A Crafter's Life

The Calendar That Wasn’t

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Toward the end of last year (2019), we bought a large erasable calendar for the laundry room to keep track of all the things we had planned.

2020-07-06_09-28-45_457

We had so many thing planned from March 2020 through Summer 2020 that we needed a central and visible place to keep track of everything and to make plans.

On this calendar were the basketball games we had tickets to attend, special events for my partner’s work, two conference to attend – one in Nashville and one in Orlando, a trip to Scotland and Ireland with friends in July (and a possible side trip to Paris to meet up with my sister who would be in Europe at the same time), parties/special celebrations to attend, and so much more.

Then COVID happened, and the calendar just stopped. 

Almost Half of Americans Have Canceled Summer 2020 Travel Plans ...

All those things got erased from the erasable calendar. It somedays it feels like an entire lifestyle got erased overnight.

I think why I struggled with this is that I was so looking forward to late Winter, Spring and Summer 2020.

Late 2019 was very difficult dealing with the first anniversary of my husband’s passing and early 2020 was difficult with my “snow anxiety” (see the Postscript section of the post The Hat from the Yarn from the Journey). I had made it through some “dark days” and I was so looking forward to all the fun ahead documented on our calendar…

I might be sounding whiny at this point.

We are starting to add a little to our calendar now but I do not see it returning to its pre-pandemic state any time soon.

FUNNY MEMES!!! The 150 Funniest Memes Of All-Time! - Yellow Octopus

I am okay with this, I appreciate any fun outside the home we get to have these days!

Postscript

Mike the Miniature Schnauzer has been pretty happy the past 5 months with both of us working from home and not going on any trips until recently (like our long weekend to Rocky Mountain National Park).

Dogs celebrate Memes - ImgflipSpeaking of Mike, here is an image that either he forgot to share in his recent post – Guest Blog Post: A Whole Lot of Remodeling Going On; or the tierneycreates Beastie forgot to share in her recent post – Guest Blog Post: Mail Order Groom.

2020-07-23_15-10-37_835Yes it’s a photo of Mikelet (tierneycreates Beastie’s dog) and Mike, ready to go on their walks. I put a red arrow in the lower left hand corner of the photo above so you would not miss Mikelet who is a considerably smaller miniature Miniature Schnauzer!

(Yes these are the silly things we do to entertain ourselves these days…)

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

41 thoughts on “The Calendar That Wasn’t”

  1. I’m with you! I was planning to take my kids to Europe for the first time this summer and had some concert tickets as well. It was the year I decided to just do some of the things I’ve had on my wish list forever lol guess they’ll have to wait another year or so.

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    1. Oh Cici, sorry about your trip, that would have been spectacular! I am glad you found other productive uses for your time and I guess I have done that too (but I was just feel whiny last night when I posted) 🙂

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  2. I can’t remember what any of my plans were…although I had planned to be away again in March this year, again in the SI doing some of the things I missed last time, and going possibly to our furthermost island https://www.stewartislandexperience.co.nz/ – I had more or less decided and a friend suggested “nope you shouldn’t go…” good thing I didn’t as I would’ve had to get back home quick-smart.

    When we got to L/1 a few months ago, somehow I couldn’t do anything that meant leaving home, lots of people were but somehow my heart wasn’t in it. And I truly didn’t know where I wanted to go…lots of the road/rail transport systems were not back in operation. Basically you needed a car or fly and hire a car. I don’t even have a drivers’ licence nowadays.

    Good thing I didn’t as I would’ve had to return smartish as Auckland region is now back to L/3 with vastly different rules to the last time…

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    2. To me as an American you already live in paradise in NZ so why would you leave the country – but that is just because it looks so magical in photos! My dream is to visit there someday (of course right now, no one wants Americans with all their germs and not wearing their masks as they should to visit! Ewww!) An effect of being in isolation and then having all these restrictions (but not as many as you all currently have in NZ) is I am starting to feel the same – less interested in venturing out. I had a couple weeks where I thought I was becoming a hermit! I was actually scared of other people (especially the scary non mask wearing Americans!). I am okay now though some days I’d rather just stay inside than mask up to do stuff.

