Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had some rest and relaxation leading up to and including New Year’s Day. I celebrated New Year’s Eve virtually with the City of Toronto’s live Celebration of Light & Sound at the CN Tower. It was beautiful and safe fun.
In the last two weeks, I enjoyed a quiet holiday at home. I baked a batch of tasty Parmesan shortbread biscuits, a Magical Coconut Pie, had phone chats with my family and friends, made online donations to charities, finalized my Books in 2020, and organized new files for 2021.
Mother Nature delivered snow for a white Christmas and clouds on New Year’s Day. While cycling and walking outside, I enjoyed watching many birds, especially hawks, red cardinals, and flocks of long-tailed ducks. Their antics made me smile.
Blog News
During the holiday break, I cleaned up my blog and media library behind the scene and did a back-up. I keep most things the same. Here’s a short list of what’s updated on my blog and what’s new.
What’s updated?
- The Menu bar and the content of the Pages at the top of my blog.
- My Copyright statement on the bottom right widget and at the end of each post.
What’s new?
On January 1, 2021, Alli at Eclectic Alli blog decided to step away from hosting the weekly Weekend Coffee Share. I volunteered to continue hosting it.
My guidelines starting on January 8:
- Everyone is welcome to join in the Weekend Coffee Share in any and every week.
- Topics are open – e.g. What’s been going on in your life? What are your weekend plans? Is there a topic you’ve just been ruminating on that you want to talk about? Mid-life musings? Wellness goals? etc.
- Leave the link to your Weekend Coffee Share post in a comment below my Coffee Share post. No InLinkz button or code required at this time.
- You can link to your post any time between 8 a.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday (both Toronto time).
- I’ll be flexible in the way I title my Weekend Coffee Share posts.
- I’d ask that participants be social. Read my post and two posts from other Coffee Share participants and leave a comment so we know you’ve dropped by.
- I’ll merge the monthly Wellness series that I hosted in the last 2-3 years with the weekly Coffee Share.
Life Focus
In 2021 I continue to focus my energy on three main areas, Health, Home, and Leisure, to live a healthy and enriched life. In lieu of a Word of The Year or a list of resolutions, I choose to allocate time for at least one activity in each of the three areas every day. My typical day is generally spent on Health (morning), Home (afternoon), and Leisure (evening).
Health
I continue my self-care routine to maintain good mental and physical health. It includes meditation, yoga, cycling, walking, body weight training, rest days, and health check-ups. I add seasonal sports when possible (e.g. paddling in the summer). I like to keep my fitness routine fun and I’m open to try new things.
Home
Home to me is about the physical space where I live and the relationships with my family, friends, and community. I continue to practice the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to keep my home tidy and low maintenance. I use technology to stay connected with my family and friends who live in different time zones.
In 2021 with the rollout of vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I anticipate adjustments to gradually return to pre-pandemic level of activities. I intend to give back to my community and contribute to the recovery.
Leisure
This area is about fun activities that satisfy or expand my curiosity and interests. Examples include arts, languages, movies, music, nature, photography, reading, writing, travel, wandering, etc. There is no shortage of activities or topics that I’d like to explore. The main challenge has been time.
Looking Forward
At present, the lockdown in Toronto that started on November 23, 2020 remains in place until at least January 23, 2021. I continue to follow public health measures to stay safe and well. During a lockdown, life is simplified because only the essentials are available and everything else is either closed or available online.
I feel organized going into this year with new days waiting to be filled with explorations and enrichment. I look forward to 2021 with gratitude and optimism. I hope to see you at my Weekend Coffee Share starting January 8.
How did you celebrate New Year’s Day? What’s the top priority for you in 2021? I’d love to hear your comments.
Linking here.
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Natalie the Explorer 
It sounds like you had a productive blogging break, Natalie. I’m happy you enjoyed your quiet time. We celebrated a nice quiet evening at home. Like yourself, I’m ready to hit the ground running in 2021. I have several goals on my list. I hope to reach all of them while maintaining my peace. Happy New Year, friend! xo
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Happy New Year, Jill! A nice quiet evening is a relaxing way to celebrate a new year. I’m confident that you’ll reach all of your goals while maintaining your peace in 2021. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Thank you for taking over hosting #WeekendCoffeeShare. It will be awesome to join you. I’m so proud of you for aiming to devote your year to doing at least one activity in each focus category daily.
