Category: new year

The Possibilities are Endless in the New Year

Vasilopita, a traditional Greek sweet bread baked especially for the new year, in which is hidden a coin to surprise the lucky person who finds it in their slice, commemorating St. Basil on January 1.
Vasilopita, a traditional Greek sweet bread baked especially for the new year, in which is hidden a coin to surprise the lucky person who finds it in their slice, commemorating St. Basil on January 1.

Welcome to 2014! Here we are again at the start of another year. The possibilities are endless.

Just think, the year is spread long and wide before us, the road not yet traveled lays ahead. What mystery will each day bring? It’s time to get it together, get down to business after some gentle reflection of the year left behind as we turn and walk purposefully toward a fresh start.

Every thing I read says to look back and think about what worked, and what didn’t, last year. Evaluate your process, tally up your wins and fails, they say, and report.

Well, ok. Let’s take a look at where I’ve come through the past year:

  • Participated in a few more art show/sales events and sold paintings, jewelry, and knits
  • Listed more artwork in the Etsy shop
  • Participated in the last 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with 15 works (eh, ok)
  • Started working on an email sign up list on this website
  • Learned a lot about avoiding Resistance, thanks to Steven Pressfield and his work
  • Learned a lot about inviting “the Muse,” again thanks to Steven Pressfield
  • Said “Yes” more times than I said “No”
  • Got back to the process in my work, rather than the final product
  • Looked into solo art show prospects
  • Thought about developing my own gallery space

It’s surely not a complete list.

What does the plan for the new year ahead look like, you ask? Here are some ideas:

  • Shrug off Mr. Resistance and get to the studio to meet Mrs. Muse on a regular basis
  • Paint twenty minutes to start and see where it gets me-the process at work
  • Finish this website thing already
  • Add to my contact list and finally get my newsletter out there
  • Plan some solo shows of my work to reach people really interested in collecting art
  • Get info on the gallery idea
  • Complete the challenges I sign up for instead of just mosey along without pushing myself forward
  • Throw out junk
  • Bake more of my own bread
  • Knit more socks, use up my yarn stash, finish a needlepoint that’s been sitting around since 1982
  • Knit faster

January is here now and it’s time to get moving on these things on my list.

Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?

Ok, the good news first it is: I already joined another 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge that began on New Year’s Day. Yes, January 1 was Day 1 to post my first work in this challenge.

The bad news? I’m already behind on Day 2. Yikes!

 

Photos for Friday and the New Year

Today is New Year’s Eve. Tomorrow is the first day of a brand new year. Isn’t it amazing? How is it that time just flies by so quickly? Before we know it the summer will be here again, and gone. These holidays are so hectic I can’t really enjoy what’s going on. I’m trying to keep my eyes open rather than cloudy with thoughts and plowing through my days. It’s not easy.

And the to-do list keeps growing. I was able to cross off a couple of things I had been wanting to do, so that was a plus. Can you imagine going to IKEA during a Christmas shopping foray, to pick up some much wanted bookshelves? I can’t believe I did it either. Somehow my car just drove to that store just before Christmas. I bought what I wanted to buy, brought it home, and put it together. I even placed books and decorative items in them. That was an accomplishment! I guess you have to go with the flow when the mood strikes.

Today will be another busy day. I don’t have to worry about tonight because we’re going out with family. But later on today I have baking to do. St. Basil’s Day is January 1 and in the Greek culture we celebrate the New Year and St. Basil at midnight with a sweet bread that is baked with a coin inside called Vasilopeta. We cut the bread for the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, mother Mary and some people cut a slice for the saints. Then each family member gets a slice and we check to see who won the coin for good luck the whole year. So I am baking the breads today and also a batch of sweet, honey dipped biscuit-like cookies with walnuts on top. Another something sweet for the new year. Need those traditions.
As you can see by my photos, my cookbooks, my stand-by’s, are pretty beat up. My mother gave me one book when I was married and it’s seen better days. I don’t bother getting a new one because I figure some day my granddaughter might want to see how I handled it from my own hands, writing and splotches all. This book is kind of like me: basic and traditional, a little unorthodox, a bit thrown together, with a big rubber band for security. 
This little paper thingy? This is from the back of a Greek calendar that marks each day. They print recipes, jokes, anecdotes, songs, etc. This is a traditional Greek song we sing for St. Basil, the new year and the first day of the month. We Greeks have a saying for everything from the first day of the month, the first day of the week, before you eat your dinner, when you go on vacation, a name day, a birthday, a wedding, before you give birth, you name it- we have something to say about it. And that’s another post for another day. Now I having some baking to do.
Kali Hronia! Hronia Polla! Happy New Year! 

Thought for Thursday- Happy New Year!

DECIDE that each day will be a good day and that you’ll be in a good mood. That’s right: You can decide. 
DECIDE that you’ll sing, smile, laugh, and dance more often.
DECIDE to make this a rewarding year filled with things and people you love.
 
~Alyson Stanfield, The ArtBiz Blog

This blog effort has been a fun and rewarding experience.  Thank you all for reading and commenting.  Here’s to a happy, healthy, and productive 2010!