Another turn of the calendar page, and here we are, standing at the threshold of 2016. We had a quiet celebration, here at Chez Shore. No fireworks, no champagne flutes at midnight…we just reveled in each other’s company, and that of longtime friends. After dinner, we hiked to a beautiful vantage point, not far from our home. We watched in awe as the sun extinguished its fire in the Pacific Ocean, but not before putting its final punctuation mark on the year.
I’ve been reflecting today on the highlights of 2015, while also imagining the possibilities for 2016. No, I’m not planning to write a formal list of New Year’s resolutions–an illustrated journal page is more my style. In 2015, for instance, I created a collage of sorts for the word SUSTAIN, a multi-faceted theme that I oftentimes referenced.
I haven’t yet settled on a word for this year, but from my 2015 catalog of pictures and blogs, I pulled together a brief retrospective. Here, some of the myriad people and events that sustained me last year. I invite you to revisit those special moments with me, and to consider how we might respond this year to Mary Oliver’s question:
Tell me…
Oh Happy Day! Harlem Gospel Choir workshop & onstage performance (February)
What is it you plan to do…
His Holiness, XIV Dalai Lama talks about compassion, on the occasion of his 80th Birthday Celebration (July)
With your one…
Leaf-peeping in history-steeped New England, and the singularly successful book launch of Jeannine Atkins’ LITTLE WOMAN IN BLUE, a novel about May Alcott (October)
Wild…
A well-nourished leopard guards his “prey,” at the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound and Conservation Center (April)
And precious…
This ray of sunshine, also known as my grandson (August)
Life?
A backyard metamorphosis, from caterpillar to chrysalis to winged beauty (June)
Wishing you a joyful 2016, in which your relationships nurture and inspire you, and every day’s a grand adventure.
(Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? was excerpted from Mary Oliver’s hugely popular poem, A Summer Day. )
Lovely memories!
Thanks, Margaret. 2015 was filled with magical moments. Flipping through my digital album helped me remember….
As usual, lovely photos amid inspiration. Love the sunset as a final punctuation mark. You are a poet my friend!
I have poetic influences… 😉
Lovely photos, Melodye! And your New Year’s Eve sounds heavenly. Wishing you the brightest of blessing for 2016. xox 🙂
Happy New Year, Gisele! Wishing you a lifetime of magical moments and glittery memories.
Happy New Year! I’ve been hearing Mary Oliver’s name a lot lately, I guess I better find a book of hers to read. Lovely pictures!
Oh yes, Mary Oliver’s amazing. I find her poetry easily accessible, and very relatable. You might want to start with a volume of her collected works…
As always, I appreciate your insights and inspiration!
And I, yours. Happy New Year, Jenn. I can’t wait to see what 2016 holds in store for us.
Another beautiful blog posting with your knack for photo-essay and expressing beauty–both of the natural sort, and that of existentialism. I hope that 2016 is the year we meet.
I’m hoping for that, too, and will do whatever I can to help make it happen. xo