The Darkest Year

 

So long 2020. I would say it was fun, but then I’d be lying. And if Dolores Umbridge taught me anything, it’s that I mustn’t tell lies.

Like so many, I struggled through the year. However, I don’t want to dwell on the bad because there were some good things that came from it. We adopted a kitten. Technically, we rescued her, tried to find her owners, realized she was feral born, tried to get her into the only no-kill shelter in the area, and then wound up falling in love with her before the shelter had space to take her in. Total foster fail, but worth it! I also rescued a pair of neglected hermit crabs from someone in my area. I saw the filth they were living in, and immediately responded to the listing. Did I know anything about hermit crabs? No, but I was not about to let those things suffer anymore. While they started out super shy, they are coming out earlier and earlier every day (they are nocturnal) and it’s been great seeing them enjoy their new digs. I also got a Cricut machine and decided to start crafting. Which has helped with my anxiety and depression because it gives me something to focus on, and gives me a sense of completion when I finish a project. So that machine has really saved my sanity.

One huge thing I did this year was quit my job. This is my first week not working, and it feels great. It was just becoming too much. We were seeing international people flying in from all over. American’s driving/flying across country. They were all carrying on like we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic. I had people tell me that the pandemic was over and therefor didn’t need to wear a mask because back home in Florida, Covid isn’t a thing. Seriously, some of the stuff I dealt with was absurd. So, since I started to feel extremely overwhelmed, and I honestly didn’t feel like my job was “essential” by any means, I decided enough was enough, and left. I’m looking forward to less stress in my life, and hopefully a lot more reading this year. My reading tanked badly this year between everything going on. I had set a goal of reading 65 books (which is super low for me) but I only got to 61 books read this year.  However, I’m hoping that I’ll get back into blogging and reading again. I’m honestly just ready to get myself mentally back on track.

 

 

5 Star Reads from 2020

click on the cover to see my review of Warlord

So apparently there was only one book that I loved from this year and that was Warlord by Elizabeth Vaughan. This series was just so rich in the world the author created, so rich with the traditions of Keir’s people, and I just couldn’t seem to put the books down. Their relationship and their circumstances reminded me a lot of Khaleesi and Khal Drogo, which were my favorite characters from Game of Thrones. So, it makes sense that I devoured these books.

 

 

Latest on Instagram

 

12 Thoughts on “The Darkest Year

  1. yeah this whole year was a complete mess. I am happy to see that you made the decisions that were best for yourself. I adored Warlord, I also adored the rich world building that author creates.

  2. Good riddance to 2020 I say! Hope you had a nice New Year! 🙂

    I think it’s awesome about the crabs. You always wonder how much they understand but the fact that they are friendlier or come out more- maybe they do have feelings, right, or at least are able to form some kind of attachments. that’s cool though. And quitting your job- I get it. The death toll and suffering from this thing is horrific and to see so many Americans dismiss it- it’s mind boggling.

    Anyway hope you had a nice New Year!!! :):)

    • It’s been fascinating having them. I got a night camera set up in the enclosure so I can see what they are up to. They are very active and one loves using the hamster wheel I have in there. That one will walk on it for hours on end.

      Yeah. My stress levels have gone way down since I quit. I’m finding the drive to do things and am able to focus on the stuff that needs to get done.

  3. I hope to see you more on the blog. Hopefully this year will be better for everyone.

  4. Congrats on leaving your job! I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision but people are too loosey-goosey in pandemic times.

    • Thank you. It was something that I thought about for a very long time, but I just hit a point where enough was enough and it was time to go. I have noticed in the last week that my anxiety has gone way down. So it was definitely the right choice to make.

  5. That’s pretty much how I got Figgy lol He’s named Figment because I already had 3 cats & 3 dogs and we were NOT GOING TO KEEP HIM. He stayed in the bathroom as a Figment of our imagination until we got him tested for things and I took him to the shelter where there were approximately 100 other orange kittens then brought him home.

    My reading started off well and then just tanked. Between the lockdowns and losing Fonzi I just couldn’t focus. Then the new puppers took up a lot of time.

    I hope leaving your job gives you peace of mind. I a forever thankful that we don’t live in FL right now. My husbands old workplace is just carrying on like nothing is happening even though several workers had it.

    Karen @ For What It’s Worth

    • Last year was a rough year. Lots of losses throughout the book community. I can imagine the two new pups keep you quite busy. Hopefully they give you some time to sit down, relax, and read.

  6. I’m so sorry to hear how stressful your job had become because of the pandemic. Good for you for taking control and getting out of such a bad situation though. Here’s hoping 2021 is a much better year for you all round. Yay for adopting a new kitten though. If that’s her on your IG feed, she is adorable!

    • Thanks. I’m glad I made the decision. News came in last night that it’s spreading around the office I used to work in. So it seems like I got out of there just in time.

Leave a Reply to Amber Elise @ Du Livre Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Post Navigation