A new year -- 2012

Part of the new year celebration for me always means to reflect on what has been, and to plan for what I hope to see in the year ahead.  Yes, plan.  The older I get, the more I realize that simply stating a resolution is not enough.  We have embarked on several "journeys" this year that have taken intentional planning.  Learning to play the harp was something I really didn't plan for a long time to do, but when I began lessons I soon learned that it will take a daily time of practice to accomplish what I hope will be a beautiful sound.  The practice is slow, labored at first, but I find as I practice a piece, eventually a melody begins to emerge.  The playing becomes a bit easier, a bit more automatic.  This is so true for many new ventures in life.  I find a lesson in that thought; that change, new situations, new challenges are like that.  They feel labored at first, a feeling that tries to take the path of what is comfortable.  The joy, however, is in practicing and listening for that melody to emerge. That is what I look for in the new year -- the melody that comes from new challenges and experiences.

On a "creative" note... a few pictures from some holiday sewing fun.

Two machines ready to sew...and a messy table.  Somehow when I sew there is fabric everywhere!

The finished bags