I bored myself...

When I started writing my weekly Corona Diaries, I honestly thought it would be twelve weeks AT THE MOST. Having just put together my photobook for the year I realise how long it lasted, went away, seemed gone, crept back and then took over our lives again.

So, to be honest, my weekly diary entries bored me. What more could I say than this is what I read, this is where I walked and this is how sunny it is. Everyone was saying the same thing.

Trying not to say something too obvious but 2020 was a tricky one as I lived it day-to-day but now I look back, I can see opportunities came my way and I achieved a few great things. One opportunity was to work in HR (yes, more studying, but who am I without some external validation?) and as the sector I work in is infrastructure my work commitments grew at quite a pace. Just as well when - at the time of writing - Landlord Husband is essentially jobless with no particular end in sight.

I read 50 books (not counting self-help and audio titles). This seemed so do-able in lockdown because it's essentially a book a week. However, once I started working and studying my time was squeezed down to evenings and weekends (and there is sooo much mindless social media scrolling I need to do!). To combat this, I would start a book on a Sunday and divide the pages by the days available that week. Quite an extreme way to approach this - and at times I got pretty sweaty - but it worked. I turned the corner into Week 52 with The Girls by Emma Cline. Always end on a page-turner...

My 20 Things to do in 2020 list is a brilliant reminder of how 'life is what happens when you are busy making plans'. However, I did have lots of golf lessons, watched my godson play cricket in Cornwall, bought a new bed and saw the Ed Sheeran Exhibition. Taking our daughter to a music concert will have to be put on ice for a bit (and, let's be honest, by the time we are out of this she will undoubtedly feel the last place on earth she wants to be is with her parents).

So this year, I have decided to embrace the continuing uncertainty with a list of 21 Things to Try in 2021 (see what I did there) and I have given each month a theme. The idea is that the theme will create fodder for a monthly blog, because writing is the only time I am truly mindful - but no big promises!

[If you are interested in my 50 books, follow me on instagram - @pumpkinmatisse]