Saturday, January 02, 2021

The 12 Days of Christmas Quest: Day Nine

 
 
Hello to all of you on this first Saturday of a new year! I hope that you are off to a wonderful start as the hustle and bustle of the new year begins!

It is the ninth day of Christmas and it is time to continue the quest. If you missed day one click HERE to start from the beginning and read all the details. 
 
Day two: click HERE
Day three: click HERE 
Day four: click HERE
Day five: click HERE
Day six: click HERE
Day seven: click HERE
Day eight: click HERE
 

As a quick refresher, each day during the 12 Days of Christmas (Dec. 25th to Jan. 5th), you're going to be given a task to follow. I'll be asking you questions to find out how the pandemic has impacted your life over the last year--how it has affected you, what things you've had to do differently, how you've had to adjust your life--that kind of idea. You will be able to leave your daily answer in a comment on the post for each respective day. If you follow the instructions for each day, you'll earn a free digital paper.

Since this is a busy time of year for most people, you will have plenty of time to complete the quest. It is completely up to you as to when you submit your answers (daily, all at once at the end, or otherwise). AS LONG AS ALL your TASKS are submitted, no later than January 12th, 2021, then you will qualify to receive the paper(s) for whichever day(s) you participate.

Here is the paper up for grabs today...
 
 
This paper is 3600 x 3600 pixels, in jpg format and published at 300 dpi. Credits include: Paw Studio and Knopazyzy Shop (both via TheHungryJPEG) and Janet Scott (via Pixel Scrapper). In the zip folder that will be emailed should you successfully complete the quest, you will find a copy of the paper, its preview sheet, the credit information and my terms of use which are standard to all my folders.
 
Play along each of the 12 days and you'll earn yourself the full set! So, how about we get started with today's task?!!
 
On the ninth day of Christmas,
it is time to earn paper number nine.
We're nine days in, just three more to go,
All in all, I think it is going just fine!!!


Task:
In our lives we have a tendency to take certain things for granted, expecting someone or something will always be there. The pandemic has certainly helped to put certain things into perspective. What are THREE things that you will never take for granted again?
 
For myself, I try not to take the people in my life for granted, especially my husband and all the wonderful things he does to help me out. However, that doesn't mean there are other things that I haven't taken for granted at one point or another. One thing that I definitely took for granted was the ability to go and see my parents whenever I liked. I won't make that mistake again. The second thing I won't take for granted is being able to go out and simply get a haircut. I was due for a haircut back at the beginning of March when everything shut down for three months. Then, given the nature of how close you have to be to another person while getting one's hair cut, I decided to wait for the numbers to settle down over the summer. Well, unfortunately, by the time that the summer was done and we were heading into fall, the numbers got worse and worse. Just yesterday our numbers in Ontario were over 3000! The highest yet. It has now been over a year since my hair has been cut and well...long hair is NOT a good look for me. Our province is back in lock down. Even when we do open up again, I have no idea when I'll feel safe enough to go out and get a haircut but is definitely something I won't take for granted again! The third thing I will never take for granted again is being able to give someone a hug. I'm a big hugger and since we can't come in contact with another person outside of our household the only person that I've been able to hug in the last year is my husband. At least I had someone to hug but it is definitely on the list of things I won't take for granted in the future!

When you come up with a response for today's task, simply leave your response in a comment on THIS POST. Now for many of you, especially those who have played in previous years, the odds are that I should have your e-mail address in order to send out the free paper you earn. If you are new to the quest or are not sure whether I might have your email address, please be sure to also leave your email address in your comment. If you would prefer to keep your address private, then check out the bottom paragraph from Day 1 for how to send it to me.

Wishing you bright days ahead in 2021! See you all tomorrow for day number ten!!!

Cheers!

16 comments:

Edwina said...

I will never take for granted my relatives. I have fine in Tennessee with the virus. 2 are really ill and one is in the hospital, #2 going out t eat, #3 safety for my health. Edwina Brown

Suze said...

