Good Bye 2015

2015 hasn't been the most exciting year, still a lot of things that I would have liked to change this year, are the same as 12 months ago. But it hasn't been a bad year either. No illness, no misfortunes or bad surprises. The one or other serioush health issue within the family, but everyone is still alive and doing well. 

It's always easy to only focus on the things one didn't achieve and that didn't work out, and to ignore the ones one has accomplished, and the good things that happen. So here's a few good things to remember (in no particular order).

• I finally managed not to kill every orchid that entered my home. I've tried again and again over the years, but they never survived for long. This year, all of my three orchid have not only survived, but are thriving and flowering, and continuously producing new flowers.

• I wrote 85 blogposts, which is almost 2.5 times more than last year 

• I started a (more or less) regular meditation and yoga practice, and am trying to live more mindfully

• I read 33 1/2 books, among them Gombrich's The Story of Art, a book I have been wanting to read for years and years

• I spent more time in the studio, worked through an online course and even got my art journal out again

• I celebrated my 5th blog anniversary

• I discovered instant photography and aquired a little family of vintage Polaroid cameras

• I started to write in my journal regularly, and started a daily journaling practice 3 months ago

• I met some pretty awesome people online, and even had coffee with one of them in person in West Bay, Dorset

• I finally made my own Christmas cards, including carving a stamp

• N and I spent some wonderful holidays together, inlcuding a 4 day trip to the Alsace and Southern Germany (at furnace like temperature) in summer, and some amazing day trips to Brownsea Island (and meeting lots of sweet red squirrels there), Charmouth Beach and some other plaes in Dorset in September

I might not have achieved everything that was on my "to do" list at the beginning of the year, but I'm sure there is lots more that could be added to this list and that I can't think of right now.

Good Bye 2015, all in all, you've been a pretty good year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope that 2015 has been good to you too, and that 2016 will be an amazing year for all of us!