At the end of what the ancient Romans would call this “annus horribilis”, there have been some bright spots, albeit few and far between.

Here, in no particular order, are a few of the things that kept me going in 2020.

My family. They moved up to the country in March and stayed till October, filling my house with cheer, hustle, and bustle.

It was a wonderfully busy time, and I realize how blessed I am to be able to be with my granddaughter when so many have yearned to do the same this year.

Zoom. Like approximately one billion other people, I didn't have a clue what Zoom was until this year. But Zoom and all of its cousins have been a lifesaver for schools, businesses, and families. Thank goodness we live in an age when such technology is available.

Schitt's Creek. This television comedy from Canada was created by SCTV's Eugene Levy and his son Dan about a wealthy family that suddenly loses all its money and has to go live in a small town called—you guessed it—Schitt's Creek. In their new straightened circumstances, the Rose family reconnects in ways both lovely and hilarious.

Family matriarch Moira Rose, a faded star of a defunct soap opera, is played with scenery-chewing élan by the always-fabulous Catherine O'Hara. Eugene (aka Eugenius) Levy is Johnny Rose, the now-bankrupt video store magnate. Their children are David and Alexis, inhabited by Dan Levy and Annie Murphy with equal brilliance.

Schitt's Creek is a six-season jewel of a story that deserved to sweep all the comedy Emmys last year. It's that good. Available on Netflix.

Online shopping. Yes, I admit it. I contributed greatly to Jeff Bezos' fortune this year, ordering everything from socks to batteries to coffee from the Amazon who runs the world.

But I also ordered food online from the local grocery store and would drive up and let them put it in my trunk, not daring to go into the store at my semi-advanced age. Don't judge me.

Take-out food. One of my great joys in life is going out to eat. Ever since I was a little girl and my Grandma and Grandpa Kohler would take my siblings and me up to Ted's Restaurant in Jeffersonville, dining out has been something special.

Grandpa would always urge us to get the shrimp cocktail, followed by a hot roast-beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy, and an ice-cream sundae to top it all off. It's a wonder we little ones could consume so much.

So, yes, I have always enjoyed a good meal at a restaurant. I know I'm spoiled. But given that I didn't feel safe eating at a restaurant this year, getting takeout worked almost as well. It also meant that the cook got a night off.

Friends. In addition to my family, keeping up with my friends has kept me going this year. Texts, emails, FaceTime and Zoom calls have kept us connected in a year when we couldn't physically get together.

Science and facts. I am heartened by news of the vaccines. I am hopeful that it will soon be safe to resume some semblance of our former lives. I pray that 2021 will bring us all good health and bring our beloved country back to some sense of normalcy, where facts matter, and democracy can once again flourish.