It’s been a dry year here in Western South Dakota, but we just got some snow earlier this week.
When it snows, it’s difficult for me to get around the sidewalks in my wheelchair on my daily “walk.”
I really miss it.
I also can’t get Los Angeles out of my mind right now…the people who have lost everything, the intense individual suffering along with the huge collective suffering of the community. I wish we could magically share some of this moisture with them — and I realize that this weather that is confining me to my home is also like a blanket of protection for the land. Life is everything all at once. My heart is with everyone in LA, everyone the world over affected by disaster.
I talked with one of my good friends this week and she seemed very positive and hopeful about things happening in her life. Her enthusiasm, creativity and joy are refreshing.
I also received a card from Grace about a week ago that retold the memory of being in the ICU: Grace recounted about the day I woke up with a debilitating fear that had overtaken me that I might die. The doctors were fairly confident at that point though that I was going to live.
They told Grace to go into my room, open up the curtains to let the sunshine in and start talking about all of the wonderful things that could be in my future.
She described me with my future kids. There is something so hopeful about kids. (And I had always wanted to be a mom.)
And now, a spinal cord injury and two miscarriages later, I’m 8 months pregnant with my second baby.
When you’re in the messy middle, I think it’s powerful to dream a little.
What could my life look like? What would make me happier?
When it’s snowy out, and the sidewalks are a mess, can you spend some time creating art, and meditating on something you love?
Being eight months pregnant, I’ve been doing a lot of imagining about what it’s going to be like when our new baby comes into this world. I think about us going on walks in the Spring and sitting outside together nursing.
I was thinking about how this time of year is traditionally a time of dreaming — gardeners pour over seed catalogs; we make New Year's resolutions.
Thank God for our ability to imagine.
I don’t know how you feel about New Year’s Resolutions.
But my big Resolution is to make more art.
Grace and I started Tiny and Snail so that we could make a living making art. But often the business side of Tiny and Snail takes over — either posting to Instagram, or projecting inventory, or customer service.
Winter has become a season of making art. Although it makes a lot of sense to focus on it in the winter when I spend most of my day in my warm house — I want it to be an all-the-time thing.
I want to challenge myself to make new art every week.
I want to do the thing that was the driving force behind this entire venture: to make art. So here’s an illustration I made for you this week. (Winters are for Dreaming.) I hope it sparks you.
Last week we launched the top 10 of 2024 pack, and we had a few hiccups keeping the pack in stock .
(We had such an amazing response from our community about them!)
We managed to sort out our inventory issues, and those discounted packs are back in stock, at least for now.
Shop The Top 10 Cards of 2024 Bundle.
And maybe this is over the top, but we also wanted to offer you 10% off The Essential 16 and all the occasion packs. (We are currently sold out of the Birthday pack unfortunately.)
1,000 different things are going to happen this year, and we want to give you a way to prepare for those events, so when they *do* happen, you have a way to tuck a little love in an envelope for that person — to celebrate them, or to be with them as they go through something really hard. (Having cards on hand that you love really helps with this!)
Use code: Ready2025 to get 10% off The Essential 16 or Occasion Packs through tomorrow, Monday, Jan 13.
Wishing you a life-giving dream session this coming week. ❤️
P.S. What are you dreaming about these days? Feel free to share in the comments!
2 comments
From the moment I read your story I wanted to tell you what a beautiful ministry this is❤️. I love both art and writing as well/ and want tube know to hear the stories behind each card is a witness to your journeys strengths and turning points seared into one masterpiece at a time to impart to others. It requires such listening, such vulnerability , yet you are indeed sending beauty and courage and hope out into the world! And to think of you two sisters venturing together is life giving as well. May the well of ideas and images continue to overflow! It’s just so rich and needed to impart hope/ do thank you for your hands and hearts and ability to focusing/ carry on sisters and may each week be full and the flow of ideas and their fuition abundant!
LOVE the new card “Winters Are For Dreaming”! Winters are also for writing cards and letters from the warmth of home. Is this new card available for purchase? I’m all about the alliums.