Painting, reading, writing, singing, walking, and working – that’s what I’ve been up to. It’s been a while! The New Year was very low-key for me, I did nothing except cook a delicious dinner. I went into it so slowly, it didn’t feel like much of a shift this time but here we are, it’s 2022. I do love the holidays and the whole week of festivities: Winter Solstice, my Wedding Anniversary, Christmas, and New Year’s. It’s a time of bare branches, contemplation, laughter, planning, lot’s of baking, and fond memories. Going for brisk walks in the cold air, wrapping my head in a scarf, and drinking hot tea every day… Winter is wonderful to me.
I baked hundreds of fresh homemade Lebkuchen (and decorated the gnomes.) Then shared with friends and family. Carrying on the tradition!
Lots of long walks. Taking my dogs out, rain or shine. I love seeing them happy.
Right before and after Christmas I got the best gifts…
The two caterpillars I raised emerged from their chrysalis and I was able to release them on days when my Rosebush and Honeysuckle were still in bloom. We had a few abnormally warm days, but I was glad for the butterflies. Both Spike and Faye turned out to be male Gulf Fritillary and they were so gorgeous.
I celebrated one year of marriage by going on a day hike with my husband – we got married out in nature, it’s only fitting we spend our anniversaries together in nature.
Here we are on our wedding day:
Work has been going well, and I’m adjusting to the schedule. I love the horses so much, and I think they love me. I’ve always been able to connect with animals, and it has been such a blessing to be able to work in an outdoor setting, with these beautiful creatures.
It snowed for three days here recently, after it had been so warm that many of the wildflowers began to bloom. There were even bees out. But I think the coldest parts of the winter are already over. Here in Memphis it’s usually mild and then harsh for just a little while.
How nice it is to have a cozy home with a fridge full of good food… and know how to make nutritious warm meals.
I’ve had time for my art too – and doing something new. Besides mandalas, painting fantastical scenes from a coloring book called ‘Winged Beauty’ full of fairies and magical places.
I usually put on some music like this, light an incense, and brew tea to get myself ready for painting. Here are a few I’ve done lately:
And my first botanical mandala of the New Year:
It’s been fun, the room is so full of positive energy. I’ve had friends over for jam sessions, deep conversations, and meditation… I just haven’t updated this blog and been thinking about how to make it better, less diary-like, more serious inquiries about specific topics. Transforming…
I also joined a 5 day writing challenge and really enjoy the prompts. I’m adding new short stories here under the Short Stories tab, feel free to read. Wondering if I’ll write enough of a collection to fill an entire children’s book. At least for my own future children.
I’ve gotten a few new books recently and learned some fun facts about Elder tree wood. I learned that they were used by indigenous people to make flutes because the wood is easy to hollow, the limbs grow straight and are a good size. A few days later I did yard work and needed to cut back the Elder tree, so I kept some of the branches to see inside. Sure enough, there is a fiber in the center of a nice layer of wood.
I’ve been reading a really good booked called “The Five Acre Forest” by Trish Nicholson and am half ways finished with it.
Towards the middle are beautiful photographs of her garden, the forest, the dunes, lake and sunset. It’s an amazing story of how the author bought an abandoned, eroded dune in New Zealand and began planting native trees and plants on it to help restore the ecosystem over the course of 20+ years. It’s been such an inspirational book, I love reading about projects like this, of people that deeply care and take interest in the history of an environment.
There is still hope for the world.
Thinking about so much… goals for this year: a bigger garden, potentially a small greenhouse, making more terrariums, learning more names of plants, training my dogs a few new things, writing short stories, going horseback riding more, and sticking to my one mandala (or any painting) a day as much as possible.
I did make one cute little terrarium for my husband’s office.
I even made more earrings – just crafting my heart out! Being creative is essential.
January is my birthday month. What could be in store for this year…? The last year of my twenties. We’ll see… 🙂 Got to keep moving through Winter, Spring will be here soon.
I’ll end this update with sunsets… a reminder of Earth’s motion, our forward movement. Vivid reds and purples in the sky, no dull moments, every day has so much potential.
Channeling Passions 