cottage and surrounding areas. My very good friend from childhood (Cheryl B) also joined us by staying in the motel on the premises and hanging out with us on the beach, and having drinks with us at the cottage. We hiked, kayaked, swam, and I dealt with a lawyer in a childhood sexual abuse case most of the month.  When the story broke out in the news, we actually lost some friends over it but it is all ok. I'm an advocate for children who have been abused and I will continue to do so.  The next stage is the depositions which will probably take a while due to Covid. Sadly, this case involved our former church and its leadership and yet we saw much growth in our selves because the Lord opened our eyes to the toxic people there.  Although we are sad at the broken friendships, we know this is for the best. We have close friends in our new church who are not toxic people and our own leadership is helping us to pray for justice in this abuse case involving the young lady. Most of the summer, except for that abuse case, was fun and free.  We wore masks everywhere and I discovered Bioskin masks which I then switched to as they are a silky material with sides that cinch and perfectly comfortable ear loops. I won't wear any other ones now.  And my glasses don't fog up in them!  We said good bye to Claire as she moved her stuff into a 4 person apartment on campus the end of August. There's just she and her good friend Elise because the other 2 girls decided to just do remote learning for their senior year.  Sadly, we couldn't attend the Ballet Company spring or autumn show so we are hoping and praying to go in Spring 2021.  Claire started her senior year with some in-person classes and some online.  At the end of the month, I decided that I wouldn't lead a traditional Bible study small group, opting instead for a Book Club format.  I kept it to just 5 of us due to Covid and so far all is well.  August ended with some more challenging hikes.  (see pic below).  Dave found out he will work from home until at least Spring 2021.  Courtney went back to her office 3 days a week.  Works from home the other 2 days. Summer was basically over although Covid was not.

Summit of Cascade Mt at 4,098 feet!
High Peaks, ADKS
36th highest mountain in NYS

Courtney Pumpkin picking
Saratoga Springs, NY

• SEPTEMBER:  A return to the classroom with 12 new students!  All students were in person making for a very happy and thankful educational team.  Dave continued to work from home and youth group and church started up again for in-person services!  We were so happy!  Yes, we wore our masks.  Courtney's trip to Maryland had to be cancelled of course so one weekend I dedicated a Saturday to just her.  We went to the farmers market, a pumpkin patch, out for lunch, some shopping in our fave little city (Saratoga) and wrapped it up with good coffee from a local coffee shop. We also did some early Christmas shopping!  Other highlights from September:  my BookClub began and we're reading How Happiness Happens by Max Lucado. It's excellent.  Dave and I had an actual "dress up and go out" date night.  We went to a fave restaurant in Saratoga for a marvelous dinner and drinks, followed by walking around downtown at night.  It was wonderful.  The weekends brought bonfires, movie nights, and I took up trail running in a local nature preserve.  I really got into it although I'm not a long distance runner so I combined it with power walking.  It was run and I hope to get back to it come spring. The weather in Autumn 2020 was just perfect!

the Dock in Autumn dawn
The Shamrock on Long Lake
Central ADKS

• OCTOBER:  This month brought many fun days out on the playground with the students.  We were at 10 students all in-person and supposed to get 2 new students before Thanksgiving. We had much success as an agency with the bulk of our students wearing their masks all day.  October also brought the annual "Girls Day out" with my sister Joy and my oldest daughter Courtney.  Claire of course was studying hard out in NH and rehearsing many long hours with the Ballet Company which accepted her as a member for the 4th and final year! For the girls day out we headed north to Schroon Lake Village and the town of Brant Lake.  We also toured the Old Shirt Factory in Glens Falls and did a lot of Christmas shopping for extended family.  I. also found some special gifts that were totally vegan for Claire.  For the long Columbus Day Weekend, Dave and I headed back to the Shamrock where the owners surprised us with the motel price for the "honeymoon cottage" (a smaller cottage than what we typically rent).  It was a heavenly weekend full of good food in a new to us restaurant that was very affordable;  board game night with food ordered in and a good bottle of wine,  a wonderful full day hike to a remote pond I had hiked to in the past but which Dave had never done.  We hiked just over 7 miles that day and only saw 4 other hikers going in as we were coming out.  It was a much needed respite for just the two of us to reconnect. Our marriage really needed it. I received a couple of very special emails from our senior pastor regarding the abuse case and he really encouraged me and confirmed I was doing the right thing by being a witness and advocate for this young girl. It was a huge relief and made me feel loved. October also saw me going to Vermont to meet Claire one Saturday for a day in Brattleboro where we picked up our vegan lunch and ate outdoors in the park.  It was beautiful!  We also did some browsing in the shops and food co-op and found some great food for her to take back to her UNH apartment.  Little did we know we wouldn't be seeing each other for Thanksgiving.  I treasured my day with my youngest girl.   The rest of the month was spent trail running in local preserves and focusing on my Book Club. Dave earned a pay raise and then the next day I discovered our Special Ed PreK Agency had given all of us raises as well!!  This was a huge surprise given the fact that numbers were down due to Covid19.  Dave was told he'd be working from home at least until March 2021.  Courtney found out that her good friend and potential apartment mate just might be able to share an apartment with her come early summer as long as Covid didn't get worse. Over all it was a great month! And Claire surprised us with beautiful photos of the UNH Ballet Company Photo Shoot.  

