Dear Readers,
Here we are at the end of this extraordinarily trying year! First of all, I want to share the Writer's Workbook 2021 with you (click on the image or hyperlink to download). Some of you have been eagerly awaiting its release, so here it is, my end-of-the-year gift to you!
If you're new to this process, I hope you find it helpful.
I don't have much to report other than that I am exhausted. Certainly, it's been an exhausting year in all kinds of ways. While I am grateful that I've been able to do my job and my teaching remotely, I have found working from home exhausting. Working online all the time without any of the fun aspects of office life proved intense. Like many others, I took on
additional duties this year such as serving as social media manager of the school I work for. That has been more stressful than I expected (If you have tips on sane social media management, please let me know!). Dealing with family life all the time is exhausting as well.
By the time winter break rolled around on December 18, I was depleted. I haven't recovered enough yet to offer you a more substantive newsletter with the usual recipe and blog post links. At least, this week, my daughter and I went on one of our beloved hikes in the Indiana Dunes, something I always find restorative. The above and below photos are from that excursion.
The skyline of Chicago seen from the Indiana Dunes
Thank you for staying with me and my Pandemic Times Ponderings. We made it to thirteen editions of this newsletter! It became much more than I thought it would when I began it in March. A welcome touchpoint for me, it became a way to digest my bumbling through the pandemic, and a means of sharing my work, adventures and insights. Throughout it
all, I loved hearing from you. Often, you shared your experiences, which in turn helped me a great deal.
Whatever we can do to feel less alone in this is good, isn't it?
On that note, I have a little wish: If you've read the book and found it helpful, please post a review on Amazon. I read every review, and they help tremendously in making the book more visible to others. If you have already done so, thank you very much!
Writing Family History Prompt:
What New Year traditions did your family have?
Let me wrap up by wishing you a very Happy New Year! May 2021 bring a swift end to the pandemic and all the hardships it has caused.
However, as we go into this new year, let's not forget all the good that happened in 2020 as well. Even the pandemic had its good sides. Let's make a list of those and put them in the journal we've been keeping. Life moves fast, and we will forget many of those details.
Be well, stay safe and healthy! Best wishes,
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