Summer!

Summer has arrived! We are supposed to hit 94°F tomorrow… um, yikes? But I am loving every second of the effortless living that comes with warmer weather in Vermont (well, at least before the black flies become unbearable). Everything is lush and green and full of hope, it’s fabulous. It almost wipes my memory clean of sleet and snow and sub-zero temps… almost.

I can finally update you all on a few things that have happened over the past month… I am officially sharing space with the Porcupine, and it’s absolutely wonderful. Moving is awful, but it’s over, and I managed to lighten my load by having a few Free piles at the end of my old driveway. Starting the summer this way feels uplifting and stabilizing all at the same time. A few meltdowns on my part, of course, because change is challenging and we all have our inner deep-seated issues, right? Right. <nodding wisely>

We have chicks! They are about 2+ weeks old now and happily exploring in their coop. Falling off roosts and flinging wood shavings in their water and huddling together to let me know when to turn the heat lamp on. All the normal chick stuff that amuses the heck out of me. The Porcupine might be tired of hearing me exclaim “THEY ARE SO CUTE!” over and over and over…

And gardening! I’ve been cleaning up and mulching established blueberry beds, and carving out some little spaces for flowers and herbs. I’m so excited for some rain to arrive and all these tiny plants to start growing.

This week I will FINALLY be getting the printer set up and experimenting with what paper I can run through it. I am hoping this will push me to keep a sketch book and watercolors within reach at all times so I can begin to offer prints.

I haven’t spoken much about my mental state lately… I’d say I am balancing things better than I was last year, thank goodness. I keep a close eye on when I start feeling down, and a close eye on what actually makes me feel more grounded. I am still seeing a chiropractor/acupuncturist/homeopathic (3 for the price of one!) and everything he is doing seems to be helping. All in all, I’m okay :-) I hope you all are as well, these are pretty unsettled times no matter where you live, and no matter your baseline emotional state. Be well!