Happy New Years Eve 2021!
Can you believe it’s the last day of 2020?! 2020 was so full of hope in the beginning- the ringing in of the “Roaring Twenties”. We were all so excited about what was ahead. I kicked off this year by visiting family in California and digging for gems in a gem mine.
Can’t believe I found this in the Earth. 
So many points!
Then February came and I ran the Disney Princess Fairy Tale Challenge (20 miles) in Florida. I started training for an ultra marathon overnight trail relay in the woods (30+ miles) for April 2020. It all seemed so magical. Soon coronavirus took over and the year started to look so bleak.
DIY Queen of Hearts Headpiece
This year has gone by so slowly and we certainly experienced a lot of things we never had before. 2020 been full of ups and downs, lots of wins and lots of loss. Both the Viking and I had deaths in the family due to coronavirus. It’s all very sad. May they and everyone else who has died all rest in Eternal Peace. We sold our country home during the height of the pandemic, something we thought wouldn’t be possible. We thought it’d take months to sell but it only took 2 days. Then “new life” happened and we moved back into the City and then of course sewing happened. The rest is history.
I am looking forward to 2021 but am being realistic about it too. You never know what kind of curve balls life will throw at you. I doubt I’ll be travelling anytime soon and due to new health issues (another unexpected surprise of 2020) I likely won’t be running either. Walking is my main source of exercise these days. Sewing has been a wonderful and productive distraction from the outside world. It has replaced that runners high and has allowed me to zone out in a similar way. When you run a race you go through weeks of training, finally run the race then get that feeling of accomplishment when you reach the finish line and receive your medal. I am far from being an Olympian but I did take the training very seriously. Nobody can take the finishing accomplishment away from you- it’s all work you’ve done on your own to get there.
Sewing has given me the same discipline. I plan my project, “train” and do the work aka sew the item. I get that same wonderful sense of accomplishment at the end when I see the finished garment and it’s a perfect fit. Sewing, like running, is all fun! (Though one would argue running is NOT fun, lol) 2020 will always be remembered as the the year I taught myself how to sew because we needed masks. It’s as simple as that. As I mentioned before, sewing is like a game. Although I enter the PR contests, I compete against myself. I am always looking for ways to learn more, get better and be the best I can be. It’s the same mentality I have when running a race. I don’t expect to get a gold medal because I put in the time and did the work. EVERYONE who is out there running the race put in the time and did the work! I am happy just to have participated! I can’t tell you how many times I enjoyed the months of training rather than the actual race itself.
This is why I am so overcome with happiness, deep gratitude and humility when I received so many votes for me to place Second in the Wardrobe Contest and First in the Little Basic Dress contests this year. Everyone put in the time and did the work, but to place… Wow. It’s just a wonderful thing. So I THANK YOU ALL again.
The joy is in the journey.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year 2021 with lots of joy and enthusiasm for the journey ahead.
