JLynnJewels: Hello 2021 - looking forward to all the possibilities!

Wintertime and the New Year...it's a time when Mother Nature digs in deep, and re-energizes herself. I happen to be one of those people that love the transition from the Holidays, to the quiet and peaceful time of "Winter". It always provides a clean slate, fresh beginnings, with lots of hope and wishes knocking on the door. It's typically a time when many of us re-organize our things and refresh our home surroundings (yes, I'm in the process of this lol). Of course being home much more this past year, definitely made for more challenges - however, for our family, it held many blessings, with much to be thankful for. Our daughter got married and we gained a new Son-in-Law (they were married in our Family Room through a virtual ceremony with the County Courhouse with relatives across the USA and overseas dialing in too), we hosted a virtual Baby Shower (one for our out-of-state Family and one for a handful of local friends planned following all State Guidelines for Gatherings), our Son turned 30 (feeling old lol) and we got to celebrate with him, and give him a Covid Haircut, and then we had the pleasure of being introduced to our Baby Granddaughter this past Fall.

So although we were not immune to all the worries and stress that Covid has brought into our lives, the choice for 2021 remains easy. No matter what is happening in the world, our family is choosing to continue to look at all the small, every-day blessings, and all the things to be thankful for, while respecting the masks, social distancing, restrictions and guidelines to get us through this pandemic. Wishing everyone a New Year filled with hope, kindness, and love.

Now with that said - this past year had our family prioritizing - with the #1 Goal...to say Healthy. The thought was - if we can remain healthy, then the ones we love, stay healthy too. With elderly parents that live out of state, family members with compromised immune systems, our daughter who was pregnant for the majority of 2020, and now a new baby Granddaughter - we have taken the pandemic seriously and follows all guidelines (and continue to do so. Yes, like many families, we missed seeing our relatives this past year, but we adapted, and stayed positive, while increasing phone time, activities, texting, and video connections which has been a fun thing, even for our little 3 month old Granddaughter!

Business wise - the pandemic challenged many across the USA and abroad. Some businesses thrived, others buckled - and others like me, were able to go with the flow. For my business that included reducing production, decreasing expenses, adjusting plans, and staying afloat on a part-time basis. I had the added challenge of being "off" for 1 1/2 years prior to the pandemic (due to an accident in February of 2019 that resulted in major surgery and a year long rehab), I'm still able to experiment with all the creative ways my reconstructed arm behaves. The plus side to being off and then forced into a part-time pandemic status, is that I've had more time to plan, and more time to enjoy all the family things - which balances many things out in positive ways. Ironically, for the last 10-12 years now, I've worked a creative job from home - so there was not much transition or change needed for me and my job when the pandemic hit. Instead, the transition involved adjusting to the things you take for granted...like in person grocery shopping, going out for lunch or dinner - and making quick shopping trips to our favorites stores for home decor, and crafts - or simply running errands. I do miss that but no complaints here! We also live 30-45 minutes from our children, so have been fortunate with quarantining in all households, to be able to see each other. Work wise - my husband transitioned to working at home with periodic visits to his empty building and office; our Son (who is an essential Assistant Store Director in the Grocery field), has been able to remain working, due in part to his employer's dedication to keeping their staff safe, by providing proper PPE, and following all guidelines and suggestions by the CDC. It also helps that majority of people in Maryland take the pandemic seriously, with the "Wear the Damn Mask" tag line that our Maryland Governor came up with, and the "Mask-On Maryland" we hear on the news every day. Our Son-in-Law is a Chemist and works in a small Lab with minimal people, and our Daughter - an Accountant, transitioned to working from home during the majority of her pregnancy, followed by her maternity leave, and then resuming work just last week from home.

In closing, 2021 brings a lot of hope for changes. But beyond the obvious, I am looking forward to creating a new mix of creativity for my business at a part-time work-from-home status (with Art, Jewelry, Components,and Decor of course), AND becoming a full-fledged "Mimi" to help my daughter out with childcare, as she returns to a work-from-home status (at least through Springtime...if not Summertime). Yesterday, I spent the day doing a little of everything - my way of putting out the good vibes, for remaining balanced in all things in the New Year. One of the last things I did was pull out my Watercolor and Inks at 11:40pm for a quick sketch and imperfect, little Watercolor, that I'm calling "Unity". Sometimes it's fun to take an idea and do a quick sketch and sample before settling into the longer paintings. I'm very much looking forward to creating more Art, and other meaningful pieces to wear and place in the home in 2021!