January
I remember the surge of inspiration I felt.
creative highlight: launching Hello Handmade's valentines for 2010 - one of my all time favorites of our projects.
personal highlights: contributing at Habit, a closer relationship with my sister after our holiday visit.
I remember sand in my toes. I remember my father's hugs and laughter.
creative highlights: collaborating with my friend Vicki on a little line of vessels, testing out reaction to my decals at a local craft show.
personal highlights: visit with my family in California, meeting my new nephew, Samuel.
I remember being on the verge, just shy of realizing. I remember a particular long walk with Ollie.
creative highlights: working hard to pull together a dream, help and encouragement from friends.
personal highlights: learned there's great value in taking time to do something right, and asking friends for help (a big step for me).
April
I remember tears of joy and relief. I remember feeling humbled. I remember magic.
creative highlights: launching my decal line, the support of friends and the creative community leaving me speechless, grateful, shocked.
personal highlight: being able to share the magic of that month with C, my favorite person.
May
I remember Ollie's joy in hitting the road, and mine.
creative highlight: feeling possiblity
personal highlights: road trip to Vermont with C & O, reading my grandfather's biography in small chapters via email.
June
I remember having lots of happy plans. I remember his phone call.
creative highlight: feeling a creative surge of ideas the likes of which I'd never experienced before.
personal highlight: my amazing assistant Caitlin comes into my life.
July
I remember that first hug from him when he picked me up at the bus. I remember him telling me how glad he was I was there.
creative highlights: long chats about ideas and projects with my dear friend Nikole, working on the logo for Little Winter, the opportunity to share so many beautiful memories and photos friends sent in of their grandparents - it was an honor.
personal highlights: long drives with my grandfather, knowing i was exactly where i needed to be, making my grandmother's famous potato salad and the smile on his face after he took a bite, that first hug.
(photo for July: Tracy)
August
I remember coffee with my brother on that back porch. I remember the joy on my grandfather's face when he walked out in that black track suit he had always wanted. I remember walking rows of berries in the warm sun with a friend.
creative highlights: collaborating with Brian on the desktop calendar for the month, picking up an issue of Martha Stewart Living with my decal in it - crazy.
personal highlights: learning to play cribbage with my grandfather, a visit with Molly and the well wishes of so many dear friends she brought with her, shopping for that track suit.
September
I remember that last trip to the coast. I remember our last dinner, his courage to say the tough stuff. I remember holding his hand all those hours. I remember everything.
creative highlights: taking pictures with my grandfather's camera of the coast, taking pictures of him.
personal highlights: having the courage to look my grandfather in the eye and tell him I would miss him, hearing him say he would miss me too, feeling that he could hear me sing to him while he was in a coma, holding his hand all those hours.
I remember my sister's care for me. I remember flying home. I remember Ollie running to greet me in the airport.
creative highlight: Betsy comes to visit, working on the calendar together at our little retreat was pure magic.
personal highlight: coming home.
I remember the hugs of good, good friends.
creative highlights: launching the Hello Handmade calendar, collaborating on a ceramic line with Lisa of Pigeon Toe Ceramics - a total dream, the beginnings of my new stationery line, Little Winter was amazing - a joy to be part of such a magical event, Second Storie over Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful.
personal highlights: meeting lots of wonderful, amazing folks I'd known online for years blew my mind a little, spending time with dear friends after months of it being mostly just my grandfather and me was just what the dr. ordered, getting to see Abby and Mackenzie two separate weekends in one month, a hug from Nikole.
(photo for November: Jenny)
December
I remember great talks with my friend Rachel - one of my favorite people. I remember the beauty of finally catching up on sleep. I remember Christmas Eve at home, just our little family.
creative highlight: working on big plans for 2011!
personal highlights: learned to take a nap, made some big decisions, dreamt about the future with C.
* * *
Dear Friends, It has been a year of rich, deeply challenging, deeply rewarding, important, full-of-love moments. It's not easy to write about this year, but I wanted to be sure to get something down to look back on, and to say thank you.
Heartfelt thanks to all of you who have offered your support, encouragement, love and kindness in this space throughout 2010. Truly, words could not express the immense gratitude I feel for all of you. You have made me feel heard - an invaluable gift I am beyond grateful for. Being able to write in this space, to share my thoughts with you has been a joy and an honor. I'm so glad you've been here. Thank you.
Here's to the beautiful, magical year that lay before us, and all that's to come.
Love & Cheers! S