Happy New Year 2026!

We can all agree that life is busy. Constant flux, especially in this decade, creates a feeling of saturation - like your life is not your own. As time seems to speed up, more to-dos fill the calendar.

Have you pondered your 2025? What comes to mind: hurriedness, overwhelm, exhaustion? Is it that you had all your ducks in a row and sailed smoothly through the year? Or is it possible you were somewhere in the middle? Life tends to have lots of surprises, so I’d bet you were somewhere in the middle like me.

Though I didn’t accomplish all my goals, I gained something much more powerful. I learned how to slow down and take better care of myself. I learned how to breathe. Seems funny. It’s a necessary function of the body, and yet when you hold your breath, stress builds.

2025 felt like a year of transition for me in many ways. I became more present in my relationships with family and friends. That, in itself, slowed the busyness. Along with breathing came digging deep spiritually and finding peace with what I can control - my perspective.

It’s been quite a while since I last wrote to you, so I’d like to share some of my adventures from the past year.

I continued to teach Canva for Authors through the end of March, deciding eventually to step back from this weekly commitment to pursue more writing projects and to be more present in my family and friends' lives.

I found that feeding the social media posts "machine" to introduce people to my books was not lucrative. I have plans to introduce my book to the Pinterest world this new year.

I was honored to be a part of some graphic design creations earlier this year. I plan to continue helping clients who want to learn or need assistance in Canva.

My husband, James, changed jobs, making a sideways move to help a company grow their construction department. Now his market is in the southern instead of the western states. He is working with our son again, and they both enjoy that.

I planned a fall leaf tour for Mom and me. It took us to Kentucky to see the National Quilt Museum, on to Georgia for a cousin's wedding, down south to Savannah, then up the coast to Charleston. Mom got to experience the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. We headed inland to North Carolina to visit my niece (mom's granddaughter) and her family. We traveled a bit northward, where Mom's grandparents met and married. Then we began our trek back westward through Asheville, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Great Smoky Mountains. We packed a lot into those nine days, but it was undoubtedly a wonderful and memorable experience.

I spent a decent amount of time dedicated to decluttering "stuff" over the last half year. I realize my attachment to stuff has been part of what clutters my mind. How liberating to embrace "now" and donate, sell, or throw away what no longer serves me.

This fall and into winter, James and I are headlong into the repairs and upgrades to our cabin. Remember the movie, The Money Pit? LOL. I’ll share pictures when it’s complete. It’s turning out beautiful.

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were terrific, as we got to spend them with so many of our family members. They have amply blessed us, each one of them, in their own special way, which makes us exceedingly grateful to be part of a family so full of love.

What will 2026 hold for me? Some of my goals include writing to you more often, completing my Canva for Authors course, continuing work on my children's chapter book, and dabbling with some sewing and craft projects.

I figure, though, if I take each day for what it brings and feel the tremendous gratitude for this life, even in the struggle, then everything will be as it’s supposed to be.

I would love to be inspired by your 2026 goals and what you have gained by living through another year on this big blue marble.

What are you working on? Are you making travel plans? Running kids to and from? Meditating more?

What have you learned? Life is precious? Life is hard? Life is... (you fill in the blank). Be sure to drop me a note with your response. As always, I’d love to hear from you.

I pray that your 2026 fills you to overflowing with love, laughter, and abundance.

Let’s make some thoughtful ripples.

Sending love and light,

Lestie