First thing on my list is exercise. During the lockdown we had from 23rd March through to 8th June I was unable to go outside as masks were as scarce here as toilet paper! I will never take going for a walk for granted again!
Second thing on my list is hugs. I didn't realise how much of a hugger that I was until I couldn't hug!
Third thing on my list is being face to face with friends and family. I was lucky enough to be able to use Skype or Discord to keep in touch with my family as well as the good old telephone - but it isn't the same as face to face.

Four11Lady said...

The first thing that I can think of is not being able to have my family, friends and neighbors come over. I must admit that there were times before the pandemic that I sometimes just didn't feel like having people over because I wasn't feeling well that day or I hadn't slept well and wanted to take a nap, but now, no matter what I want that part of my life back.
Another thing that comes to mind is being able to get whatever groceries I wanted/needed. During the pandemic, even right up until now, there are things that are not on the shelves, either because people have bought all the store had or deliveries are not being made on a regular schedule. Just to mention one thing........I will never take toilet paper for granted ever again!! LOL
The last thing is regular trash pickup every week. Our trash service has gone to every other week now because of the pandemic. From what they said it is because of a staffing problem.....hope the staff doesn't have Covid and that it is just because the company has decreased the amount of people due to the pandemic.
I pray that we all learn not to take anything for granted and thank God for what blessings we do have.

Mandy said...

1. Will never again take for granted the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. Being told you cannot do this or cannot travel there is just awful.

2. Not having to wear a mask. Wearing glasses makes me steam up when I have to wear a mask. As time is passing I feel wearing a mask is making my breathing change and my lung capacity less. The breath of fresh air you can take when you get out of a shop make you so glad to be able to take your mask off.

3. Will never take for granted being able to see friends and family. We have friends who live very close and have seen them often as either one of us have walked to their house. My MIL lives on her own and we have a support bubble with her and I do her shopping but she is the only family I have seen for months. I miss my younger sister so much and friend who live farther away. We have text and Facetime but it is not the same. I am a big hugger and miss human contact with people who I would normally be physically close to.

Marilyn said...

I know I have taken a lot of things for granted in my lifetime .I took for granted that I could just go and do whatever I wanted like go to the stores, get haircuts and visit my kids and grandkids and other family members. But now I know that in a instant that can all be taken away from us in a split second. I now take things one day at a time and hope all of the craziness will be over soon.
Have a great day!
Marilyn💖

Lori m said...

Hi Lisa, here goes my list,

1. I will not take for granted the people in my life, keeping in touch and as you said, and hugging them is just so important, especially my 93 year old Mom.

2. I will not take for granted a simple grocery store shopping trip, where now you need to order online or travel to many stores for one item.

3. I will not take for granted my health and count all my blessings whether big or small.

Hugs to all, Lori m

Twórcze pasje Danki said...

1. Love doesn't last forever.
2. It can always get worse.
3. There is nothing bad that would not turn out to be good.

ScrappyHorses said...

First off, Lisa this paper is gorgeous! Now off to my 3...
#1. I will value my barn buddies! The horses have kept me sane through this since I've been out in the barn more the past year! I've rekindled my relationship with Jake after not being able to ride for quite a time. He and I have built a bond and we have learned many new things together!
#2. My internet connections (friends) have been very important to me as well as my blogging obligations! I'm not sure I would have known what day it was half the time if it weren't for needing to get things out on time!
#3. My mail carrier, UPS, Amazon delivery folks, etc. It's like we sing the "Wells Fargo Wagon" song from Oklahoma whenever they arrive! We have always valued them, but now even more!
**Now I would have listed my family and such, but I'm not sure I've ever taken them for granted with all the illness and such in our family. So I listed those that I may have truly taken for granted.
These are truly some great exercises to start the year, Lisa! Thanks for keeping us focused! ;)

Julie Odil said...