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Thank you, Astrid, for your kind comment. I look forward to hosting Weekend Coffee Share. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope to see you on January 8th!
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Nice to hear you had an enjoyable, quiet holiday season, Natalie. Interesting how you and I were briefly discussing copyright and this is still something I need to work on. Many ways and areas to place this notice. I like what you have done. Re my New Years – it is my daughter’s birthday, Jan. 1st for the past 40 years. Yes, a milestone for her and me this year. Happy New Year, Natalie!
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Happy New Year Erica/ Erika, and happy birthday to your daughter! It’s a special milestone for you both. I hope you’re able to celebrate safely. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Happy New Year. Here in Savannah we stayed home. We are not locked down but stay home anyway
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Happy New Year, Alice. Staying home is a relaxing way to welcome the new year. Hope you join me at the upcoming Weekend Coffee Share. Have a great day!
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Thank you for the invite and I’ll check it out
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HI Natalie and Happy New Year – it’s a great feeling to start out the new year in an organized state! I was in that kind of mood today – took the tree down, put away a lot of decorations, got my calendar organized and took a walk! We did nothing on New Year’s Even and it was great, even if I did fall asleep before midnight. Looking forward to your new posts in 2021 🙂
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Happy New Year, Barbara! You’re off to a great start being so organized. I hope you join me at the upcoming Coffee Share. I love reading 🙂
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Happy New Year and here is my weekend coffee link blog-
https://csuhpat1.blogspot.com/2020/12/happy-2021-and-noe-valley-bakery.html
Hope I did it right. Looks like you have been busy. Hope 2021 is good for you and your family.
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Happy New Year, Patrick, and thank you for sharing your link. I added a return to make your link live and easy for other commenters to click on it and visit your blog. I start hosting on January 8.
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Hi, Natalie – Your blog updates look great. Congratulations on taking over the Weekly Coffee Share. Your Christmas and New Year sounded nice despite the lockdown (which we are also currently in). Wishing you a wonderful 2021!
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Hi Donna, Thank you for your ongoing encouragement. I hope you join my upcoming Coffee Share. I always learn something new from your post. Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!
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Happy New Year! What a lovely post and thank you for the coffee. I hope you have a wonderful New Year weekend. 🤠❤️🐴
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Happy New Year, Diana! I hope you had a nice New Year’s Day. I look forward to reading your coffee share and seeing photos of Chloe and Zach.
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I’m glad you’re taking over the Weekend Coffee Share. Looking forward to continuing connecting with this wonderful community.
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Thank you, Regina, for your visit and comment. I look forward to hosting Weekend Coffee Share and connecting with you. Happy New Year!
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Happy new year Natalie! Isn’t it good to get organised, also with the blog. I’ve done a good deal of social media & online decluttering over Christmas and New year. I also finally decided to stop caring about what all the “blog gurus” think, and to bring music, my biggest passion in life, into my personal blog, although it may not fit with the other topics. It feels great and suddenly I feel so much more relaxed about my blog (and generally) and I’m finally inspired to write.
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Happy New Year, Susanne! Good for you to have done a great deal of social media and online decluttering. I think for personal blogs, what draws the readers in is the blogger’s unique voice and quality content. I’m glad you decide to bring your passion into your blog and feel inspired to write. I hope you join me at the upcoming Coffee Share.