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      1. there are lots of interesting places in your country – some of the “grand canyons” to start with …although I’m not sure I would want to truly wander around bear country!

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  3. Oh how I love Mikelet.
    India Flint referred to this year as “the great pause” in her fascinating video “A Piece of Cloth” and I think that that is the best description I have heard of this strange time. I am sorry your year and plans had to be cancelled. Here’s to another Saturday night with Netflix!

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  5. Ugh sorry Tierney…well maybe there’s solace knowing we’re all in the same boat! We didn’t have a ton of stuff planned out in advance but this was going to be the year I explored ‘local’ events so was going to check the web each month to plan things out…yeah, NOT! Love that little Mikelet!! Sending big hugs your way xoxo

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  6. First of all, you are not sounding whiney! We all have a right to vent/rant/express ourselves, and the fact that you are honest with us makes us feel special. Concentrate on the positives and keep looking forward. Love that Mike has his hoomins at home all the time with him and Mikelet.

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  8. It is sad the number of activities we all have had to wipe off our calendars. I was just reminiscing with my oldest granddaughter how I have missed all the parties we used to have!! Times are strange! Here’s to better days ahead! 🙂

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    1. Yes here is to better days ahead! Sorry that you missed all the parties you used to enjoy with the grandkids and I remember your posts in the past of fun family adventures! Thanks for your comments 🙂

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  9. There is nothing whiney about what you have written. It’s a sense of loss for what was going to be. Having to wipe everything off your calendar is rather a metaphor for this liminal time. ~ the old left behind, the new yet to emerge.
    Travel will be so different ~ not that we can go further than 5 kms at the moment. International borders will be closed for a long time, and there is talk about keeping our state boarders closed for a while too. It looks like any travel we will do will be in our own states. However, even that will be wonderful!

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    1. We have learned to be okay with just traveling in our state (Colorado). We remember when we were not even to leave the house unless we needed groceries or had a medical appt. Thanks for your comments and perspective 🙂

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  10. The calenders are almost superfluous these days- even dentist appointments are absent. Makes me appreciate the little things, like how good it feels to have a hair appointment or go to the library.

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    1. Very true! I am so excited on Friday we go to a movie theater (they have re-opened at 30% capacity with lots of protocols but who cares I will wear a mask the whole time just to be at the movies!)

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  11. It does not sound whiny at all – giving up so many fun trips and activities is a real wrench. I know we have missed a lot of things this year too – some small, some pretty big. Here’s hoping 2021 is at least heading back toward normal!

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  14. Hi Tierney. Yes, the Calendar is great reminder of all the things that didn’t happen this year. It sounds like you went going to the mountains? I’d love to know how it went. Did you stay in hotels? We’ve decided to take a road trip and see some National parks – Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore etc.- and other outside things. Can’t wait to get out and about at least a little bit,

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  16. Ha! Mike and Mikelet together 😂 I’m glad to see they’re both getting out for regular walkies in these virus-ridden times, at least.
    But oh, your poor calendar! Mine has been similarly emptied… For us, it’s meant that a “good gig year”, when bands we wanted to see were actually coming to Ireland, suddenly became a no gig year. Fingers crossed we get back to some kinda normality soon… Otherwise I’ll have watched everything on Netflix 😆

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  17. Love the large calendar. So sorry that your plans were so drastically altered. .It did sound like you had a lot of fun things scheduled. We are certainly having to reevaluate the important things in our lives! This has been such a tough year for so many people and I hope that in the not so distant future, people can feel like they are getting their lives back.

    Mike didn’t look the happiest there sharing the spotlight with Mikelet! I think he might be a little jealous!

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