From 2023 to 2024, here we go!

I feel it is important to acknowledge it is now a new year before I continue with my extensive backlog of happenings. As well as to say a few words about the previous year in general.

The year 2023 grabbed me and took me places. A lot of great things happened. However, can I say all was in order? Did I have control over my life? Not at all. I wanted to tackle too much at once. There were challenges I had no idea how to go about. The travels threw me off balance, and I do not mean to sound ungrateful about them because I am grateful for them. A lot was going on at once all the time.

At times, I wanted everything to stop, but there was no way of stopping without ruining things for those dearest to me, so I kept going. It is not very healthy, as you might have guessed. I had spread myself way too thin.

It has impacted my health tremendously, and therefore, in 2024, my main focus will be my health, both physical and mental. I will also limit my ambitions to do too many things at once. It is not viable, and it simply does not work. There are maybe three things besides health I plan to focus on.

I will learn to say no to things. I hope that my loved ones will understand it and will respect it. I am also aware that certain things depend upon me for them to happen, so, hopefully, the saved-up energy from saying no to some other things will be enough for those occasions instead.

Cheers to less is more in 2024!

What did some of my last year look like? Here is a sneak peek.

_{Tree to tree! There were no fireworks to start in 2023. Instead, we had a show of lights, lasers, and music. I must say, I enjoyed it more than the fireworks. Firing rockets and watching them explode in colors and patterns can be fun, but this isn't any less fun. I was never the biggest fan of fireworks to begin with. They are too expensive for such a short spectacle and not so great for the environment.}

_{Pūciņa loves Christmas trees. She snacks on the branches and plays with the baubles. She also uses it as her hiding spot to launch sneak attacks on unsuspecting humans.}

_{I began learning to knit and made two scarves with two different patterns. They are not perfect by any means. I find it especially difficult to hide the ends of the yarn when the color switches. It will be a while before I develop the skills to make the pattern go smoothly and evenly. But I love knitting! I can listen to podcasts or music and knit non-stop. It is hard to stop once you start! The process is so satisfying and meditative.}

_{In 2023, my family and friends got into DnD. We are sometimes still clueless about game mechanics and role-playing, but it is a start. I have two characters so far. Dragonborn named Ash and half-human/half-elf alchemist named Rowan. She is a bit messed up since a treant named Shadow also resides in her body.}

_{I also plan to be a dungeon master for travelers who roam on the cursed lands of Strahd. This venture will require some preparations, crafting, and piecing together puzzle pieces for this adventure since I am not about half-assing anything. And if I am to tell this epic tale and bring the travelers along for a journey, I want complete immersion, something they will never forget. I think I can manage it in 2024. Maybe.}

_{My doodles during DnD. I have been doodling along since the start of our DnD journey.}

_{Around Easter, I noticed neighbors' greenhouses looking funny and decided to check on my greenhouse. It was then that I discovered that despite how it was advertised to me, the greenhouse did not withstand the harsh winter conditions of Latvia and had collapsed under the weight of the snow. The damage was beyond repair. As you can imagine, I was devastated. It lasted only one season! Grrr!}

_{Once the ice and snow had melted, we visited Zvārtes Rock by the river Amata. The red rock looked even more vibrant in the sunlight. Here, some crazy guys on paddle boards went down the flooded, super-fast river like it was nothing to them. They were out of their minds! I understand canoes or boats, but paddleboards, my dudes! The river can pull you in some shit in a split second. Big no, no!}

_{How dare I use my desk for art purposes! Pūciņa complains about her favorite sleeping spot being occupied by my drawing tablet.}

_{Once the soil warmed up and was workable again, I removed the collapsed greenhouse structure and prepared the area for the new wooden greenhouse. I am so happy with it! The shape reminds me of an upside-down boat! So far, it holds its ground even with some heavy snow. Of course, I also cleaned some of it off to be on the safe side.}

