Merry Christmas Dear Readers

Dear Sweet Readers,

Thank you for a wonderful 2009! You have been a blessing to me. I have looked forward eagerly to writing new tutorials to share with you, and in showing you all the fun things I have been up to and making. Your comments and emails have cheered me, encouraged me, and warmed my heart.

This year has been challenging for me - I was laid off from my job, I moved to a new house for the first time in my life, and I've done a lot of soul searching. In the process, I learned a lot about myself, my family, and what was the most important to me.

I have learned that art is crucial to my existence. I am an artist at heart, and any attempts to deny this or bury it are damaging to my well-being. Rather, the deeper that I delve into my arts and crafts, the happier I become and the more whole I feel.

I have learned that my family loves me. They are quirky, have a manifold of flaws, and they are difficult to live with at times. Even so, I have really enjoyed all the time off I have had to move with them and experience life with them. When everyone goes to work, I am left at home with my mother. We have cleaned the house together, and we have spent hours talking over what I should do next and how I feel. She has also told me stories from her life so that I can learn from them, and benefit from her experiences. She is a good mother, and she is a good listener. I feel blessed to have this time to spend with her.

When I was working, I was always too busy to spend time with my family. We grew apart. Now we are growing close again and I am surprised to find that I am happy with this. While I feel like a bum for not having a job, they are wholly supportive of my journey to find a job that I love and feel happy with.

I still have a long way to go, and perhaps this will be a life-long journey, to find what it is that I am made for and designed to do. I think there is purpose for everyone, but I don't know what mine is yet. Time passes by quickly. Months feel like a weekend to me. I often anticipate that Monday that will never come when I will pack my bags and head to the cubicle that I occupied for four and a half years.

Where will I go next? Where will my new "cubicle" be? I have no idea, but I know that 2010 will bring changes to my life that I had never expected. Life changes whether you want it to or not. We have to be ready for it.

I hope that 2010 will be a year of good health, safety, and happiness for you. I hope that you will love your job. If you don't love your job, I hope you will take the steps to change your situation. Don't wait for change to sneak up on you and to catch you by surprise.

I hope that you will find people in your life to love and care for you. I think it's too easy to think that no one loves you. Sometimes, you're the one that's been building the walls and breaking the bonds. Take the time out to spend time with them and to grow some roots. Love blossoms, but it needs help to grow.

I hope that 2010 will bring you good health naturally, but also good health that you gained for yourself. Go on that walk that you need, take that break, and eat better foods. Drink lots of water, and learn to take better care of yourself. You are valuable, lovable, and worthy of a better life.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you!

May God bless you and your families.

Love,
Marie