Great paper today, Lisa! 3 things: hmmm, let’s see: the ability to go out to eat with friends whenever I like. 2) my volunteer work in the nursing home. I haven’t been able to go there since March. 3). Going shopping

Donna said...

This is an amazing question. I have to put my family and friends as my number 1 thing that I miss. I lost a brother in July to Covid-19 and while I didn't see him often since he lived in Texas but there will never be another chance to see him. We haven't been able to have a memorial service for him yet as my sister and I haven't been able to travel for that. I miss my friends a lot and would love to see some of them that I haven't seen in months. My second thing that I wouldn't take for granted is being able to shop at stores. If we weren't in lock down and you could go to the store there usually wasn't much on the shelves. Our stores have not been well stocked. My third thing that I wouldn't take for granted is our government. I think they have let us down in their handling of the pandemic. It's sad what disregard they have had for citizens' lives.

Karen Page said...

I took for granted being able to shop without a mask. I have phobias about suffocating and small spaces, and this triggers it. I end up in tears after a grocery trip but I can't get my groceries delivered, or certainly not on my budget, as we live in a rural area where its not readily available. I took for granted stores being open normal hours, so when the economy first shut down and hours were limited, I had a hard time adjusting. Yes, I'm one of those people at Walmart at Midnight... or was. And I took for granted the time when people did interpret everything through the eyes of a political filter. Living in Georgia (the state, not the country) we were the first state to reopen, so I was only a couple months late for my haircolor and cut. My hair dresser is practicing safer practices than my doctor's office is, and WAY safer than gas stations which are doing nothing. Bonus, I took for granted a time when the world wasn't constantly worried or stressed, or both.

Cara said...

I HATE not being able to hug! I miss being able to hug my friends and family! Its such a natural part of who I am that I never thought I would have to actiely back away from someone to keep from hugging them - It hurts.

Regularly scheduled hair cuts! Like you I was over a year from my last cut whe I was finally able to get one! I forgot how nice it was to have someone wash and style your hair ... Although I have an appt on the books for this month, I suspect with the way things are going it will be cancelled

Sitting down in a restaurant and share a meal and good conversation with friends and family! Going to be making an effeort to do that more once the states let us open up again.

Christine Harrop said...

I feel your pain over your hair Lisa. I have managed one hair appointment since the virus raised its' ugly head. And once again in the UK we are in full lockdown. I have stopped worrying about the fact that I resemble a shaggy dog since I am not going out anyway. John is okay because I just take the scissors to his hair lol! There are far more pressing concerns. I think we might all be guilty of taking our loved ones for granted without realising it so you have made me stop and think about that. I will also not take meeting up with friends and family for granted - who thought it would come to this eh? Take care and stay well my friend xxx

Aimeslee Winans said...

What are THREE things that you will never take for granted again?

1. Hmm, well, this might seem unusual but in line with my newfound personal boundary-setting, I hope to never again assume a friend is one. I've always given the benefit of the doubt to people and I've been burned. Never saw it coming. And no one to blame but me, but I'm finally really learning.

2. Will never take for granted my home again. It's been a haven and comfort when really nothing else would do.

3. I'll never again take for granted our health, even as chronic as mine is with 5 arthritis's. Honey's been the outside person for us and without that, it would have been a lot worse. He's got great immunities and so far knock wood has been able to go out and not get infected.

Tiggerscraps said...

Being able to go to the grocery store and be confident that what I need is there. I never thought we would not be able to get necessities.

Vivian Foo said...

First is sacrificing more time to have more meals with family. Second is to feel thankful we could breath in fresh air and to enjoy air around us and not today having to wear mask once we step out of our house. So suffocating with the mask on for some hours. Thirdly not taking our Govt for granted, they have done a really good job in keeping the cases reduced from 1000 in April to almost zero in our community. Most cases in my country are from the Travelers and the Foreign Workers.