I'm gonna try to hibernate for two weeks, then see you in the New Year!! (Patreon)

I had to get the colored pencils out! 

Shhhh....

Don't tell my Mom. It's part of a surprise for her I just shipped via UPS.

I bought this pack of magnetic bookmarks at The Painted Porch Bookstore in  Bastrop. I wish it would just show the photo here alongside the video, but I'm having to upload it as an attachment instead, so you can see what I'm talking about. 

It's what I created this week. 

They've been on my desk waiting to be gift wrapped, and the more I looked at them the more I thought they were just almost toooooo sweet and chipper.

Have you heard of toxic positivity, where the Instagram style inspiration just gets to be too much?

Even look at the title, "Ever Upward."

Is that even realistic?

I like how these are drawing from nature and encouraging us to grow, you know, just like the plants. 

But it's winter when things lay dormant and rest! 

Oscar's favorite book lately has been, The Bear Snores On. If you know you, you know.

Somewhere around the 300th reading I hit this point where I got sooo sick of it that...

I was no longer sick of it! 

It's like I was now immune. A point of transcendence! 

Each reading since, the red orange walls of the bear's den are now bleeding off the pages and wrapping up and around us. The animals voices overtake me. You should hear my wren impression.  

I'm transported to the cave where I can smell Mouse's pot of bubbling stew, sheltered from the storm. 

So I realized, Grandma probably needs a BEAR bookmark right now, not a bright pink flamingo that says, "Make Every Day Count!"

I searched on Amazon, "Bear bookmark."

I saw a few but nothing dazzling. 

And then the memories came rushing back!

Around middle school my THING was making bookmarks for everyone! 

I'd just cut a long strip of thick water color paper, and draw some small thing at the top, like the person's favorite animal, and then fill it in with some watercolor. I was a bookmark making specialist.

But the big question.... have I lost it?

Long story short once I got everything out, I realized I could flip the flamingo over and  hide the bear glued the back. 

I took a Sharpie and crossed out the word Ever, scribbling in Sometimes so the headline now reads, "Sometimes Upward."

I also wrote a little text up the side pointing at the flamingo one, "Reversible for those less chipper days."

Sending this message to you in case you too could use a little hibernation. Or in case not everything about the holidays makes you feel jolly, haha.

Maybe days can "count" even if you just take it easy and don't constantly work to "MAKE" them count.

I would never need a break from you, Patron. You are an encouraging inspiring haven for me. 

But I think I do need a little break from my computer. 🤗

I've been working on it a lot lately, sorting out my online teaching efforts and making those systems better.

That's why I decided to take a little hibernation break for the next couple weeks. I will  miss you and think of you and our work ahead every day! 

I love to dream about the projects the new year will bring. 

Our goal here after Ceiling Fan Song is to gradually work up to a full album. 

As we together produce and release music videos on YouTube, I think the Patreon could grow to where I can gradually shift more and more time each month back to sheer music creation. 

Might even snowball! 

I had an idea for the album the other day!!! I think maybe it's high time I record a Christmas/Holiday album.

If it was called, "Winter and Wonder" then it could include The Ceiling Fan Song. 

Just an idea, and I have tons..... constant ideation is my blessing and curse...

Lemme know what your favorite holiday/winter tunes are that you'd like to hear folked out and fiddle-i-fied. 

See, you help me create so much, even a new word for the English language!

I'll be keeping an ear out for them this season and see what seeds take root!

I'll be reading all my messages over the weekend and responding to you before I go in my cave for a bit to cozy down and make stew. :)

I hope you're getting whatever it is you need most this holiday season. Sending you so much love and cheer!!!

xoxo,
Jenny