Claire, member of the UNH Ballet Company
4th year
2020-2021 Dance Company Photo Shoot
Durham, NH

Reist Bird Sanctuary
Niskayuna, NY

• NOVEMBER:   We had friends over for a socially distanced, in the backyard by the fire pit gathering for my homemade 3 bean vegan chili and cornbread and wine.  It was so much fun with our friends Ingrid and Ken and their young adult children Matt and Amanda. I went back to my hometown to place some pumpkins on my parents' graves and met my oldest friend (friends since 1965 Kindergarten days!) for lunch in the local pub.  That was an ok day. I don't miss the Mohawk Valley but I do miss my parents. A friend of mine, my good sister in Christ Cindy, and I discovered a bird sanctuary run by Union College in the next town over so we explored the two trails there.  It's small but very pretty and very easy. We learned that because of UNH and the careful restrictions and cutting edge technology they are using surrounding Covid19, that Claire decided to stay on campus for Thanksgiving.  Also, because the state of MA was in the "red zone" (most of it) we decided to stay here in NY for the holiday instead of gathering at my in-laws.  Wise decision on our part as they then contracted covid sometime in early December. We had just the 3 of us for a traditional turkey dinner (my husband made his amazing stuffing and turkey and I did all the veggies and desserts) and we invited my sister Joy and her son Luke for dinner.  It was fun holiday with new traditions.  We ate, played a board game, and then had coffee and pie/desserts. Later that weekend, because Autumn was so mild, I hit the nature preserves again.  Also, I hiked for the last time until probably February in the ADKS.  I discovered a new trail system in the town where Joy lives so I explored 3 of the interconnecting trails.  I was solo hiking and it was a peaceful way to end November. I also did my daily power walking in our local town park a few times before the snow fell.

Path through the woods
at The Crossings Park

• DECEMBER: This month brought our first big snowstorm!  30 inches overnight which left me with 2 snow days from work making for a 4 day weekend!  It was a LOT of snow as you can see from the photo below:

dave deals with 30 inches of blowing and drifting snow!

but it all melted by the end of the weekend in true 2020 fashion so we ended up having yet another green Christmas here in eastern New York State! In fact, on Christmas morning we awoke to 60 degrees!

Most of December was spent doing last minute on-line shopping for gifts, baking 3 different kinds of cookies for Xmas eve, making homemade vegan chocolate peanut butter cups for Xmas Day dessert, and gathering with my sister Jill's family for our Christmas exchange and pizza dinner/drinks night.  The day after Christmas, we celebrated with my sister Joy and her son for a small gift exchange with dessert and coffee in the afternoon.  The other sister, Hope and her husband, will come down sometime in the spring. Work ended well with just 3 students deciding  to go remote for the month.  Most days, due to head colds and not being allowed in our school, we only had 6 students per day!  December also brought my nephew's 28th birthday, then my 61st birthday, then my sister Joy's 59th birthday, followed by 2 good friends of mine turning another year older (both are 1-3 years older than me), and then Claire's birthday on the 21st, our Winter Solstice baby.  And of course the Christmas Eve service where just a few people were in attendance, all masked and all singing tradtional Xmas carols.  We loved the simplicity of the service.

Christmas Day was relaxed and fun.  We all opened special gifts.  Mine was  a new Macbook Air..the latest one....and wow...how much better to blog with! The girls were happy with the gifts we chose for them and we all enjoyed a simple lunch of deli foods and mimosas. We watched a movie that Courtney received as a gift and just relaxed.  I ended up taking a nice walk around the neighborhood each day of this vacation and actually went with a friend one day to our local pond preserve.  We spent an hour in the woods!  We called Dave's parents on Christmas evening and both are still recovering from Covid in the rehab near Boston.  We are praying they can go home soon!

Courtney (27) and Claire (22) 
Christmas morning 2020

Ann Lee Pond
Albany, NY
29 December

That wraps up 2020!

I chose to look for the blessings in life instead of complaining about our inept president and the horrible  politics going on.  I tried not to scroll down social media feeds as I was so weary of seeing negative news whether it was from the pandemic, people bemoaning the wearing of masks, etc and the idiot we have in office who truly does seem to suffer from mental illness/narcissistic personality disorder. I tried instead to focus on what God wants for me and my husband.  I tried reaching out to some neighbors and together we gathered some items for a local soup kitchen as there are some families in need in our community due to no work from Covid related situations. I tried to encourage people at work and tried to pray more for others.  I'm not perfect but I'm happy that I worked on some of these personal goals. 

We are thankful we have our home, our health, and each other and we look forward to what 2021 might bring. Life is an adventure and when you keep your trust in God, it makes each day a bit easier.

God bless you as we say good bye to 2020!!