The Year That Was 2013

Facebook has an interesting feature where you can see your year in review.  They pick out an assortment of photos that you have posted over the last year to represent your 20 biggest moments of the year.  I can also look back at my blog archive for each month (so can you, if you click on any of the selections on the sidebar to the right!) to remind me what I was up to each month.  Here are my favourite highlights from each month.

The first part of January was spent finished my book for The Sketchbook Project (a travelling library of artists' sketchbooks) and mailed it off to the organizers.

February's excitement was a trip to Seattle to take part in the very first Art Romp with Teesha and Tracy Moore.  We had a wonderful group of people gathered together for a very special and artful week (alas, not all of whom are shown in the photo below!).

In March, I seemed to be busy sketching and making journal pages, as I posted several on my blog that month as I not so patiently waited for spring to officially arrive.

In April, I took part in the National Letter Writing Month project organized by Lindsay Ostrom.  What a delightful month that was, full of exciting goodies arriving in my mailbox!  I can't wait for next April to take part again, although the 50% increase in postage that Canada Post will be putting in effect as of March 31st is probably going to cut into my level of participation.

May signaled the start of cottage season in Ontario, always a favourite time of year for me!

June was a super exciting month of - I never thought I'd hear myself say this - watching playoff hockey, capped off with a thrilling Stanley Cup win by my friend Mike's team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Seeing him get to lift that trophy over his head was a dream come true for so many of us, his family and friends.

July's highlight was the Stanley Cup party, where we all got to congratulate Mike in person and take our own turns kissing the Cup!

Me, the Cup, my sister Janine and
our favourite hockey coach, Mike Kitchen

At the end of August, I travelled to New York City to meet up with my friend Debbie, her sister Jen and Jen's wife Mel, all of whom live in Australia.  We had a fabulous 4 days exploring the city.

I spent the last week of September in Paris with my friends Lisa Cheney and Lorraine - ooh la la!

The first week of October was spent in the south of France in a lovely house in a small French village. It was heavenly.

At the beginning of November, I found myself celebrating the Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.  Another special week making new friends and art!

December 2013 will be remembered for the big ice storm that left so many Torontonians in the dark but which also treated us to some wonderfully scenic images in the aftermath.

What a wonderful year 2013 has been. I feel very blessed to have been able to share these special moments with people I love and I look forward to more of the same in 2014.  Here's wishing us all a very happy and healthy 2014, full of adventure and excitement, friendship and love.