Why Buy Handmade, Handcrafted, or Local Art?

I've been on this trend for about 15 years now, of spending more carefully in an effort to buy where my dollars do more. There are several ways to do this; one of the most rewarding experiences I've found is to really look closely at the dollars we let go of, and consider where we release them into the economy. Hear me out on this, as I share some thoughts on "buying better", and putting my money into the hands of people who will be positively impacted by my choices.

"Making It Through Thanksgiving Week"

Priorities....thoughts....and helpful coping strategies for the week of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Week Thoughts and Greetings

Good morning! It's Monday and here we are. just days away from the start of the holiday season (how DID this happen!?) Am I the only one blindsided by November again? 😆

And then one day, I realized I had to let go

People gave me advice for years....about letting go of the things that bothered and drained me: finding a way to move on from my tendency of focusing on the bad stuff which sucked the air from my lungs and the light from my soul. I couldn't make sense of what they were saying. Because i felt passionately about certain things which I'd obsess over not being able to fix or make better, losses and failures seemed to somehow magnify and overshadow everything else.

Foster Dog Jayla (Three months later)

It's a short but joyful video clip that speaks volumes....

I walked Jayla on a Monday in the summer, I think just a day or two after she'd been brought in, and was worried that maybe she really couldn't actually walk. 😢