Ciao 2014!

The theme of 2014 was lessons. Lessons in connecting, taking risks, learning from loss and injury, parenting, traveling, and staying positive every single day through the good and bad.

What a ride.

The biggest lesson by far was in losing my wildly creative and artistic mother in law, Gail Peacock, to ovarian cancer.  It was a tough loss for us and many people. What to do?

Gail was a member of that uber creative tribe of people around the world who put creativity in every single thing they do and touch.  She was also a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, giver of advice (like it or not) and was always bearing gifts.

She knew who she was and let her light shine. In doing so, she brightened so many lives.  In fact, her presence was so bright, we learned it was simply impossible to let that light dwindle.

We made a choice to focus on the brightness of her presence, not the loss.  

We chose to see more beauty and color daily, to laugh more, to focus on what is truly important for us (family).  And this past December, we put up more art on the wall and added extra twinkling, glistening Christmas decorations, and listened to tons of holiday music.  I made more of her cheese braid breads and bourbon chocolates than ever, and we spent more quality time with family and friends on the phone or in person.

In retrospect, I am 100% sure that is what she would want us to do. Focus on the light.

So, HELLO 2015!

My you are looking bright.

What a day!