Looking back on it, it may seem that the year 2020 was all bad, but, for me, there have been some silver linings in the clouds. I try to be a positive person and see my glass as half full, so I will start with the good.

The Good

• At the top of my “good list” is that my brother got a liver transplant this year. This liver transplant has extended his life and for that, my family is very grateful. It’s the best thing that has happened this year. You can read more about it here: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/city-organ-recipient-lucky-to-get-liver-in-a-dangerous-time-569246402.html

• My step son got engaged. We are very happy that he has found his soul mate and will be getting married in July. We are hoping that they can have a wedding reception with all the bells and whistles but time will tell.
• Last summer was amazing. We have an acre and a half and I spent countless hours planting and digging; growing vegetables and flowers. I loved every minute of it and look forward to continuing the work next summer.
• We are so lucky to have a place at Victoria Beach where we can go and get away from the city. We love it best in the winter as there are very few people and the dogs can run free. The roads are plowed and we spend a lot of time walking and exploring the trails.

• I have learned to stop trying to please people who don’t want to be a part of my life. I have learned to let go of those people and I have more peace in my life because of it. Trying to please people who don’t appreciate me was sucking the energy out of me and I know that it was affecting my mental and physical health. So in 2020 I have been healthy while many others have not been. For that, I am very grateful.

The Bad

• My husband has had some health issues for the past few months and needed emergency abdominal surgery at the beginning of Dec. We just found out that he has lymphoma, so the next few months are going to be a tough for us. We will get through it and he will be okay. We have a lot of support and he has a great attitude.
• Our dog Fergus died in December. It’s always tough to lose a dog and we feel Fergus’s loss every day. He was a gentle, black dog; the sweetest dog I have known. RIP Fergus.

• My mother has Covid and is isolated in her room in a nursing home. She is apparently asymptomatic but she looks terrible. We only see her on Zoom and she has gone downhill in this last month. It is very sad to see.

• My photography business has dropped off significantly as I have had to be closed for a lot of 2020. It bothers me to turn people down when they contact me for sessions, but I think being safe is the most important thing right now and I will continue to follow the health guidelines.
• Not seeing my family bothers me and is one of the things that has made 2020 so difficult for me personally. My son lives in Calgary with his family and this is the longest I have gone without seeing them. We weren’t able to have extended family for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. I miss them all and hope that 2021 will be better.

The Ugly

• The person whom Whoopi Goldberg has not named for 4 years is at the top of my list for ugly. https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/whoopi-goldberg-wont-say-trumps-name/article_0980ffbf-5a9e-506b-9824-b17a54cb69e4.html. I am not going to contaminate this site with his name either, but he is quite simply an evil, fascist fool and he can’t be gone from the news or our lives soon enough!!

Even though 2020 has been bad for my business and there have been challenges; it hasn’t been all bad. Having said that, I am looking forward to life getting back to what used to be normal. At this point, I am not sure things will ever be like they were before Covid-19. But they will improve.

Stay safe my readers and I hope to see you in 2021!