In the Studio~2012 in Review

It has been a busy time this week in the studio (and office) after the holidays ended.                     And, the New Year has officially begun!

***2013***

River...Flows
Life as a River~

WordPress sends a Year in Review blog report at the end of December.  In it they list the most-viewed posts during the year. I love to see what was of interest to the most people. If you missed them and would like to view them now, they are listed below–with links to the posts.

Batik Cotton
Artist’s Materials

Top 5 Posts for 2012

1 Living Life Using Creativity [from November 2011]

2 Quote…Life as a River [from May 2011]

3 Tuesday…In the Studio–“An Artist’s Response to Materials”  [from May 2011]

4 Thursday In the Studio–The Final Stages…  [from August 2011] 

5 In the Studio~Child’s Play [from April 2012]

Playtime Games, (c) 2012, Joni Beach.
Playtime Games, (c) 2012 Joni Beach.

Thank-you to all my readers this year~ to everyone who commented, liked a post, or began following! You have made this an enjoyable experience and I appreciate your visits…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~~~~~~~~~~

*If you have a favorite post not on the Top 5 list, I would love to hear what it is…! 🙂

Family Fridays~Early Morning Sunrise*

Standing in front of the french doors, looking across the deck through the bare forest trees over to a distant hill…I see the sun rise this morning. *

At first a beautiful rosy glow crosses the eastern sky, changing to a paler warm orange…

Until the light disperses the color, and the sun finally peeks over the horizon.

DSC02041PeekingOverTheHorizon

Thinking about the arrival of 2013, I assess the joys and challenges of this past year.

This reflection provides reminders…,

a possible change in perspective…

a sense of renewal…

And, taking a breath,

I decide I can slowly begin moving forward with courage…

peeking over the horizon into the New Year

*Do you have a sense of newness as the New Year begins?–For your life, family,or creative pursuits?

Family Fridays~Finding Balance For the Holidays

As the holiday season has arrived, the schedule of parties, events, and celebrations are being finalized.  It can be a challenge for individuals, and those of us with families, to achieve a balance.

DSC02005ChristmasWreath60sStyle

We have to decide which activities give us a sense of enjoyment, peace, and happiness, and which demands and expectations only result in high stress and discouragement. Individuals and families can choose to follow past traditions to celebrate the joys of Christmas, or decide they need to create new ones!

Many grandparents and their adult children may face this challenge of finding a balance in expectations and plans for the holidays. Family situations are varied and change overtime. For example, some families live year-round together in the same town or general locale, while other families with grandchildren may live a long-distance away. I believe this article about family changes at About.com Grandparents discusses this topic well.

Christmas is a time of the year that most of us have many memories connected to our families and friends. Because of these memories, we may hold on to certain traditions and practices. But, as time goes by things change over our lifetimes…We can honor the good memories of the past by remembering and creating new joyful times for our present holidays.

Regardless of the schedule, may we all find a way to choose a balanced way to celebrate the holidays…and life…, which gives us a sense of renewal, peace, hope, and joy. Adding to our future…good memories of the past.

 ***Happy Holidays! *** 🙂