If it's not Thursday or Sunday, what then?

I realise this blog has shifted again over the past few months, into a space I use to post for Poetry Thursday or Sunday Scribblings, and not much else. My SoulCollage cards are on my SoulFragments blog and Trixie does a bit of musing for me on her blog, so what else might I be doing here? There was the beginning of reading True Balance, and I posted my reflections here on the first and second chapters - relating to the first and second chakras. Then, September came, I went off on a trip (oh, I did post a small slide-show on that wonderful trip to the South of France, didn't I?), and when I came home, there were classes to prepare, plans to put in place for the redecoration of my house... It's not surprising that, while I kept up with reading a lot of blogs, I didn't post a whole lot here about my life. I was too busy just trying to keep it going in the real world. And then, I signed up for NaNoWriMo, and achieved my target - completed a 50098-word novel in the 30 days of November, while simultaneously juggling painters, flooring-men and having a dose of shingles (What? Stress? Me?)

So, what is the blog about, then? Yes, it started to chart the Artist's Way, and that was wonderful, and the community of bloggers it introduced me to has been such a source of inspiration, encouragement and sheer fun for me this year, it's been hugely important. I think what I've lost sight of in ways is that as January began this year, I had no idea this world existed, no idea of the possibilities, potential and capacity there was in blogging. I'm sure I haven't used it to its fullest potential for me (and I've been fascinated with the journey of so many of the people who began the Artist's Way at the same time), but I realise that doing this is in itself another creative expression that I haven't really given myself credit for.

When I had my birthday at the start of this month, I did what has become a tradition for me and wrote a list of what's been special about this year. I included Blogging, but I didn't really focus on it as something I learnt or achieved. It was scary to begin with. Internet? EEEK! Posting pictures, creating links... it was all new to me. Kara helped. Kat helped. What I realised was that if I hit a snag, someone else had been there just before me, and had worked it out, and then later in the year, I found I sometimes was the "someone" for a new blogger who wanted to know how to do something I'd figured out.

During this year, I've completed a great deal... projects that I've dreamt about have come to fruition. I finally graduated with my degree in psychology (an 8-year journey), completed my training as a Bach Flower Remedy practitioner (3 years), got to travel to the US (lifetime ambition), to train as a SoulCollage(R) facilitator (dream engendered at my first ever encounter with the process more than 3 years ago). I mustered the energy and resources to transform my home from the drab place in which my marriage came to an end to a light-filled, warm space in which I begin the next phase of my life. Hey! I even wrote a novel! I had my national radio debut! I've had poems published in a couple of journals. I've met wonderful people - online, in reality, here at home and on my travels. I've stood on the shores of three oceans. I've spread out the pieces of myself - the good, the bad, the miserable, the joyful, all the shades in between, and I've been pleased that this year has been a year of forward motion, a year in which I've been glad to be alive, and glad to be me.