2020…That’s a wrap.

Had you known, last Christmas, what the new year would hold for you, what would you have done differently?

We were in Las Vegas, March 8-11 and the talk about “corona virus” was just a mumble, in our life anyway. I remember we didn’t touch the escalator hand holds. The buffets at the casinos were just being shut down on our last day there. The throngs of people we were normally used to, were less. Very much less.

Mr. Colquhoun had been with a cough since November. Allergy related by March. People kinda looked at him suspiciously when he’d hack. As we boarded the plane to come home, the stewardess tossed him a paper mask and told him to wear it. He did. It was our first inkling that sh*t was getting real.

He ended up in the hospital in April, quicker testing to see if he was positive, that way. He was not. Discharged as soon as the results came back, with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Major antibiotics and he was finally feeling better.

Then the shelves at the walmarts were empty. What the heck? Crazy things were out of stock for a long time. Mainly Jello brand instant pudding. ???? I never understood that. Flour, sugar, baking staples all scarce. People stayed home. Baked bread, if you could find yeast. Made masks, bought masks and hand sanitizer but not Lysol wipes. We cooked for weeks on end. And missed our friends.

Soon people we knew started getting positive test results. Some were fine, some were pretty sick, some couldn’t kick it. We all know someone who’s had the rona, if not ourselves. Our babies got the normal autumn coughs and runny noses. What to do? Were they sick? In 2019, we would’ve assumed it was a cold and life went on, like normal. But 2020? We second guessed our every thought, every day.

And here we are, like last year, awaiting a new year. A new beginning. A chance to start over. All the daydreams of what 2021 could hold. I believe we are all a bit more apprehensive about the future. Our future. Our kids future.

Truth be told, we don’t know what’s going to happen. But, really, we never have known. We just looked forward with anticipation not anxiety. I think we need to do that again. Daydream about the good things, anticipate life being more “old school normal”. Look forward to a new year. Be positive! (Not a test result 😉). Laugh often.

Please be well, my friends. I wish great things for all of you. And good health. Cheers to 2021! 🥂 I’ll be talking to you!