Renewal

I sold the very last journal out of my shop yesterday. Today, all of my boxes of crafting supplies are getting moved to the new apartment. Yesterday I smudged the new apartment, but I will smudge again after everything is moved in. Above is the new bed and bedding!

I feel, in every sense of the word, that life can start fresh. That the slate is clean, life is good, and it'll be what I make of it. I will unpack mindfully, and I am sure that I will donate a lot of my "stuff" to Goodwill after I organize everything. I will make things clean, nice, and uncluttered. I will create a sanctuary, and honour my new space.

My shop will be seeing some changes as well. I've ordered some new supplies for new products. I'll be toying with a leather bound journal idea. Journals will make their way back into my shop, both the kind I've always made (with some new twists), and eventually leather bound, and possibly different bindings.

I do hope you'll stick around and see what comes of all this! After I'm all settled, I will post pics of my new space!

Easing out

I'm going to list an edited version of this photo today. One where I made it look softer, older, more muted. I was just sitting here thinking about photography, and I have not been very friendly with my cameras lately. Hopefully Saturday I can change that. If not, then next week.

I get my keys to the new apartment on Sunday! And we will start moving stuff in. I am thrilled at starting this new part of my life. I do wish Dad was here to talk to about it. But I'll continue to write in my Dad journal. Last night was one of those nights. A night where exhaustion hit me, and I had reached for the phone to call Dad a little earlier in the evening. And I allowed the tears to come. It was ok.

I entered that travel photography contest. The grand prize is a trip for 2 to Hawaii for 5 days. The other prizes are pretty high dollar gift certificates to local camera shops. We watched "couples retreat" last night and it was filmed in Bora Bora. It is worth it to watch for the scenery alone. And though I've never had any desire to go to Hawaii, or Bora Bora, or such places, now I yearn to have that type of beauty around me.

We will see what the future holds. I am noticing a definite shift already, as I get closer to moving out of the home where guilt and manipulation are served for dinner.

Forward

At the beginning of the year, many of my blogger friends chose a word to represent 2010 for them. Words such as Freedom, Trust, Faith.... and I just simply couldn't come up with one word for 2010. I felt that it would be limiting. But today, as I think about different aspects on my life, and my attitude about it, I realize that my word for 2010 is "forward".

I am no longer lamenting on the slow processes of life. As long as I am able to see/feel some sort of forward movement, I am ok. I'm sure you've seen me say before that I am not a patient person. It still applies, but I'm getting better. If I see a little forward progress, it helps me greatly. And if I see no forward progress, I make it happen.

This forward outlook is changing many of my relationships. If I see someone purposefully dragging their feet on a project (because of whatever reason, valid or not), if they are holding up progress, that gets addressed now. I used to hold all the anger and resentment in, yet them continue to hold up progress in my life. No longer. Now I *need* that forward progress, no matter how slow.

If you were to choose your word for 2010 what would it be? Tell me why.

Looking forward

I took this photo on Christmas day. I was on a picture taking trip with my oldest son (he had gotten the camera in the photo). I love this photo! I was playing around on flickr and saw a self-portrait-a-day for a year challenge. Not sure I'm ready for that, but I am going to be taking one a week in 2010. I think it will help me with some photography skills.

I am so looking forward to the new year. I know that one difficult stretch of my journey is almost over. I should be able to look back on this leg of my trip by the end of February.

I do know that some challenges will remain. The lightswitch won't just turn on goodness and light by March. No... work will still be work. Bills will still be bills. The day to day will remain sort of unchanged. But I do know that a huge stressor will be gone, and the future will seem much brighter.

2010 is looking like it will be quite amazing, in so many ways! So many people that I've talked to online and in person have expressed the same thing to me. What is it about this upcoming year that has us all so excited?

What does 2010 mean to you?