Fare Thee Well, 2020!

 

I think we can all agree that the end of 2020 couldn't come soon enough. Between ugly politics, social unrest, and CoVid-19, it's been one of the most stressful years in a very long time. In this house, we've certainly had it better than many, for which we are grateful. Still, it's been a long, tough year.  

Even though this has been a year that has filled us with anxiety, fear, and stress, it wasn't all bad. As we learned to adapt, we found ways to be with my parents, do things new ways, and appreciate what we have. It's easy to look back on this year as one of the worst we've ever had, but today I'm trying to focus on the good things that happened this year. 

We learned that even though we couldn't hug each other, nothing could keep us apart. From parking lot dinners, to picnics, to driveway celebrations, we found ways to be together. And Zoom and FaceTime helped keep our family and my book club (when we couldn't meet on patios) talking. Even for this introvert, those human connections were vital.

We took advantage of all the free time we had to get some things done around the house. I stripped, sanded, and painted things we already owned, things I found on FaceBook marketplace, and things we were gifted. Some time and elbow grease gave several rooms a whole new look which was sorely needed, what with us being stuck in the house so much!

We made gifts and outdoor games - some easy to do, others a whole lot more work that took two of us to finish. And I finally got around to painting my office when my sister gifted me the mate to one of my antique bookshelves, which involved reorganizing and rearranging the entire room. 

Knowing we were going to spend a lot of time in the backyard, we painted, created a new light fixture, and planted a lot of flowers. We got a chance to see our kids, keep up family holiday traditions, learned what we like and dislike about working form home, and had some fun with the stadium cutouts we gave my parents for Christmas. 

Some reading slumps may have slowed down my reading at times, but I still finished 87 books this year. I had a hard time finding ten fiction books that were worth putting on a Top Ten list but I read a lot of great nonfiction and listened to a lot of great book readers. I won't list them here; you can see them in the tab above. Of the books I read 58 were written by female authors, 54 were checked out from the library, 39 were audiobooks, 25 were nonfiction, 15 were from NetGalley, and more than 20 were set outside of the U. S. The books included 10 about U. S. history; 10 mysteries; 2 each of fantasy/sci-fi, dystopian fiction, science, humorous, classics and political; 3 self-help; 5 that included religion; 14 women's fiction; 4 about social issues; 3 from series; 3 about immigrants; 8 collections of essays or short stories; 15 works of historical fiction; 3 true crime books; and 15 books about diversity. It was a good year of reading, even though I did a terrible job of reading from my own shelves, which should have been easy this year! 

I hope that you've found ways to make 2020 a good year and that you've been able to find joy. Here's looking forward to 2021. We've still got a long road ahead of us as far as the virus is concerned but I'm feeling hope now and that's such a nice feeling after such a difficult year. 

Happy New Year!

Paula Deen's Savannah Style by Paula Dean and Brandon Branch

Paula Deen's Savannah Style by Paula Deen and Brandon Branch
Published April 2010 by Simon and Schuster
Source: the publisher and Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Beautiful photography and writing that oozes the Southern charm that Deen is known for make up this wonderful book that showcases the homes in one of the most beautiful cities in the country. 

The book is divided into seasons. Spring is dominated by decorating your outdoor spaces--gardens and porches; summer is focused on keeping cool with sleeping porches and parlors designed to keep the heat out; fall is time to bring out the good stuff and get more formal yet be comfortable, and winter is about the holidays and making a house a home.

Sometimes the writing can be a bit much (the "g" is left off the end of a lot of words such as fixin') but then if you've ever watched Deen's television shows, that is the way she talks and I found myself picking up a Southern accent as I read the book. In every chapter there are block of Brandon's Style Secrets. Nothing revolutionary here but they are great tips. Savannah is over the top but there are still a lot of great ideas here that anyone could incorporate into their own homes. Except I think that I'll skip on the taxidermy. Yes, there is an section devoted to taxidermy which is apparently big in Savannah. Instead I'll focus on the sections on collecting and book nooks. And maybe bring in some of those fresh flowers that Branch is so fond of.