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I will definitely try to do that., If my music geekery fits in with it 😁
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Please do join when you can. There are music lovers, writers, and wonderful geeks in my current blogging community 🙂
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Thanks for taking over the Coffee Share! I did an InLinkz for the Weekly Smile for a while (I paid for it), but found using comments a little easier for that particular linkup. I hope people do continue to socialize on the Coffee Share. Happy new year! Have a great year 🙂
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Happy New Year, Trent! Likewise, I wish you a great year. Thank you for sharing your linkup experience. Half of the link ups that I participate in use the Comments. The other half use InLinkz. I figured I’d start hosting the Weekend Coffee Share with the easy Comments first and see how it goes. I hope the Coffee Share community continues to flourish under my stewardship 🙂
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Coming back again for the Smile 🙂 Health, home and leisure are great things to concentrate on. I am very similar – I have been doing more on line course just because. And, of course, exercise. And getting out. I don’t travel nearly as much as you, though! I hope you are able to continue your explorations in 2021!
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I hope to be able to share my explorations and smiles at our Weekend Coffee Share and Weekly Smile.
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You are so productive and organised! I bet you’d be a perfect host for the weekend coffee share. I think a lockdown is smart. Here we are advised to only see family, but many people see friends as well. I pray that Covid is soon only a bad memory. A white Christmas sounds perfect. Our New Year was cloudy as well, but still enjoyable. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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Thank you, Maria, for your kind comment. I look forward to hosting and hope our Coffee Share blogging social continues to flourish under my stewardship. Have a great coming week! See you at our next coffee share.
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Magical coconut pie sounds like something I need to check out!
Thank you for posting!
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The magical coconut pie is easy to make and easy to eat it all up 🙂 Happy New Year, Tammy!
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Hi Natalie. We made it to 2021! I was sad to hear that Alli was stepping down but very pleased when you raised your virtual hand to take over. I think you’ll do a fine job of keeping the community we’ve built going and getting healthier all the time.
Thanks for stepping up to help out.
Blessings for a great 2021
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Happy New Year, Gary! I look forward to hosting Weekend Coffee Share and will need help from our blogging community to make every link up a fun and wonderful event. All the best to you and your family in 2021.
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I just marked my blogging calendar to remember your new Weekend Coffee Share! Wishing you a wonderful 2021!
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Likewise, Joanne, I wish you a wonderful 2021! See you at my new Weekend Coffee Share on January 8th.
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I’ve not engaged in the Weekend Coffee Share and will check it out.
My New Year’s was different but lovely. NYE, we watched a movie, dinking Prosecco, and then at midnight, the sky lit up as everyone (it seemed) shot off fireworks. We could see so many looking out over the bay (our new view). New Year’s day I spent cleaning up my email inbox. I am horrible for leaving emails in there – and had 2+ years of stuff. About 100 were keepers… and the other 3000+ were trash. I’m hoping to start a weekly clean-out habit!
I did a WOTY (Courage) plus a 21 for 2021 plan. I decided to only track 3 things – new things, books read, and new recipes. I considered many other tracking ideas… you always inspire me with your monthly totals, but decided it was not “me”. Not that I won’t be doing my yoga, Zumba, bike rides, zoom chats… I’m just not tracking them.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year, Pat! It must be amazing to see the fireworks from your new home. Your WOTY and tracking plan are excellent. I hope you join in my Weekend Coffee Share any week or every week. I start hosting on January 8th.
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Thanks for the step up, Natalie. Glad to continue. I’ve enjoyed the connections immensely. 🙂 ❤ I did find Alli's inlinz, but here's the link, too… http://jellicoswritingnook.home.blog/2020/12/31/weekend-coffee-share-31-dec-2020/
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I look forward to hosting Weekend Coffee Share and continuing our blogging connections in 2021. Thank you for the link. Happy New Year to you!
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Happy New Year, Natalie! I took a break from blogging but am slowly coming back to the blogging world. I would like to link up for the Weekend Coffee Share and also your Wellness Weekend if you are still doing that this year. I look forward to reading your blogs again and reconnecting with you. #lifethisweek.
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Happy New Year, Sue! You’re welcome to join the Weekend Coffee Share. I’ll start hosting on January 8th. I merge the Wellness Weekend so it is going to be part of the Weekend Coffee Share. Likewise, I look forward to reading your blogs and reconnecting with you.
