Happy New Year!

Happy New Year world!

I always begin my year by reflecting on the past. This year my "Best and Worst" were pretty easy for me to choose. My worst day began in June and just sort of continued on throughout the summer and fall, when I found out that my dad had cancer. All the scary events that followed began with the words, "Its cancer". What a blessing it was to hear that before the year ended, Dad is in total remission and the latest biopsy was benign! Such great news. I am wishing for good health for all my family in 2011.

My best for 2010, oddly may not have happened if not for "the worst". You see, I hadn't seen my son for 9 years and was able to see him and hug him and gaze at him when we were both out in Idaho assisting my parents. I hadn't seen him since his high school graduation and it was so odd to see this 27 year old man sitting before me. So familiar and yet such a stranger. I love him dearly and miss him daily.

I missed getting to see my daughter when she flew out to help mom and dad. We had to stagger visits so as not to all be there at the same time and so we all felt like we were able to help. I hope I get to see her this year. In fact it is one of my goals.

There are a lot of changes ahead of me for the coming year. I will embrace them when the time is right. With this and many other considerations, I have chosen my word of the year. It will be "Awareness". I can see this word touching many aspects of my life. Sometimes, I allow life to manage me and I am working on managing my life! I AM the Boss of Me! I want to be more aware of my environment my needs and the needs of others. My environment consists of any place that I find myself. If I am in my studio, I hope to be more aware of being organized with putting things away. If I am outside, I will be more aware by taking time to smell the plumeria!

I believe that being "Aware" involves living in the moment and savoring it. I am also committed to being aware of others needs. I have been working hard to build my business and it is prospering. But not everyone is. I feel strongly that before you can save the world, you need to start in your own backyard. We have a food bank in Kona that isn't always full and we have homeless with special needs of their own. So this year, I will be giving a portion of my profits to local charities, giving back a little to the community that I love so much. In Hawaii, its just called "Living Aloha". If we all do a little, great things can happen!

Have a wonderful, happy, tranquil, love-filled, inspiring, adventurous, healthy and prosperous 2011.

a hui hou