Here’s the newsletter that I sent out with Christmas cards. By New Year’s Eve, I’ll do a post with photos of some of the cool things I got to do this year. Merry Christmas!
Even though it’s been a tough year in many ways, there have been many silver linings and blessings.
I got to do a lot of new things with family and friends, including pressing apples into cider, mushroom hunting, peach picking, jewelry making, and making a potted plant herb garden. And lots of exploring, from finding new waterfalls to hiking to Jefferson Park (I’m so thankful I got to see it before it was burned by wildfire this summer!). I even got to drive Mom to the top of a shield volcano. And of course, I learned how to teach online! I’m grateful to see my students.
This year held lots of joys that I had done before, too, like seeing friends that I taught with overseas, camping at Waldo Lake, going on short local hikes, and other outdoor activities with friends and family. I’m very grateful to you all for reaching out to keep me connected!
Some other silver linings/things that have helped me stay sane this year: Getting to see friends and family from far away thanks to Zoom (and also get-togethers, meetings, and cool seminars from church, writing groups, and other organizations), living walking distance from a park with hiking trails, books from all the Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood, DVDs from the library, and of course, my cat.
What new things did you try this year? What helped you stay positive? I’d love to hear about them in a card, letter, email, or even a postcard. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, Jessie (and Arwen, aka Santa Kitty)
The Compass Rose Queen 