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Happy new year! I’ll have to remember to link up to your weekend linky…I may switch my Monday morning week that was post to a Friday round-up maybe… Anyways, here’s wishing you a great year & your website looks lovely and clean. (Note to self – must do the same!)
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Happy New Year, Jo! I’d love to have you join me at the Weekend Coffee Share. I start hosting on January 8th. I’m glad you think my website looks lovely and clean. The blogging break gave me time to declutter and freshen up a few things. Now onto my desk 🙂 Wishing you a fantastic 2021!
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Happy New Year, Natalie! It looks like a great start to 2021. Looking forward to seeing and learning more.
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Happy New Year, Antoinette! I look forward to continuing our coffee shares and blogging connections in 2021.
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You are incredibly organized, Natalie, and – as always – I am in awe of all your personal achievements and goals of the past and for the future. Having enough time is usually my adversary too! That being said, I do hope to read more books in 2021, ideally one a month. Peanuts to you, but a doubled amount for me. If it works out.
I also hope to travel internationally again (at least see my family in Belgium over the summer) and give my book, Plunge, the attention it needs to be discovered by more people. This is a difficult task!
Have a fantastic 2021 and that all your intentions and plans may come true!
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Happy New Year, Liesbet! Likewise, I wish you a fantastic 2021 with much success in what you want to achieve. One thing I’ve learned is to allocate time for what’s important and do it in that time frame. Even if I have to chip away at it a little bit at a time, I always feel I’ve made progress at something important to me. This is not the same like a to-do list which can go on and on with many non-important stuff. Feel free to share a blog post on your Plunge book at one of my Weekend Coffee Shares. You’ll meet new bloggers, some are avid readers and some are published authors, too.
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That’s a great idea about the Weekend Coffee Share! Thank you for the suggestion. I might just do that by next weekend as this Wednesday is the first one of the month and I’ll create an overview of what has been happening to Plunge over the last month. 🙂
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Happy New Year Natalie. It’s lovely to catch up with you again. Your new year sounds like it was lovely and peaceful. I will definitely pop into your coffee share linkup but might wait until my arm improves. One handed typing at the moment is very slow
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Happy New Year, Jennifer! Wishing you a speedy recovery for your arm and a great year 2021. Feel free to join my Coffee Share any week when you’re able to.
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I love the idea of the coffee share Natalie and will try to join you, though I’m a bit sporadic with blog reading and writing! And I love you’ve taken the time to think about the direction you want your blogging (and life) to take.
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Happy New Year, Deborah! I’d love to see you at my Coffee Share link up any week. It doesn’t have to be every week for the participants.
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Hi Natalie – great news about the weekend linky – I’ll have to remember to add it to my bookmarks once you start. It sounds like you’ve had a good handle on things over the last year and into the year ahead – balance seems to be the key (and a willingness to stay engaged with the world – even when things are a bit out of sync). Happy 2021!
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Happy New Year, Leanne! I’d love to see you at my Coffee Share link up any week. I had a calm holiday break and feel organized going into the new year. Wishing you and your family a fantastic 2021.
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Hi Natalie, it’s always good to see what you’re up to and you seem very organised and proactive in lots of areas, good for you! I might keep an eye out on the Weekend share linkup to and join in from time to time. Our NYE was supposed to be a Twilight bike ride on our rail trail with a finger food picnic, but as it stormed that afternoon, we had to change to Plan B at a friend’s home instead! My WOTY is BOLD :). #lifethisweek
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Happy New Year, Debbie! I’m glad you were able to switch to plan B on NYE. Bold is an excellent WOTY. Feel free to join my Coffee Share link up any week. Wishing you and your family a fabulous 2021.
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Happy New Year, Natalie ! And I am looking forward to the Weekend Coffee Share Party on your blog from next week.
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Happy New Year, Moumita! I look forward to hosting and seeing you at the upcoming Weekend Coffee Share party. Have a great week!
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Your focus on Health, Home, and Leisure for 2021 is wise and doable. May 2021 be all you need it to be. xo
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Thank you, Darlene. Happy New Year and wishing you the best for 2021.
