This season has felt particularly short and quiet here in our corner of Southern California. It's been pretty warm here actually, with another 70 degree weekend approaching, and it's been hard to snatch up that Christmastime feeling when it's so warm outside. Of course, with the dark cloud of lockdowns and a generally gloomy political climate here in our country, the collective consciousness is feeling that things suck right now. In our home, things aren't sucking, but they are just.... different. I have generally enjoyed a quieter, less-busy season that holidays prior, but that in and of itself is why the Christmas magic is seemingly absent this year.
The Christmastime magic is not absent for the kids, thankfully. They are SO excited. Everyday as I work remotely in the studio our middle child Sweet wakes up, bright eyed and bushy tailed per usual, and asks how many more days 'til Christmas. "I don't know, honey," I sigh, exasperated, more at my work than the daily question. Note to self: do an advent calendar in 2021.
With distance learning & remote working, I am living an introvert's dream. I generally dread the busy busies, and the holidays typically tend to aggravate me. That may make me a total Grinch, but it's the truth. Christmastime tends to be too much for me & my generally anxious, high-strung nature. I have always craved a quieter life, and being at home during the Great Hot Mess of 2020 has tended to that craving a bit, but I still feel like I devote too much of my time to a job that is just a job, a constant pile of dishes, and telling my kids to get off their screens like 35 times a day. And for that reason, I have challenged myself to limit my social media intake, big time. I am still hopping on, but I am making an effort to be on less. The truth is, the job that's just a job is a job I am lucky to have, housekeeping is essential, and not parenting is not an option. Haha! Time to trim the fat. Instead of putting my time to the 'gram I know that being creative and spending time with my kids is a must for my mental heath. That's why I am here, and why I hope to continue here, writing and creating and reflecting, instead of falling into the trappings of the sucky collective consciousness on the internet.
Peach Tree House plans for 2021? I hope to get this space moving again, even though very few may read, and expand my art sales. I am slowing working on grabbing older posts from my old blog and adding Instagram posts here too. My art website is in the works, and I would love to open a shop for that (instead of Etsy), some handmade goodies for the home, and maybe start a vintage art shop too. I just LOVE finding sweet vintage art at our local shops & garage sales, and being a vintage "art dealer" would be a dream. More free printables! Recipes! House projects! Crafts with kids! Hiking & camping! All of these dreams can live alongside the day jobs for now (jobs is plural for a reason: the 9 to 5, the housekeeping, the parenting), in a small way at least. As time goes on I am seeing more emphasis on small business, more emphasis on leading quieter lives (for the sake of the environment and the family unit), and more emphasis on living within your means. We all could use less of a consume-consume-consume mindset, myself included. I hope this space can be a small reflection of that. I hope. Because, man it feels good to sit here and word vomit for a bit.
My pledge to you: I promise I am not going to come here and spout my political views, and instead be a safe space on the internet. A place for good, a place for refuge. A place to rebuild the home and the family. Goodness knows I have some opinions, but you guys just don't need to hear them. You've heard enough. Well, I'll spout this one opinion: I firmly believe that part of our problem today is that we all repost too many memes and are not sharing enough of our individual, original thoughts. We all have 'em! We are capable, creative human beings. I strongly encourage you today that if you are going to do some internet posting today, to do so before you scroll through other posters baloney and after you've spent time away from the 'net. Go do something else, then post. Spend time with family, go outside, make something, wrap gifts, reorganize a messy space in your home.... anything other than look on the internet, then post with a clearer mindset. Allow your internet presence to be an actual reflection of who you are and not an angry mirror of what your social media feed looks like. Be the actual change, you guys. Quit reposting- start being YOU.
That's the only political thing I am going to say on here, ever, ever again. And now I must go read the Grinch to Love & Sweet, who are ready to start their last weekend before Christmas. Wishing you & yours the best this weird season!
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