Okay those who are followers know that this year and past month have been bad.
Usually I do a cheery holiday layout for memories.
But what to do when the world is going to crap?.

Well. it is my journal, so I tell the truth… however, I was a bit frozen,
and it was hard to want to commit this particular year to a memory.
So I avoided doing much of it, then finally realized it had me FROZEN,
translating to no creative juices, and the only way to do it was to go through it…
This was actually the last image from that time off.
Some parts of the spread were left out because I named names.
As usual the best parts were Mitchell and the cats.
Everyone else can go away.

And I share this crap because if I do it then it might give you all
permission not to make nice-nice when it isn’t, though you don’t have to share.
I mean, if you can’t tell the truth in your art and/or journal then where can you?

The Solstice was uplifting.  Knowing the darkness was turning around and I went with it and spent time thinking about how I maybe could turn this around, at least in my small ways.  Can’t change the world but I can do things at home… market… blogging.

One of the uplifting forces last year was stumbling, in Instagram,
to the #visiblemending peeps.  The force of conservation is strong in keeping and mending clothes, not just constantly buying new.  Buying less and better quality.  The fashion industry and marketing to have you addicted to shopping is impacting water supplies
and human slave labor and so forth in the search for cheap clothing.
There has to be another way.
The #visiblemending movement shows that you are one of the subversives!
Mending takes on a colorful slant, embroidery, fun patches, as well as subtle for work if you must.  I love it, and am back to the 60’s with this movement.
Mitchell will be mending too.
Look also for #mendingmatters, #mendandmakedo, #slowstitching…

The sketch above is a stitch sketch.

Another great uplifting IG is the @tinypricksproject.
I have something I may send to her…
When creativity moves a nation in small way, every bit helps.
If you love this administration then it will not be for you.  I’m not sorry.

Journaling both the crap and the best stuff moves the stagnation.
I didn’t do as much as I usually might do but then we were playing together at night.
Eating things we *shouldn’t-outta* and binge watching the Closer and Monk…
Yes, it was a bloody holiday, though we threw in a couple of OLD (which means better these days I think but maybe I am just getting OLD) Christmas movies.

And with each now Monk. we sing along, loudly.
The cats don’t like it.

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