The year 2021, while not back to what we would call "normal," was certainly more reasonable than 2020. The Covid 19 pandemic is still limiting our lives to a certain extent, but we have taken part in many of our normal events. We didn't travel too many miles, but we spent considerable time in both Arizona and Colorado and also enjoyed time in Texas and New Mexico.
The two events of the year that made the most impact on our lives were the death of John's brother Tim on May 6 and our decision to rent an apartment instead of spending the summers in our RV in Colorado. Three shots of the Covid vaccine--in February and March with a booster in September--helped us to feel safer and have kept us healthy, at least so far. It has been so good to see signs reading "masks not required for those fully vaccinated.
The beauty of God's creation was a recurring subject in my blogs, from time in the Arizona desert to changing colors of the fall leaves. We took stunning drives through the Colorado mountains and walked the streets and paths of El Paso, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Denver and Breckenridge.
We enjoyed time with family and friends. Several times we met Arizona friends for lunch--more than my blog shows because I forgot to take photos on several occasions. Not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, I didn't write about those lunches, but we did appreciate that time.
John has been very busy in the workshop when we are in Arizona. He has made numerous boxes, including several for us and family members who also wear hearing aids. The boxes provide a space for the hearing aid charger and an attractive decoration in our homes. He has also turned pens on his lathe.
We set out for our summer travels on April 29, planning to travel around one of our favorite states--Texas. We only made it as far as El Paso when Tim died. We turned around and headed for Colorado. Tim's funeral in Canon City brought together many members of our family.
Following the funeral, we headed south, spending time at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton. We enjoyed being able to do target shooting there. We visited Pueblo and Limon before moving to St. Vrain State Park near Longmont for two weeks. That gave us access to friends and family living north of Denver. Next, we at set up the trailer in Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora.
In 2022 we will both turn 79 years old. We still feel (relatively) hale and hearty, but we know we must take our age into account as we plan the future. While in the Denver area, we began checking out apartments and rented a one-bedroom unit in Lone Tree, a community in Douglas County. John grew up in Douglas County and we owned the funeral home there for nine years. We were back home. The apartment is located only about a mile from the home we lived in for years, so the neighborhood is familiar.
We enjoyed shopping for furniture and everything we needed to live there for months at a time. We also made a quick trip with the trailer to Arizona, where the Airstream is stored when we are in the apartment.
Our apartment is right on the light rail line. We love trains and it is fun to ride them as we explore the city. In addition, we are just a few miles from our son Eric and his family. And we are able to worship at St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church, where John served as rector from 1991 to 1997.
A year ago, I ended the blog recap of 2020 writing "Good-bye and Good riddance." I don't feel that way about 2021 and I hope 2022 is even better--meaning more normal.
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