When I began my Christmas Journal I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I finish it… would I abandon it… but I decided to give it a try and see what happened. All I can say now is – Wow! What an experience! It truly changed my holiday season in a beautiful way.

I truly meant to share my journal throughout the class, but for one reason or another I felt very much like hibernating this holiday season and so I did. I am so happy that I completed my journal.

Thank you- Shimelle for this wonderful experience (and for my wonderful Come on Pilgrim christmas present… could something be more perfect…I think not)!

To see more wonderful Christmas Journals take a look at writtendown.com . What a wonderful holiday season and what a wonderful start to the new year.

I have completed Day 3 of my Christmas journal. Yeah! I also made some Christmas cards… Which for me is quite an accomplishment. Now I just have to send them… that is an entirely different thing. One step at a time…

Today has been a windy, cold day. It has been a relaxing day though… Jon and I went to the farmer’s market that was going on near us today and it was lovely. Now we have fresh eggs and the most wonderful Stilton cheese. This is also the first time in a long while that I am feeling good. I felt like I have been sick so often… but I am finally starting to feel like my self again.

So happy first weekend in December to you! Take care, relax and have fun.

I am loving this so far…

This is the inside of my joural cover.

This is my first entry my Dedication. The writing reads as follows:

Becuse it doesn’t feel like Christmas yet… so I can remember my first Christmas in England… to take time each day to celebrate- appreciate- create- rejoice and to start 2007 with this in mind… because I forget… So here I am- Comiting to the page… each day- for the next 37 days and hopefully beyound that into the new year. So I will show up to the page each day.

2 December 2006- My perfect holiday season involves snow, but I am not out in the snow. Oh no, I am by a fire with a warm cocoa… looking at the snow outside.

I have started my Christmas Journal. So far I am having a lot of fun with it. I started with a spiral bound sketch book … I have decided to take it a part- I have not decided yet how I will put it back together when I am finished with the journal, but I suppose that I have some time to think about it.

This is the cover of my journal….

Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one’s intentions.

“Starting December first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present and dream about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of papers and trivial scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas, I am letting it be something I relish and, most importantly, I am giving at least fifteen minutes every day to myself no matter how crazy this season becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand as I make something with my own hands, my own words and my own memories. I may post some of my entries here. Other artists are doing this with me, and you can see their work here. Or you may join us. Above all: enjoy the season. I will.”

I wasn’t sure about this at first… I am not feeling very Christmassy at the moment, but now I have gone and declared my intentions… So let the fun begin! I have to say that I am excited and I am starting to feel a little Christmassy.