A Happy Story. (well - there's one sad part...)

It was a good year.  It was a challenging year.  Thanks to all of you who follow daily, or even stop by once or twice!  I read all your comments even if I can't respond to everyone.  So, I have been trying all day to make a year end slideshow for you.  I can't seem to get the new Flickr to work.  Instead, here is a link to all my stitchings of 2013 (minus a few).  It's a lot of thread.

2013 Photo Gallery

It's crazy really.  80 postcards.  75 small landscapes for the snowglobes.  55 embroideries by machine and hand.  Three little hooked rugs.  One unfinished quilt (haha).  Zero garments (pout pout).  Published in Sophie Long's embroidery book & 4 magazines.  Delivered 18 classes, 10 artist's talks, was part of 8 shows.  Introduced art into home ec classes and stitching into art classes at a high school.  (YESSS!)  Hired one super wonderful part time summer staff.  Several failed attempts at video classes.  lol

* At least we had fun trying.

It's no wonder I took December off.  I just laid there for a couple weeks.  I Facebooked way too much.  Then I cleaned.  I sorted.  I purged.  I decorated.  I cooked and froze lots of future meals for the family.  I spent a week down with a cold, which I didn't mind.  I think I caught up on a heck of a lot of sleep.

New things happened.  I traveled to teach & exhibit, and people travelled to me for classes & shows!

  From the bottom of my heart, thank you!  

You made me feel like a rock star.  : )

I fell in love with Manitoba: the land, the people, the crafts, the guilds...

I met Heather.

Then quick as a wink, I lost Heather.  

That shook me hard.  I still miss her and feel confused about it all at times.

I met truly AMAZING women at every workshop I ran.  I found incredible communities everywhere I went.  I said yes to some HUGE classes (18 - 20 people), and had some HUGE exhibits (25 pieces).  I was terrified and overwhelmed once I realized what I was getting myself into, but always left feeling so good afterwards.

I am glad I took the chances I did.

I learned to say no based on scheduling and not on fear.  I learned to hear no because it always ended with encouragement to try again.  : )  My glass is half full.  I take it as 'nearly a yes'.  That's good enough for me.

I made deeper friendships with a lot of people, including my immediate and extended family.  That feels amazing to be friends with your relatives.  If you aren't, I highly recommend it.

And then there's the friends who feel a little more like family:  George & Wendy, the women in my guilds, shop owners, and other artists near & far.  I love the whole community around me. 

Last week I spent a nice long afternoon visiting once again with dear Margot.  She feels like an Oma to me.  This time, we didn't stitch.  We just sat together and talked.  It was so nice.  It was a last minute thing.  I happened to have sent lunches with my kids that morning when we spoke on the phone and made the date.  I didn't have to race home and end our visit short for once.  She and I talked about nature, seasons, art, stitching, the past, and the rabbit that left tracks through her yard.  We exchanged cards and gifts.  We smiled.  We hugged.  Everything felt so relaxed and deeply satisfying.

In retrospect, I like that the year is finishing off quietly.  I feel rested.  I feel satisfied.  I don't feel in a panic to rush into the next deadlines, or chase after the next carrot.  I think my new year's resolutions will include things like being in the moment - with my children, my husband, my work, and with my friends.  I want to explore my feelings and my spirit, and incorporating that into my art.  I want to be free of fear or intimidation and just let things unfold.

For now, thank you for being a part of my year.  May 2014 be full of light, love, health, & abundance.

xo
Monika