It was extremely cold here last weekend, but I am happy to see that it was in the 30s today and still warmer temperatures in the next few days.
My holiday season on Etsy had some bumps. I took on too much work and made amends with a few customers. The Halloween ornament sales were a bust at the fine art craft store in Harvard Square and I was not able to produce any ornaments for their Christmas season. I was disappointed in the Halloween ornaments since I thought a few of the designs were my best ever.
I took 2 weeks off from sculpting and am slowly getting back into it. The first order up is a custom dog ornament.
A new item to be added to my shop utilizes my drawing skills. Stay tuned. I need to complete at least one other item in order to list it.
There are times where I am still reeling from my little sister's sudden passing. I still don't have an answer as to why it happened. That bothers me, but mostly her being gone bothers me more.
One of the major changes in my life this year is that I will be moving from Western MA back to the area that I grew up in. The Catskills, NY state. The Hudson Valley. I am currently undergoing a major purging of my possessions. Major donations, recycling and throwing out of items for the next 3 or 4 months.
Even though the Hudson Valley has its ups and downs of economic growth, in the long run, I think it is stronger than the current place I reside which focuses a lot on UMASS and a few other colleges. Yes, the new MGM casino is opening up in Springfield this year and the company is bringing new life to the city, but I've been here for almost 16 years and any kind of economic growth is at a snails pace.
Returning to the Kingston, NY area is familiar, but is also different from when I lived there full time. New companies have moved in. The farming community is expanding. I imagine the Woodstock Music Lab will be up and running, soon. It is a large art area that seems to more welcoming than out here. I have some family and friends there.
Hopefully, I can find a smaller place with a garden. A garage would be heavenly! Okay, okay, a carport is good enough. :)
It's exciting and scary at the same time. Wish me luck!