_{I saw aurora borealis or northern lights for the first time in my life! In Latvia! I always thought I would probably see them if I traveled further up north. It turned out that, in 2023, we had a great year for observing this magic in the night sky! It is not even my best shot from that night, and I might write a dedicated post about it.}

_{From early spring till the very end of summer/mid-autumn, I worked my butt off on extending and nurturing my garden to a whole new level. You will be in for a treat when those posts finally arrive here on Hive! And if there is anything I can say right now, I love growing flowers. They make me incredibly happy every time I look at them, directly in my garden or in the photos I captured of them. Stay tuned for that!}

_{Keyboards are the best pillows for kitties!}

_{Pūciņa has been going outside to the new garden quite often (look at those dirty, little feet), and she enjoys it. She doesn't like strangers or kids. It is fun to observe her sneak past them like a true ninja kitty!}

_{We visited the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in person. This event happens every five years. Selected choir singers, dancers, and musicians from around Latvia get invited to sing and dance together. On this stage are over two thousand singers.}

_{Years before, I watched this event at home on television. This time Lem and I wanted to see it right there, in the massive crowd in Mežaparks.}

_{It was so beautiful to witness! Words cannot describe how it felt to be there. To hear the voices echo in the forest around us. To see the sun slowly sink behind the stage that resembled the sun itself. The songs were the collection of the greatest Latvian authors. The music and the words resonated deeply within my soul. I hope to be there again in five years!}

_{Valmiermuižas ethnic music festival was another festival I was looking forward to in summer. This time, a few bands were visiting from other countries - Italy, Ukraine, and Norway. And, of course, there were local artists as well. It was a perfect chill with great music, beer, fire ritual - burning a massive wooden sculpture, and different masterclasses of various crafts.}

_{Inspector Pūciņa checking my greenhouse progress. That hill of flowers is how my compost pile looked like the past year. Can you imagine how the flower garden looked?}

_{A brief hello to the Baltic Sea. While it was not the perfect beach day one would have wished for, I enjoyed the angry-looking clouds and waves. Moody Tūja ū, ja!}

_{My gorgeous sweet peas! ^^}

_{I am sure she has a license to kill us all with cuteness. I melt into a puddle on the floor every time!}

_{We traveled to Hivefest in Mexico and Hivebeecon in Poland a few days later! It was wonderful to catch up with lovely Hivians who keep building and creating for Hive. And we got to hug our friends again!}

_{I brought some tiny Mexican hats for our kitty. I love how her ears flop to the sides under the weight of the hat. Adorable, meow!}

_{Of course, Halloween was not skipped! What do you mean? How could I skip one of my favorite foreign holidays?! Our pumpkins turned out pretty awesome if I do say so myself! And look at the bat in the photo below! <3}

_{Not long after, we hopped on board the metal bird again and traveled away from the snowy plains closer to the sunny equator, where our dear friend resides.}

_{While I love winter, it also comes with darkness that shrouds everything quite early in the day, so not only did we have a great time visiting, but it was also a healthy dose of sunlight and long walks outdoors with great company.}

_{Finally, it was time for a lovely Christmas with family and then New Year’s. I love decorating for Christmas and baking gingerbread cookies. I made honey gingerbread cookies from scratch. They were delicious!}

_{I also enjoy searching for gifts for others. It is so satisfying when I stumble upon something I know the person I am gifting it to, without a doubt, will love.}

_{Aaaa! I love our Christmas tree! It is so pretty! I am struggling with the thought of taking it down soon.}

_{Yeah, I think that is mostly it. I am aware, these are mostly positive highlights, of course, and one could wonder why I complained at the start of the post. I think 2023 showed me the areas of my life I should focus on more, where the cracks are, and what I need to be a healthier individual.}

_{We will see how 2024 turns out and if I can address some of the issues I mentioned! Thank you for visiting my blog and for taking the time to read this long post!}

_{I hope you all had a Meowy Christmas and will have a Happy New Year!}

_{Song of the day: Ólavur Riddararós - Valravn}