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Compliments of the New Year and super glad you are continuing with the coffeeshare
~B
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Happy New Year, B! I look forward to hosting and seeing you at the upcoming Weekend Coffee Share.
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Your New Year sounded nice – all the baking! Will have to try the Parm biscuits. Your health routine is beautiful. It is a priority and cheering for the extra seasonal sports you want to add. Happy 2021!
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Thank you, Markus + Micah, for your visit and comment. I hope you join in the Weekend Coffee Share when you can. I start hosting it on January 8th. Happy 2021 to you both!
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Glad you enjoyed your quiet time, Natalie.
I am most certain you will do a fantastic job hosting Weekend Coffee Share.
Happy Wednesday!
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Thank you, Veronica, for your comment. You’re welcome to join my Weekend Coffee Share party any week. Happy New Year 2021!
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Loved reading your post and have now subscribed to stay up to date. I had a love/not love relationship with wordpress but now accept its rulings!! My blog is wordpress but hosted independently.
I have a post ready for when your link up is live. Congratulations on having one of yours to oversee.
Welcome back to Life This Week in 2021 on my blog each Monday. Thank you for linking up this week. Next week the optional prompt is 2/51 Announcement on Mon11 Jan. Hope to see you back here then too. Take care, Denyse.
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Thank you, Denyse, for all that you’ve done and mentioned in your comment. My experience with WordPress has been positive so far. I look forward to hosting my first Weekend Coffee Share party starting on January 8th and seeing you there. Have a great week!
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Congratulations on adopting the Weekend Coffee share series. I came onto the 10 on the 10th series in much the same way. Will try to link up with you for some of these posts.
Hope that by 01.23, your numbers indicate that the lockdown can be lifted. Until then, be safe!!
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Thank you, Leslie. I hope you join me at Weekend Coffee Share and I’ll try to link up with you for a 10 on the 10th post. Our Wellness updates can continue as part of each month end’s coffee share. Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy 2021.
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I didn’t know that the Weekend Coffee Share had been going on all this time. I used to do that years ago when [I don’t remember her name] hosted it. Kudos to you for taking on the challenge.
As for how I plan on living my life in 2021, I’m focusing on organization, creativity, and friendship. If I can improve in those areas, I’ll be happy as can be.
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Ally, Yes, Alli at Eclectic Alli blog had hosted the Weekend Coffee Share for many years until January 1 this year. I’ll start hosting tomorrow. You’re welcome to join Weekend Coffee Share any week.
I like the three areas that you focus on for this year. They’re important to improve our quality of life. All the best to you in 2021.
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It sounds like you have everything under control–as much as you can! A positive outlooks always helps, too 🙂
I’m glad you are a part of ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!
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I agree, Betty, a positive outlook helps. Happy 2021 to you!
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Happy new year!
Congrats on hosting the blog linky.
Congrats also to Canada on doing a fab job with lockdown etc. I was just chatting to someone at work yesterday saying we’re not likely to visit the USA in the near future, but Canada might be back on the table given the comparatively fab response to COVID. Right now though staying home in Australia feels like the safest place on earth.
Thanks for joining the Lovin’ Life LInky!
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Thank you, Leanne. Yes, staying at home is safer and more comfortable at the moment. I’m glad you put Canada back on the table. I’ve always had Australia on my list to visit. You’re welcome to join my blog link any week. Happy 2021!
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We had a quiet New Year’s Eve at home, and then walked the trails of one of our Oceanside parks on New Year’s Day—in the rain. Usually I take some time at the transition to a new year to reflect on the past year and think about what the coming year will bring. As you can see from my recent blog posts, I did review the past year, but somehow the future seems too uncertain to make firm plans. That said, I am continuing with my ongoing activities, including yoga, skiing, walking, writing, book club, childcare, academic work, volunteer work, staying in touch with family and friends, and so on.
Jude
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Jude, I feel the same about how the future seems too uncertain to make firm plans this year. We’re still in the pandemic. Like you, I continue with my ongoing activities, although they’re not as many as what you have been managing so well.
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