2021 Year In Review: Just January

2021 was a year of outside socializing, self reliance, nature, speech therapy, endings and new beginnings. It was the year that we got a our new adventure vehicle (our 2020 Subaru Outback), donated our old adventure vehicle (our 2008 Dodge caravan), bought a used pop-up camper, went camping seven times, and both boys started a school year that was more classroom time than either of them had experienced before. It was a big year. I am hoping to share with you some of its highlights, learnings, and experiences.

When I started writing this post, I thought I might give a few highlights of each month and make it through the entire year in one post. That did not happen. I have only made it through January. Here we go. I am not sure if every month will be so examined but this is what I was inspired to do today.

January 2021: We started New Year’s Day by taking a hike on the Hawk Falls trail, which I wrote about in this blog entry called Hickory Run State Park.

They say what you are going on the first day of the year is what you will spend the rest of the year doing. For us, this proved to be true. We were lucky enough to spend the first day of the year all-together and we spent much of the year, in our free time, as a group, the four of us. We also took more than one trip into Hickory Run this year!

In summation, our First Day was spent taking a short (somewhat icy) hike to a waterfall at a state park in the Poconos. Afterwards we visited Wawa for a hoagie. Then we drove home, trying to make it back before the rain froze on the Pennsylvania turnpike. Luckily though, we did not spend the entire year trying to outrun freezing rain.

We did however spent the first day of the year wearing masks and it seems this trend did follow us throughout the year. Perhaps 2022 will be a bit healthier Covid-wise for the people of our planet.

Here is a picture from that trip:

Time spent flipping though my Google Photos reminded me that the boys and I took a spur of the moment trip to Longwood Gardens on January 14th. Thinking back, I remember that I only purchased the tickets online the night before we went. It was a great time to go because the holiday decorations were still up but the holiday crowds had already returned to their normal lives. The weather was unseasonably warm and I found that the boys were more game for this adventure than I originally imagined. Patrick was very curious about the chimes tower and enjoyed our trip inside of it and Henry enjoyed the garden railway. I enjoyed their curiosity and wonder and the freedom their young age and lack of heavy scheduling allowed so we could have this day together.

When I look back on my pictures of that day, I am reminded that their interest was piqued by so many things we saw that day.

Here is a fountain in the Grotto that we discovered for the first time. I have been to Longwood Gardens probably four times before this visit and this is the first time that I have “discovered” this area.

In January the boys and I also spent sometime exploring my cheese making kit. Mr. Katie got me the kit as a birthday present in 2016 and though I have always wanted to make my own cheese, this past winter was the first time I gave it a try. If you care to read more about my cheese making adventures, this post goes into more details.

Patrick and I ended up working together to make a homemade ricotta and a mozzarella cheese in our very own kitchen. It was both easier and harder than I thought it would be to do. Also I have never appreciated how much milk goes into cheese making before. Making your own food really does teach you appreciation for the work and care that goes into creating something. I might be crazy but I do think making your own food makes food taste better too. The cheese we made was so good!

The coming weeks will bring more recollections of the past year. Stay tuned.

A note from the author:

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Also, if you are like me and enjoy reading blogs, I have two recommendations for you. Two of my fantastic family members are frequent bloggers. Check out my sister Jenny’s awesome blog The Parnassus Pen that focuses on her life in New Kensington, PA and western PA history and lore. My cousin James is very avid blogger, read about his adventures being involved in Toastmasters, an international public speaking organization and his interest in fashion and style at his blog: Stylish and Trendy.

Talk to you later,

Katie