makes me happy

Repurposing

Maybe 10 or 12 years ago I bought this hat that I really like.

It’s a black beanie with a quote from Neil Gaiman on it ‘Make Good Art.’* He’s not the only person to ever say that, of course, but it’s part of a longer quote and I bought the hat from his website so it works for me.

Except that it doesn’t work for me.

Well, the quote works for me and the idea of it on a bay works for me but the hat itself?

It’s teeny.

It was supposed to be one size fits all but it doesn’t fit me.

So, I have been moving it around from storage spot to storage spot for years. I don’t want to part with it but I can’t wear it.

Recently, though, I brewed some tea in a smallish teapot and needed to finish something before I could sit down, drink tea, and read.

My other tea cozy is for a much larger pot so I didn’t want to use that. This teeny hat came to mind and suddenly I had solved two problems.

A black beanie with white text that reads ‘Make Good Art’ - Neil Gaiman. It appears to be standing on its own on my wooden table but it is actually serving as a tea cozy for my small teapot.?
A black beanie with white text that reads ‘Make Good Art’ – Neil Gaiman. It appears to be standing on its own on my wooden table but it is actually serving as a tea cozy for my small teapot.

*I also approve of making bad art, or any art at all. The process is way more important to me than the results are.

Not a storm yet

There is a winter storm warning here today.

But so far the snow is just falling gently and it hasn’t even started blowing around.

It’s really perfect weather for walking the dog.

. A dog walking on a snowy path.
Image description: Khalee, my dog, is at the bottom of the photo ahead of her is a snowy path with snow covered evergreens and leafless trees on both sides of it.

New Year Ritual

I lit a fire in my backyard, fire pit and burnt bits of paper with things I want to let go of written on them.

Will it help?

I don’t know. But what I do know is that it felt good and powerful and that is a good enough start for me.

A fire in a backyard fire pit
Image description: a square fire pit, surrounded by snow, the flames inside look warm and vibrant.

Again with the dogberries

I know I’ve mentioned how much I like dogberries.

My camera has all kinds of photos like these:

A close up photo of bright red dogberries on a bare branch. There is grass below and in the background and a white SUV in the far background.
A photo of multiple bunches of bright red dogberries on mostly bare branches with a few yellowed leaves here and there.
A very close-up photo of bright red dogberries on the end of a bare branch just a little bit above some grass.

I like how this picture feels

I took this photo on Friday near Rocky Harbour, NL.

I liked how it felt to see this in person and I like how it feels to look at this photo.

A photo from a grassy shore with a body of water in the middle ground and hills at the back.
A photo looking out over a body of water to some hills in the distance. In the foreground is grass with rocks at the shore, then there is a long stretch of water leading to hills in the very back of the photo. The way the water extends toward/between the hills gives the photo a very long perspective.