Happy New Year 2024 - making plans

Happy New Year and I would like to send you good wishes for 2024. Yet again, the year seems to have gone quickly, so it is time to look forward with plans for 2024 and revisit aims from last year.

Photo from the TV of the Fireworks in London

Read interesting books - this is never a difficult one for me.  Reading is one of my main hobbies and I enjoy the 'me time' which reading gives.  I have done pretty well again this year and have read a total of 87 books.  Some old favourites, such as Miss Marple and Jane Austen.  There have been some which I found out about from the TV book programme, Between the Covers, such as The Dictator's Wife by Freya Berry and The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk. There were a couple which sounded interesting, such as The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods and The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson.  Then there was Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes, which I heartily recommend if you like the Greek myths. This exploration of some of the women in the stories is fascinating as in the retelling over the centuries, they have had a 'bad press', which Natalie sets out to put right.  

All the photos above and below are from the Care December 2023 course (the Blue Edition)

Be Creative (using what I have) - I always try to use my supplies before buying more. However, I have bought a few things (!) over the year. This is OK as long as I do actually use them but I need to have a sort out of my stash and donate supplies which I haven't used.   I have taken part in a few monthly/weekly challenges/workshops, such as Artful August in January, Index Card a Day during June and July and Care December. I have completed my Wanderlust year long course and enjoyed continuing to learn about different media.  I have signed up to Wanderlust 2024 to keep this going.  I also signed up to, but haven't yet completed, two courses with Kate Crane.

I started to do a Wednesday slow drawing class with Amy Maricle and loved that quiet and relaxing hour, so that will be continued. I also did some online workshops with her (Watercolours, Little Book of Wonder and Magic and Mist) and really enjoyed them.  I did another online watercolour class, incorporating a writing element, with Joanne Sharpe and have signed up to her year long Whimsies, Words and Watercolours course, so there is plenty to keep me busy and learning there. I also plan to focus more on lino printing and collage.

Get rid of or donate things I no longer want or need - I have made a little progress with this, but need to focus more on it as I have accumulated far too much stuff over the years!  I find it really difficult to sort things out but must make it a habit. 

Take more notice of nature - being a gardener does help me to stop, be aware of and enjoy nature. Just being able to stop and observe or stop and listen gives that mindfulness which is important in our busy lives. I always have plans for the garden and this year, I need to pot on my roses, patio cherry tree and patio apple tree.  A bit of rearranging and sorting out there and in the shed won't go amiss either!

Sadly, I haven't visited any other gardens this year, which is something I do enjoy, so I am aiming to put this right in 2024. There are two in particular on my list, York Gate near Leeds (described as a beautiful Arts and Crafts garden) and The Manor at Hemingford Grey, near Ely, (which was the home of Lucy M Boston who wrote the Green Knowe stories) so I must make an effort and get out there.

So those aims are now plans for 2024.  It will be interesting to review them this time next year.