looking backward whilst moving forward...

New Years Eve at Acorn Cottage, the neighbors outdid themselves with fireworks this year. I rather enjoy the colorful symbolic gesture, but try to convince her own darling self Smokey that an hour of loud explosions is not a problem, no way! The poor Akita girl was a shuddering unhappy pup, didn't find the regular bedtime routine at all reassuring, and just stood leaning against the bed and shivered quietly but persistently until all the noise stopped. She did not grow up with fireworks, at Mud Bay the primary neighbors are cows, and Portland is waay more fireworks-mad than anywhere I've ever lived.

Spent part of the first day of 2008 thinking about the previous year, my accomplishments and difficulties...
Could sum up the overall feeling by saying that 2006, the year I moved to Acorn Cottage, was kind of a honeymoon year all starry-eyed wow, I've got a home, and 2007 was the year that I began adjusting to the actual life I have now, a life fundamentally very different than any of my previous adult lives

Every year I make a long list of all the positive changes, could post 2007 here but haven't transfered them to electronica yet

The personal things that I'm feeling best about for last year...
Being brave and making new friends.
Teaching three weekend long enameling workshops.
Being part of the artist-demos at Art In The Pearl.
Doing all the interior window trim in my workroom.

oh yeah,
and finally actually doing the whole blog-journal thing

and aspirations for the year to come...
I'd like to teach workshops here in Portland
I'd like to get my workroom functional (repaired and put together )
I'd like to take some time each month for fun
I'd like to take better care of the body I live in
I'd like to continue being bravely social