The Year 2021 - in review.

I think the general belief was that 2021 was going to be a lot better than 2020. Er, no. It seems that nothing has really changed, plus we now have a new variant to contend with - Omicron - which almost ruined our break in Mallorca! The good news for the UK, though, was the rollout of the vaccines and booster jabs, which definitely saw a drop in hospitalisations and death rates. 

For me, personally, we had a major change when Mike left home to live with Abbie in September, giving in his notice at Kettering Golf Club in August. They found a one-bedroom flat in Southampton and started a new life!

The first three months of 2021 were spent in lockdown, so no opportunity to travel anywhere (even travelling to another county was forbidden - hard to believe, but true!) so very little happened from January to March!

We took the plunge and booked to go to Mallorca in December, unaware that our break would be affected by the new variant, which forced us to take a test whilst on the island and then book PCR tests on our return. The holiday was enjoyable and I particularly loved Pollenca in the winter. Of the four of us who went, I think I enjoyed it the most!

Looking back it appears we didn't really go anywhere in 2021! We seemed to have spent a lot, and I mean, a lot of time at home. The kitchen renovation, despite being stressful at times, was another highlight of the year, and we are delighted with how the new kitchen has turned out. It was better than we'd anticipated and has definitely changed the way we live our lives.

We have played an awful lot of Scrabble this year, drunk many, many cocktails, bought lots of bargains in charity shops, and had some memorable lunches out!

Things were easier with Mum and Dad, and I was able to take them out every week, which was a lot better than in 2020. They are still not entirely accepting of living in a care home (frankly, neither am I), but at least they are warm and safe and have plenty of company. 

Overall, 2021 hasn't been a bad year, but it certainly won't be one of the great years. We are looking forward to travelling more in 2022, but who can tell? I didn't realise just how much I missed travelling until we went this year, and in a way, it was like seeing it all again for the first time.

Anyway... here are the days that stood out for me in 2021:

Saturday 2 January - A beautiful day, a wintry walk, the promise of snow and gorgeous countryside.

Saturday 24 April - Lunch at The Falcon, Castle Ashby, and a shopping trip to Olney.

Saturday 22 May - Lunch at Pizza Express in Market Harborough, a shopping spree, and Eurovision in the evening!

Saturday 5 June - Lunch in Olney, at Teapots, mooching around the shops, and Scrabble and cocktails before dinner. A perfect Saturday!

Sunday 12 September - A pub mooch in Oxfordshire, and a visit to the village of Hook Norton, somewhere I'd always wanted to go!

Thursday 16 September - A visit to London, the National Gallery and Buckingham Palace gardens!

Sunday 3 October - A trip to Southampton to see Mike and Abbie, and lunch out. It was great to see them in their new home!

Saturday 9 October - A beautiful day in Henley-on-Thames, drinks and a meal out, and Grace Dent at the Literary Festival.

Wednesday 3 November - A day spent shopping and having lunch in Market Harborough. A really lovely, relaxed day!

Wednesday 24 November - Antique hunting in Weedon, lunch at Darlington's and a Winter Light Trail to round off a lovely day.

Sunday 5 December - Despite a shaky start (being shouted at by Dragon Lady at breakfast) we enjoyed a lovely, and very interesting, tour of the Palace in Palma, a drink sitting in the sun, and a walk along the promenade at Ca'n Pastilla.

Monday 6 December - A trip on the train to Soller, while we were holidaying in Mallorca. A lovely lunch and a wander about the pretty streets made for a great day!

Here's to a great 2022, and let's hope things improve and life returns to what we once knew as normality!