The Christmas ham is finished and I'm starting to cook meals again. Panettone French toast for breakfast and simple things for dinner like vegetable soup and spaghetti with anchovies, chilli and chard. I'm also watching Bridgerton on Netflix, which feels like Pride & Prejudice, Gossip Girl and Little Women combined (a little soapy but highly addictive).
I'm feeling a little nervous as this year ends, not knowing how the pandemic will play out in 2021. But I've also really enjoyed parts of this year - being able to work from home, spending more time with family (IRL and playing lots of online games), and feeling really loved by those closest to me.
Tony and I were talking about our highlights of 2020 the other night and mine were all personal projects and events, nothing work-related. They were things like making a wedding cake for my brother and a mini-podcast for my other brother in hotel quarantine. Then there were two special Sydney trips, one to witness a tiny wedding and another to meet a best friend's new baby. And hosting my whole family - with kids and partners - for lunch in July. It was the first time we'd all been together since Christmas 2018. I'm also grateful for all the times I saw my friend Angie - in March for a pasta party, in June right after I learnt that I might lose my job (thankfully, I didn't), and again in October when she visited Canberra to celebrate her birthday.
Tony and I holidayed in Jervis Bay in early December, driving through burnt out areas from last summer's bushfires to get there. Parts of this year have been so scary - terrifying even - and I'm grateful to have gone through it with Tony. Despite it all - bushfires, smoke, intense hail, a pandemic, job insecurity and WFH - we've stayed close, had fun and taken care of each other when things got hairy.
It sounds silly but I've always loved planning and giving gifts and this year they've felt more important than ever. Even when we were preparing for the possibility of job loss, small gifts were something I wanted to be able to keep giving. And while I've sent some presents for comfort and consolation in 2020, next year I'm hoping to send more for celebratory reasons too. Because if this year has taught me anything, it's to celebrate the small stuff and let loved ones know you're thinking of them (especially when you can't see them).
I hope you have a safe and happy new year, though I know that's not always possible given the shocker of the year we've just had. Thank you for being here and reading along. Old-school blogging has brought me a lot of comfort this year and helped me make sense of it in some ways too. I hope to share fewer photos from the inside of my apartment in 2021 😂
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