This is the MOON! Setting in the west this morning!!! A fantastic view from my studio window - just like a summer sunset, I watched the moon sink into the Bay.

Well, here we go - a new year. There is something unsettling to me about a new year - like the loose ends should be all tied up, and new beginnings should be in place. They're not. When are we supposed to tie up the loose ends? When are we supposed to get the new beginnings all lined up - nothing slows down for us to do that. In fact, if anything, everything just speeds up.

The sun is shining today and the Bay is very blue - a mixture of Ultramarine and Winsor Blue. My classes resume this week after a Christmas break, and I'm anxious to get at it again - painting, teaching, planning . . .

The loose ends don't need to be tied up by the new year, and the new beginnings happen a little at a time. There's no rush. I'm going to have a cup of tea and calm down now. Thanks for "listening".