See, this little Christmas tree? It’s the Christmas tree we put up on our main level. It’s got pinecones. I bought some holly berries one year to attach to it, but I think a lot of have broken off. Still, I love it. I add special mismatched ornaments from time to time.
This year the light strand it came with burned out. Slowly. First the middle strand went black. Then the top strand. It was just one sad ring of lights around the base doing its best to be Christmas-y.
Last weekend, my husband bought two new strands of lights and then he and Mikaela took off the old burnt-out lights. The task proved tedious as the lights were looped through the branches. When they were done, they wrapped the new lights around the tree.
Doesn’t it look lovely?
I don’t think I’m alone in saying 2021 was a rough year. Kind of like my little Christmas tree, the lights were slowly dimming for me and everything looked grim. There were some extra challenges beyond the ongoing pandemic, which I'd rather not revisit for a while.
Because of everything, Christmas wasn’t really my thing this year. So if you were expecting a card, I apologize. Gifts are going to be a little shy this year. I didn’t even do much baking. And I decided that’s okay.
Despite everything I am grateful for many people and situations that lit up my world this year...
Richard. Always my rock, he continues to amaze me with his unwavering support and love. We celebrated our 25 years together this year.
Mikaela. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the laughs we share every day. Even the worst day can be made better when we load up YouTube and dive into the latest BTS rabbit hole and giggle at ourselves. She's completed two more semesters in her psych degree and we are so proud.
So much of my energy went into writing and dealing with some personal struggles that I have to give an extra shout out to Richard and Mikaela, my two housemates as I call them. They cooked and cleaned and picked up the slack when I had my nose buried in my laptop.
They encouraged me when I needed it, dried my tears when I cried, and listened to my latest hair-brained idea. And they never stopped believing I could finish my book. They were the first readers and I'll be forever grateful for their input.
My creative crew and our (kinda) monthly lunches. I’m lucky I got to call them colleagues at one time and I’m still lucky they continue to be a presence in my life. So I will raise a toast to the J-crew (plus Tom!) during the holidays. I love you guys so much! You keep me sane, so thank you!
My work team. Even though we are spread across five provinces, I have appreciated we our diverse group of talented people. It makes work feel less like work. I am lucky I get to call these people colleagues and also friends!
Music. I’ve always loved music, but the 1,855 hours of music I listened to this year (not counting hours spent on YouTube) by 933 different artists is a testament to how music can be the best kind of therapy. Also, it counted as research.
Writing. Honestly, coming back to my first love of fiction writing was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. It felt like a miraculous re-birth in a way. It's been a joy to create characters, build tension, stitch together stories, conjure up dialogue, paint word pictures, research locales and pertinent topics (such as the music industry).
My novel. I finished something! The girl who never finished anything - not even a degree - managed to finish a 75,000-word novel this year. It's got a beginning, a middle, and an end. The process was an education I'll never forget and I will be forever grateful to the main character for all he taught me about myself.
As 2021 draws to an end, I won't lie, hope remains as elusive as a nighttime shadow. But 2022 holds special promise.
Two prairie girls in the city. Sounds like a podcast or blog, doesn't it? I have given myself the ultimate present this year. In May, COVID willing, Mikaela and I will dust off our Saskatchewan boots, hop on a plane, and don our city-walking shoes as we temporarily relocate to Canada's largest city, Toronto, Ontario.
The trip is part book research and part recreation. (I will be working while I am there, too. So grateful for an accommodating employer. Remote work for the win!) I am grateful Mikaela can come with me and experience the city I fell in love with so long ago.
I know for many of us the challenges of 2021 will linger into 2022, but I remain stubbornly hopeful. Like my pretty little Christmas tree, I hope we all are surrounded by people who help us shine a little brighter.
Whatever you celebrate this time of year - enjoy and be merry!
Don't forget to pop me an email.
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