An Unfinished Year

I've been looking at the many year end reviews on blogs that I follow and reflecting on my own 2013.  Really for me it feels like an unfinished year.  With our difficult family situation requiring so much attention everything that I was doing in my own life seems to have fallen by the wayside.  I've been in the studio cleaning up, doing a monumental declutter and rearranging things.  As I've done so I have come to realize that I have 10 unfinished paintings waiting to be completed.  I have wool and fabric purchased for projects that were abandoned before even starting them.  I have a project book where I write up all the things I'd like to do and barely anything has a wee tick against it. In 2013 I had also wanted to study with Mark Waller and that became impossible too.  Sigh.  With our family situation spilling, unresolved into 2014 I won't pressure myself to get in and finish all of these canvases and projects but I will gently and quietly get started on just one and hopefully make progress from there.  I have decided to continue to study painting with Don Milner and start back with the brushes this week. 

So far our 2014 has been startlingly busy and I am somewhat bemused to find myself writing January 14th in my journal.  Just HOW did it get to be January 14th already?  We've hosted more sleepovers, this time with our two youngest nephews. They were just so good. It was a joy to spend time with them and watch them enjoy time together (they are cousins).   The sun tent cubby house with fairy lights once again proved to be a huge hit.  You may note the sunshine coming in the window to the top right.  It took much work to convince these little ones that they didn't really have to go to bed 'right now', it would still be here later when it was dark and indeed bedtime!  Funny things.

The next morning Uncle Jeff and the boys went for a hike up a local lookout for some boy time.  Kids loved it and were very chuffed to have walked up the lookout.

They returned full of beans and dove into building a sheet cubby house. 

Over a period of 3 days we also celebrated two special birthdays.

Captain Jack Sparrow turned a very exciting six years old and I earned 'much loved Aunty' points for providing the gift of a spectacular wig and accompanying pirate items.  So funny.

Shortly after my own sweet boy celebrated his 40th with chocolate cake (of course - if you know Jeff you know this is a MUST). 

You are NEVER too old to like the cake mix out of the bowl (notice the chocolate on his shirt).....

or the icing out of it's mixing bowl. 

Wishing that your 40th year is your best year ever.

love Sandy. xxxx