Bloom 12 – The Year That Was

A year ago, I thought I’d write a great many more “Bloom” posts. Then again, I never thought I’d write 90 “Good Thing” posts, so there it is. “Bloom” was my word of choice for 2025 and, in many ways, I set some great goals that helped me do just that. Let’s see:

• Yes, I wore dashing hats regularly
• I saw 3 of Wes Anderson’s films – I’ll keep working on that one. As you’ll see, I got caught up in all sorts of other movies this year!

But the overarching goal was to treat myself more kindly, to do less comparing of my blooper reel with someone else’s “for your consideration” Oscar highlights. And I think I did well there. When I look back at 2025 (something that is MUCH easier to do with that paper planner and the stickers!), I notice that:

• I became far more honest about what seems true to me spiritually and, like Mary, I am keeping these things and pondering them in my heart.
• While I didn’t paint 100 watercolors, I chose some far more complicated projects and completed 79. (By the way, be on the lookout for a watercolor sale very soon!)
• I read 68 books, ranging from cozy mysteries that are the literary equivalent of Milk Duds (favorite title – hands-down – would be Parlez-Vous Murder?), to strong fiction like Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s works and Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, to nonfiction like Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief and Elizabeth Lett’s The Eighty-Dollar Champion.
• I watched classic movies I’d missed and made time for good movies and TV I enjoyed. These include Sunset Boulevard, Sullivan’s Travels, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Diary of a Lost Girl, Ginger Snaps, Deliver Me from Nowhere, Rental Family, Death by Lightning, The Beast in Me, and The Lowdown. (Still behind on some things I want to see, though – including the end of Stranger Things and Plur1bus.)
• I stepped back from social media for a while and came back in a much more cautious fashion. I’m definitely better off for that one!
• I kept working on my personal relationships, acknowledging that people aren’t static, and that things change.
• I taught a business drafting class for a law school – that turned out to be my last class in higher education, due to the crushing closure of Limestone University (the law school class concluded after the spring semester ended at LU). That closure rocked my world for quite a while, but led to a much better, more positive work life for me.
• I met with a host of college friends in the glory of Flathead Lake in Montana and that was such a balm for my soul, which had gotten pretty bruised due to the whole Limestone debacle. Glacier National Park! The Green & Gold Dinner! The sound bath!
• I spent four weekends learning the basics of Italian swordfighting.
• I began a HUGE garden project and am actually utilizing a professional to help instead of hoping I can blunder onto the right answers.
• I made time for dinners and get-togethers and Little Debbie snack cakes eaten with great joy in the company of amazing women.
• I played “hometown tourist” and sought out local gems in my own backyard.

So what’s next?

Well, this is going to be the Year of Magic. No, I’m not planning on learning how to pull a rabbit from a top hat, but I do expect to be on the lookout for those small bits of wonder and excitement that are all around me, but that I have to work to see. I hope to continue growing into the person I want to be.

Let’s get going together, Divas!