Well that lovely msg was sent to you from Demetri, my darling cat who is purring his little heart out now as he walks back and forth across my lap giving me affectionate head butts and kisses. Paying no mind to the laptop that is in his way. Zephyr, another whisker face I love is snuggled up along side me enjoying the super soft mattress while their youngest brother, Shemar is up in the window taking in his new surroundings.
2011 started off very rocky for me. In fact I remember asking it to go away only days after celebrating it's arrival. I had no idea how many wonderful opportunities and gifts from the universe awaited. Some of the most memorable moments for me include:
- The day in which I decided to become my own person and followed my heart as I took a liberal approach in creating a new life for myself.
- Celebrating a very personal 10 year anniversary with the most incredible people
- Having Beth and Karen E surprise me when they arrived on my doorstep in Newfoundland to celebrate my 25th birthday! That weekend will never be forgotten.
- Celebrating one year of unconditional love, companionship and accomplishments with the love of my life.
- Being given the opportunity of a lifetime thanks to Clay Cafe Avalon who opened their doors to me and allowed me to share my love for art with budding artists of all ages. I will never forget my first art class, my first art camp, or my first compliment from a student's parent.
- Meeting Dominique who not only shared in the pirate adventures Kim and I embarked on, but shared her passion for art with me as we explored the arts community in St. John's.
- A reunion with some of the most fabulous and inspiring women in my life. It was their first visit to Newfoundland (some are from different regions in Ontario, and PEI) and I'm sure it was an unforgettable trip too hehe.
- Making a huge decision to leave the familiarity of my home and move to a new province, something I swore I would never do. Though I miss my home and all it offers, I am so thankful for the wonderful opportunities that have resulted in my move.
- You've seen her name before, in this blog and many others. I will forever be grateful for everything Beth has done for me. Since moving in with Beth, she became far more than my boyfriend's mother. She has been a role mode and inspiration for me, a fellow adventurer, a personal motivator, an educator, and a true friend. These past four months have been anything but easy emotionally and physically yet she found a way to make that time fly by and helped me find ways to enjoy it as well.
- My first ever art show!! Thanks to the loving support of Craig, Dominique and Lori who helped make it all possible while I was miles away. For one month, my paintings, alongside the fabulous work of Dominique Hurley and Lori Reddy hung on the walls of a local vegetarian restaurant in St. John's, The Sprout. I have to admit, even though I wasn't there to experience it in person, it was still an incredible feeling.
- During a weekend trip to visit Karen E in Fredericton, NB , a spur of the moment visit to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery lead to a very fortunate viewing of three paintings by Salvador Dali (my favorite artist in history!).
- The day I was sat up in my room (with the door closed) and could hear Owen downstairs bawling out my name for the first time ever! I flew down those stairs faster than you could blink your eyes in amazement. That little boy could just melt your heart.
- The day I found out that my boys would be home for Christmas. Having them around, hearing them purr and receiving kitty love, and of course having Craig here is the most wonderful gift of all.
Of course there were lots of challenging times as well these past twelve months. Moments where at the time I had no idea how I was going to get past and move on. One of the greatest lessons I learned this year came from a very wise woman. She once told me, when I was faced with a difficult situation, to 'change the focus'. I had been so zoned in on one particular angle that I was missing all the wonderful things that came with the obstacle I was faced with. As soon as I decided to look at the situation from another view point, things came together and it became something constructive.
So it turns out 2011 will go into my books as one of the best years for me. I truly cannot wait to see what adventures, challenges and lessons 2012 has to bring. I wish you all a very happy and safe new year!
Namaste
