Hello out there friends!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday season and now is starting to emerge from their wintering cocoons.

I know I always feel a certain kind of relief once the holidays are over – no matter how much fun they are. And January always is a time I feel especially blue- probably just the absence of busy when I get to really sit and examine things – but this January was especially dark I think because we’re starting a third year in this pandemic. We’ve all lost so much in the past few years – people, gatherings, rituals, events, milestones. We still have a small kid who isn’t eligible for the vaccine so the weeks, months, and years have dragged on as we await news that she’s old enough.

In the meantime I’ve been trying to be honest about the darkness I’ve found myself inside of. When people ask how I am, I try and tell them. I tell them that the past few weeks have been some of my most hopeless – feeling like this is going to drag on forever. Many places have run articles recently about how much parents can take (FYI not much more) or how most of us parents have hit rock bottom.

Yes.

I could not agree more.

These past four weeks have been some of the hardest since the start of this. For me, I’m at extreme decision fatigue and feeling like no help is on the way. I wonder when and if I will ever recover from this mental and emotional burnout and I honestly don’t know the answer.

But I’m allowing myself to sit with the discomfort. To give space for grief and to acknowledge that this has been a very difficult season.

Along the way I’ve found some tools that have helped me to process all of this. In case this is helpful, I’ll share them with you all, in no particular order:

Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

The Botanical Interests Catalog (seriously, do yourself a favor and get their catalog and just enjoy the hell out of all the beautiful things you can grow)

Walking outside for at least an hour a day, even when I don’t feel like it

Fried, the burnout podcast

adrienne marie brown’s blog

A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey

Trying out recipes from Budget Bytes

The Black in the Garden podcast

Going to bed early

I know that this season will pass – things will get better. Sometimes it’s just hard to see through the fog of short days and bad news.

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On that note….here are some sober friendly events to look forward to this Spring.

Art Night Gallery Reception, Sahara West Library, February 17th

Kemet In The Desert, West Las Vegas Library, February 18th & February 19th

Book Club/Art Exploration, Open Arts Vegas, February 20th – March 27th

Cut Paper Patterns Artist Workshop, Summerlin Library, February 22nd

Axie Oh & Kat Cho, The Writer’s Block, February 26th

Fletcher Canyon Cleanup, Mt. Charleston, February 27th

Paint and Pooch, Hey Maker Co, February 27th

UNLV Chamber Music Society: Telegraph Quartet, March 3rd

Reception and Exhibition Discussion, Lighting Up Las Vegas: YESCO Marks a Glittering Century, Nevada Humanities, March 9th

Flow Fest, The Studio BC, March 19th

World Migratory Bird Day, Clark County Wetlands Park, March 19th

Fossil Ridge Hike, Red Rock Canyon, March 20th

Office of Collecting, open Wednesdays by appointment

“Blanket of Protection” Left of Center Gallery on view through March 26th

“The Craft” at Majestic Repertory Theatre, showing through March 27th

“Midsommer Night’s Dream” at Nevada Conservatory Theatre April 29th- May 8th

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Have a beautiful, safe and sober friendly spring everyone!