Happy New Year

I haven't blogged for six weeks, and I've missed it so much! Unfortunately, any and all extraneous activities fell by the wayside as we coped with the diagnosis and subsequent death of my sister-in-law, may she rest in peace.

It has been a chaotic holiday season, one that I have not had much time to pause and enjoy. I did my best to prioritize and focus on only what was necessary, but I have this problem in that things that I like to do are usually complex and unnecessary. Translation: I didn't do a number of things that I enjoy doing at the holidays, due to time constraints. Other things that I did manage to get to were difficult to enjoy amongst the grief and exhaustion we were feeling. Fortunately, we spent a lot of quality time with family and I was reminded that all that unnecessary stuff I like to do is really that: unnecessary.

For the past week I've been looking forward to January, just to return to the mundane everyday existence that strangely brings me much joy and peace. I am looking forward to writing posts about inane household activities, planning simple things to do with my husband and kids, and fitting again into a pleasant rhythm of days that will hopefully inspire my energy for new projects and aspirations.

I will also look back on the past year and review the challenges that I set to myself in 2010. To be honest, I haven't decided what challenges I will take on for 2011. Right now I am just taking things one day at a time.