Soul Smiles for 2015

Jan Newsletter

Welcome, 2015!  I always love the start of the new year (well, and my birthday is this month, and I’m all for celebrating). Best wishes, fellow Aquarians out there!

Normalcy is resuming after the holidays, with a slower pace. We enjoyed Christmas, with frequent, small gatherings of friends to share in the holiday spirit and ward off a bit of homesickness. It was special, too, to watch Ramsay grasp a better understanding of Christmas this year, and delight in the decorations, parties, and presents.

Are you someone who makes a gentle step or a bold leap into the New Year?  Is there something in particular you want to accomplish or shape you in 2015?  I didn’t make resolutions this year, however, I enjoy writing in my slightly clunky and well-worn paper Filofax calendar…documenting birthdays, writing to do lists, and planning vacations, art projects, and castles in the sky.

IMG_6924

I did choose a word I’d like to focus on for 2015: Authentic.  Being real and authentic in words and actions, letting go of pretense and things that don’t fit my lifestyle; a commitment to say more of what I think and like to do instead of putting the shoulds first, often not leaving time for the fun.  Nourishing all of the facets of my soul as much as possible, and emotionally investing in things and people that I love, worrying less about the rest.

IMG_6367

I read some great nuggets of wisdom over the holidays that I highlighted in my journal:

  • happiness stems from learning how to cheer yourself up and stand your ground
  • lay down the guilt and do things that make your SOUL SMILE
  • making life changes are scary, but regret is worse
  • focus on the FUN, not the fear
  • continue to look at the world around you with new and unique ways, for there is magic in the everyday if you open your eyes

 And I saw this inspirational little sticker on a wall:

IMG_7503Wishing you a year that unlocks your potential, makes your soul smile, one that is full of joie de vivre, passion for living, and a year of finding muses to tap into amazing joy.

IMG_7416

Happy New Year and Carpe Diem,

Tracy

 

 

 

Orange You Glad?

IMG_4917Hello!

With the change of seasons in the southern hemisphere, we are transitioning from Winter into Spring.  Some sparse green grass blades are pushing up through the soil, leaves are budding on trees, and color is seeping slowly back into a rather brown and beige-hued world we’ve known during the dry season. The temperatures are warming, and the ritual commences of taking coffee and binoculars outside in the early morning to watch the returning birds.

In Mbabane, August also brings gorgeous plump and heavy oranges in droves. One of my favorite colors, and fruits, is orange. This time of year, oranges are piled high in the backs of trucks and fill market stalls. I’ve been scooping up loads of them to bring home for eating and squeezing into juice. Our little boy knows how to peel them, and he likes taking a deep breath of the fragrant orange peel and says, “nice!”

I love the scent of oranges, too.

And today, I ate a tea cake made with real orange juice that was delicious, and the creativity in the cooking was my muse to start a new art project.

Do you have a creative muse or a morning ritual?

Wishing you days full of color and light.

Cheers,

Tracy