Happy Holidays!

Holidays can be wonderful. Holidays can also be full of grief and feeling out of place with so many other people feeling wonderful. There has been so much death recently, know that if you’re feeling the latter, you’re not alone in it bae bae. I personally miss my dad a lot over the holiday season, I strangely miss the absence of the stress I felt when I tried to see him. All of our grief belongs and makes sense in these symbolic seasonal celebrations.

The General Updates

Sun Yung and I are still decorating our space at Sabathani, it’s moving slooow because we’re seeing if we can pull out the old carpet. If we can it will be so worth the wait.

I sold a lot of chaga and plant hangers! That feels good. I’ll sell these all year round, so hit me up whenever you’d like. Chaga is magic.

Art Therapy

I took Nell Pierce’s class and I highly recommend it. I would call Nell’s class a trauma informed class. Though it’s not how they billed it, it’s something I look for in everything I participate in. Nell paid attention to meeting people where they were at, supporting folks in their anxiety and all that stuff that keeps you from being creative and embodied. I also learned about the intersectional nerdyness that is color theory. Color theory is blowing my mind and I’m seeing the world in a whole new light. Nell has scholarship spots available and considering it’s a ten week course for 2 hours each time, it’s also a very reasonable price.  A+ for this class. I’d take it again.

This portrait represents me in lineage with all of my ancestors. The collage is made up of many magazine cuttings from mostly rocks, soil, pieces of sky from around the world, mushrooms, and of course the stars. When I pray, I always start off remembering my human ancestors and afterwards my consciousness expands to my non-human ancestors— the rocks, mosses, bears, ghost flowers, seaweed, salamanders, bobtail squids, god I like being related to so many cool beings. As a kid I was low key terrified to get the mail after dark. So when I had to get it, I’d find a star which I was told was my great grandma, take a deep breath, hold it, and run to the mailbox while praying for Yuki to protect me. Such a Pisces moment. I still pray in the most expansive way when I cock my neck back, and look up. The word root for desire points us to the stars, it means “from the stars”. How validating. I reach for something bigger, a needed thing, and hope it’s just my smallness getting in the way of seeing that what I need. This act is almost always rooted in needing protection of some kind, and noticing it’s likely there somewhere within the ever present black sky is grounding.

OT, Sex, and Sexuality: Tropes and Triffles A New Romance Book Store

Yo did you know there’s a new romance book store in town?! Did you know OTs help people with sex and sexuality? Ergonomics, positioning, adaptive equipment, identity, communication, and roles across the lifespan y’all. I walked away with two books, one which is beautifully written and about vampires consorts who are organizing to overthrow Dracula. Yes that’s right. The other one is set in outer space with two shipwrecked-enemy-warrior lesbians who will just need to figure that out. Also it has social justice themes in it. Damn. Our sexuality is a critical part of our lives that takes nurturing and deliberate attention. Check out this local bookstore, let them know your niche interests, and take care of your sexual selves/bodies!

Shoveling While Minnesotan

I stole this video and information that Catherine Justice posted, it’s a good reminder on ergonomics and how to avoid hurting yourself while shoveling. Drink water, dress warm, pivot your whole body, don’t twist your torso, use the right sized shovel, and more. Fun fact, “Avoid early mornings or right after waking up from sleep. During this time, the spinal discs are hydrated to their maximum and may be at a higher risk of damage by herniation through bending or twisting movements.” Oh and another great way to prevent injuries is by regularly getting massage/bodywork, just sayyyyyn. I have no shame.

That’s it! Big hug to you all.