Au Revoir 2015

Celebrating the New Year means 2 things to most people:

1. Reflecting on the year past
2. Starting something new

Truth be told, I’ve never been very good at New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that I make personal promises to change my lifestyle and then fail; I just don’t make resolutions. Or at least I don’t make them on January 1st. That just seems like an excuse to be excessively unhealthy leading up to January 1st with the promise that things will change on that magical day.

And then they don’t really change as much as you’d like, so you say, “I’ll get it done right next year.” At least that’s the cliche, isn’t it?

I prefer to make changes throughout the year when I feel like my life needs improving. So the only resolution I’m making this early in 2016 is to get this blasted root canal done so I can chew on the right side of my mouth again! (Oh my…)

So how about reflecting on the year past?

Yeah, that’s something I can do. And especially this year I have things to reflect on. In 2015 we said goodbye forever to our beloved rescue dog, Ajax.

Ajax’s loss wasn’t sudden or unexpected, but it was no less devastating. Still, we were lucky to have him for 10 years and I’m so glad he made the trip to New York City with us.

Speaking of moving to NYC, that’s something else to reflect on. Sure, we didn’t make the move here in 2015, but it was (and still continues to be) a very new experience. From living in rural Pennsylvania to a Caribbean island, then to one of the world’s biggest metropolises, I’d say our life is pretty rad. Last year was also the only full year that we will spend in the city. In 2016, we’ll be moving on.

Let’s not forget how our family grew in 2015. The year marked the arrival of Banjo and, as rocky as having a new puppy was at first, we are so happy to have her. And now Babe has a new best friend.

On a more personal note, 2015 is the year that I left the mainstream work force and started working from home. My paintings made a big splash and I’m still working to keep up with the orders, creating a painting each day and donating a percent of the proceeds to animal shelters and rescues. I also get to do a little freelance writing and, to ensure I get out a little, I even walk a couple dogs around the neighborhood. I love it! I’m basically my own boss!

I’d say that 2015 had its ups and downs, but overall was pretty great and instead of making a pledge to change anything this year, I’m just going to keep moving forward, enjoying every day!