Susan Dromey Heeter skating on the Lamprey River. Thank you Susan Dromey Heeter. I really needed this Joyful Musings today.

By Susan Dromey Heeter, Joyful Musings

Art is a glorious way to look back on a year, a way to reflect, pause and muse joyfully at holidays, at moments, at events we loved, endured, suffered through. Today, dear musers, while I do not consider myself an accomplished artist, I did do something over 2025 that I’d highly recommend you try in 2026. Every morning I take about five minutes and illustrate something, anything. It can be timely, it can be funny, it can be – whatever. There are no rules to my drawings, only that they are dated.  Here are a few for your amusement:

This reads, “Dan in the a.m.” and shows my husband, Dan, wearing his down jacket at the breakfast table. We sit across from each other every morning, I write and sketch, he eats his cereal and reads on line. It’s often chilly in our house, even in May. I love that Dan simply puts on his winter coat.

“The No Kings Rallies were Massive.” I have a few digital pictures of this event but my sketch is one I glance at every once in a while. I wore a mustard costume; yellow is the color of protest and my mustard costume seemed perfect.  It was.

“Using the pink breast cancer pen to sign our trust”. In July I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer. As I was at the hospital frequently and, as I unabashedly steal pens, I used one to sign our will and trust in September. This sketch struck me as the dark humor that often carries me through the roughest of times. Mercifully, our will and trust are done and I finish my cancer treatments this month.

“Flying to P Town was lovely.”  As my husband flies small planes, every once in a while we’ll fly to the Cape, eat lunch with friends and return home.  This summer it took less than an hour to land in Provincetown and we took the shuttle from the airport to downtown and ate lunch with friends John and Patty. The day was spectacular. It’s my job to look down at the ocean and find a boat so that if we crash, we can swim to that vessel.  I’m usually reading a magazine and really don’t pay attention.  I’m surprised I have not been fired.

Mosie on Crane. Finally, in June I met up with my dear high school friend, Mosie, on Crane Beach. The day was spectacularly windy and we laughed amidst sand storms.  Mosie is retiring from decades of teaching art and she is spectacularly gifted both as a teacher and as an artist.  In fact, I dedicate my sketches to all art teachers, for encouraging and celebrating that most joyous of practices: art. Thank you. And Godspeed, Mosie, every bit of sand that went up our noses and into our ears is a prayer for your next chapter.

I muse joyfully these blurry images inspire you to capture your moments of the year ahead. There are sure to be sketches of grace, joy and color. And, yes, while you undoubtedly have a camera on your phone, pens and paper are infinitely more satisfying and fun to review at year’s end. Go ahead, Joyful Musers, sketch on in ‘26.

Susan Dromey Heeter writes from Newmarket and often from the road where she joyfully muses on life in the fast and slow lanes. She drives a stick shift, can also ride a unicycle and recently retired after 30+ years of teaching. Dromey Heeter finds joy primarily in Milk Duds and people who make her laugh, not necessarily in that order.  Follow Susan @dromeyheeter on Instagram and/or @BudgetVogue63.  She can also be reached at dromeyheeter@gmail.com.