Enthusiastically, Dawn

It’s the last weekend of 2025. It’s hard to explain the way I get at certain turns of the calendar. I slowly unravel as I anticipate the turning of one season to another. The end of one year, the start of another. I am a sucker for fresh starts. For beginnings. I am learning to be faithful, to be a strong finisher, not just a super star starter. It’s a lifelong lesson, and I think I’m turning the corner at 61 years of age, finally, maybe? Oh, Lord, I hope so.

But as I sit, enjoying this Saturday, with its fresh new coat of snow, I wanted to share some borrowed inspiration with you, as you consider scribbling into that nice new notebook you received for Christmas, or maybe the one that’s been sitting on your nightstand for the past year. I received a gift in my inbox, and it seemed too lovely not to share.

I confess, I’m not often inspired by journaling prompts I read. Maybe it’s that I have so many random threads in my own head to pull on, I rarely find the need. But like anything in life, sometimes it’s timing, or circumstance that allows us to find that something unique that causes us to pause, to breathe deep…to ponder. I live a pondering life, so I appreciate the opportunities that I discover along the way. They rarely come in my inbox, but mostly as I walk outside, or while I’m in the shower, or poking about town, usually when I least expect it. I am definitely a seeker of ponder-worthy inspiration.

Which leads me to the lovely e-mail I received from a journal creator I do follow. Since I am no longer active on social media, it makes it harder to keep up with many of my journaling and planner community friends. However, I continue to receive some emails from a few. One such email found its way to me this past week, and despite the busyness of the weeks leading to Christmas, I paused, opened, and read.

Today, I decided to reread again – the third time-, and this time to sit and write on a perfect winter’s day, but I also felt inclined to share, with my readers and writers here, since…well, ponder worthy! I loved this beautiful piece shared by Cynthia at Hypatia Books & Arts on her website.

Cynthia creates beautiful handmade journals on Martha’s Vineyard, here in New England. I have been following her and her work for a few years now, and so though we have not yet met in person (I need to get over to The Vinyard in 2026, perhaps!), I share this inspiration, and hope you enjoy the introduction, just the same.

Here is the ponder-worthy post shared on her blog: Winter Solstice: Returning to the Quiet, Listening for What Comes Next. Let me know if you enjoy it too!

You can check out her handiwork here: Hypatia Bookarts.

OK, thank you for reading, and thank you to Cynthia for the journaling inspiration to enjoy. This is NOT a sponsored post. I just felt inspired to share! Wishing you a happy last week of the year! Shoveling, journaling, and reading this last weekend away!

“God Bless Us, Everyone!”

Enthusiastically, Dawn