Hope everyone had a great xmas day and relaxed today and let the turkey and sweets digest.  I know we did!   Time to continue on our journey of reviewing 2010, ready?   Here we go . . .

December 8 – Beautifully Different.

Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.   (Author: Karen Walrond)

Wow this is a tough one.  It’s always hard to sing one’s own praises, more so for women I’d say.  I’m going to go on what other people tell me about me which are things like:  I’m super creative (with photography and business and life in general); I’m generous and give of myself to others;  I create photographs for people (portraits and art) that touch their hearts in some way;  I care deeply about others; I don’t follow the beaten path and walk to my own drummer as it were;  I dare to be different even if that means being unpopular.  I had a hard time with that last one for years, but think I’ve finally come to terms with who I am and embrace that.  I support you in doing the same.

December 9 – Party.

What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.   (Author: Shauna Reid)

I’ve been thinking about this one and I don’t think there was one single big blow out party this year that rocked my socks off.  Only one that comes to mind is the Saint Patrick’s Day we spent in New Orleans and attending the parade and festivities there.  The local people that we waited on the corner with were super friendly and accepting.  Rob even got his face painted for free with a green Fleur de Lis – not sure what that’s supposed to mean, the Irish French?  Anyway, we hung out at a small Irish pub waiting for the parade to come to our corner.  The beer was cold, the night warm and the clothes and costumes we saw everywhere were out of this world.  I bought a green deely bopper thingy and Rob had a green bandana (we should have bought him the green pimp hat when we saw it).  Almost everyone on the street was dressed in green, even the dogs.  We got heaps of free beads (without having to, well you know) and people danced and talked, it was very festive.  On my first trip to the Big Easy (funny, as I write this I’m drinking our favorite wine by the same name “The Big Easy”) I was 2 weeks short of seeing a Mardi Gras parade so to be part of this one was fantastic.  We finally learned that the parade could take hours to get to us so we started heading upstream towards the starting line.  We found the floats and learned why it takes to long there – they stop at pretty much every Irish pub and bar on the street and have a drink, then move 20 feet and do it again.  They were handing out flowers to the ladies and the lucky ones were poured Irish whiskey or something similar into their glass from the men walking alongside the floats.  It was a heap of fun but we finally ducked out at about 10pm to eat dinner.  When we came out of the restaurant about midnight the parade had finally come full circle and hit Bourbon street – it only took them about 6 hours to go 12 blocks.  A fun experience for sure.

December 10 – Wisdom.

What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?  (Author: Susannah Conway)

I think the wisest decision I made this past year was to go find a part-time job.  I’d been resisting the notion of it, as I’ve been a sub-contractor and self-employed for most of my adult life so a real 9-5pm sorta job was pretty foreign to me.   I ended up taking a 2 day a week position with McBain Camera doing of all things – accounting entries!  I work Mondays and Fridays there and it leaves me the rest of the week to work on my own projects.  I’m really enjoying it.  The drive to work is short, the people are really great and it gets me out of the house and moving.  I think I actually get more done now on my off days then when I had all 7 to do my stuff.  I’ve also been given the opportunity to teach some workshops through McBain Camera – watch for them to be posted on their site and more info will be coming here shortly.  I really like the directions it’s taken me.

December 11 – 11 Things.

What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?   (Author: Sam Davidson)

The 11 things I don’t need in 2011 are all negative things so I’d prefer to state them in the opposite instead.  I prefer to focus on positives so these are the 11 things that I DO want:

1. lower stress levels
2. self confidence
3. positive people
4. perfect health
5. weight loss, back to 2008 status and focused on healthy eating
6. a great relationship with my husband
7. to be able to give to others in need
8. travel to Europe
9. abundance of money flowing
10. peace
11. direction

I will go about getting these and eliminating their opposites by continuing to do this review, and set goals for 2011.  Then review those on a quarterly basis and adjust as necessary.  To surround myself with positive, uplifting people.  To take time for myself and de-stress even if I feel like I haven’t got time for that.

December 12 – Body Integration.

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?   (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

Well, in a word – no.  I’ve been missing that part of me for a while, so is on the list for Rebirthing in 2011.  Yoga will be top of my list to get started again.  Thinking about Tai Chi too, always wanted to take one of those classes.   Being grounded in my body is important and I’ve lost sight of that recently and intend to find it again.

December 13 – Action.

When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?  (Author: Scott Belsky)

Finishing this review and Chris Guillebeau’s – then setting some solid goals and intentions for 2011, IN WRITING!    Taking the time to do this review is my action.  What will you do?

December 14 – Appreciate.

What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?   (Author: Victoria Klein)

The people that love me the most – my husband, my family and my great friends who believe in me when I don’t (you know who you are).  I have started writing in a Gratitude Journal nightly and write at least three things that I was grateful for that day, right before bed.  I started using Gratitude Log a while ago but haven’t posted to it in a while.  I will start doing that and making my gratitude more public.  You can join me if you like at Gratitude Log.com .   My brother-in-law made a touching speech yesterday on xmas day and I was very inspired by his words and his gratitude – love you to bro!  I mean it!

December 15 – 5 Minutes.

Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.  (Author: Patti Digh)

Oh man I better write fast!  I’d write down all the rest of our RV trip from New Orleans to FL and up the east coast, to the Canadian Maritimes, Quebec, upstate NY, and back west through Chicago,  Millwaukee, and Saskatchewan.  Every little place we stopped and ate.  Every person we met along the way.  But I’ve already forgotten some of that, I wish I had journaled more about it at the time (note to self to do so when off to Europe).  The lessons I learned about myself – what I’m capable of, what I want and what I don’t want.  The times I laughed, and the times I cried – both are equally as valuable because one without the other gives no perspective on life.   Mostly I want to remember the experience of our trip, even the lows, because in remembering there are lessons – I get that now.   There is something to forgive and forget, but there’s also to something for saying forgive and remember.  Remember the lesson, so as not to repeat it.

WHEW . . .

This is proving to be challenging.  This is mostly for me and if anyone else reads it and relates, even better.  More tomorrow, Rob is waiting to watch a movie with me and share some wine.  Good night!