January 17, 2026

January is only a few weeks old and it’s already moving at such a fast pace that it’s a blur! Between walking at least 2 miles every other day, life drawing time, slide digitizing and optimizing, renewing our passports, booking our anniversary trip for later this year, picking fruit from our front porch (oranges), finishing my mural mosaics little tile painting, researching genealogy on both sides of our families and keeping up with friends far and wide… I’m stunned at how fast the month is going. Add to that, some meetings later this month where I will learn more about our area from regional scientists and meetings with historians who will tell us more about the history of our area and January is going fast! I am looking forward to another sun catcher class in early February. Then of course making handmade items for Valentine’s Day. ZOOM.

I have to say, I’m having a hard time keeping my hands in good shape because of the various tasks they are doing. So, stopping now and then for skin and nail care is becoming a necessity. What areas of your body are telling you to pay more attention? Are you getting enough sleep? Enough exercise, enough clean water? Time to pay attention.

The bird of paradise flowers are already popping out in bloom and the temps feel more like summer than winter or spring. So there really is a sense that it is later in the year than it actually is. California is finally out of a drought after 25 years, from the rains we had in December and January. We’ll see how long that lasts since we still have winds blowing. It was nice to see water in the local waterfall earlier this month. It’s already being soaked into the very thirsty ground. The birds are plentiful and singing and soaring a lot. It’s fun to watch. They are so graceful in the gusty winds.

I’ll keep this post short because I still have a lot of slide optimizing to do today. However I wanted to pop in and encourage everyone to find some creative or educational topics that you can work on this year. My husband is encouraging me to put all of the different artistic mediums I have worked in over the decades, on my “about” section of this blog. It’s a good idea, and while there is a smattering of that already on the page, it is not nearly comprehensive enough. I love exploring various mediums (analog and digital) and learning new techniques.

What interests you the most? What are you curious about? What areas of your life can you control and use to keep your mind active and engaged in learning and trying new things? Are you letting a single source fill your mind or are you looking for a variety of influences? What are you excited about learning this year? I always feel like there is not enough of me to do all of the things I am interested in. That reminds me of something our daughter said when she was young. We commented that she never seemed bored and she replied, “Is it my fault that life is so interesting?” Priceless. So I encourage you to adopt the same attitude and find what interests you and then create a space for yourself to explore it.

I will do better about having some items to add to the “Global Art News” section next time. I have been so immersed in my old creative world that I have not looked up yet. Until next time, peace and create everywhere.