While there have been days that we have seen a bit of sun and 50 degrees this week, other days have been cold and snowy. Today is the worst kind of weather. Ice storm. It started last evening and the warning goes to 8 pm. We had a thunder storm with lightning while it was pelting the house with ice last night. It is quite cool yet anxiety producing. Ice means power outages more than a blizzard. The electric company says that 27% of people in my county have no power. So far, I still have power and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. Today is a stay at home day. We will get groceries tomorrow.

I have taken a few pics of the ice from the comfort of my home

I did finish my embroidery project. It has motivated me to go with an idea I had a long time ago. I was thinking about doing a gallery wall with all my stitched projects displayed in embroidery hoops. I have about 6 or 7 in hoops, and I will keep doing the final finish on the ones that need trimming to hang, then start arranging them on the wall. I can add to it easily over time and maybe have an entire wall as my embroidery, needlework, cross stitch gallery.

Here is the link to the beautiful pattern: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BZCreationsShop?msockid=05cc90823ad96da8121b9e343b716ccf

I have discovered over the past month, or two, the beauty of newsletters. I am loving that it comes directly to my email. I don’t have to read them instantly if I don’t have it in me and can linger over the words that a real person wrote, some even have pictures. I don’t have to doom scroll looking for my favorite accounts and I have started to really enjoy the written word by real people. I have found several on IG, some on Substack and several I sought out the websites to sign up. Let me give you a few of my favorite newsletters or many are substack articles sent straight to my inbox:

https://julietallardjohnson.substack.com/

https://werehere.beehiiv.com/p/inbox

https://substack.com/@mindfulnesswithrosie

https://www.theredhandfiles.com/

I am always looking for bloggers, substack accounts and newsletters that are fun to read, deeply moving and positive. Do you have any suggestions for me? Don’t forget you can have my blog come straight to your inbox via Substack or subscribing through WordPress.

My Substack account is here: https://substack.com/@vicki962161?utm_source=user-menu

I never used to like crafts, quilts or even blog/posts with too many words. I have slowed down. I don’t feel as though I have to see everything in 3 seconds like a feed and move on to the next. I am enjoying having time to sit and read heart felt words over a cup of coffee or tea. The beauty of words in a short form article that can take several min is perfect. I love some that feature some pretty pictures, poetry or clever writing. Words have become lost and in a way meaningless to so many in 2025. AI writing is common on feeds as well as AI generated photos and videos. I find I have become dependent on short videos or pictures to tell a quick story but realize it may no be as it seem, nor based in reality. I still enjoy that format for a brief moment each day even though it is harder and harder to find accounts with content created by human hands.

But what lingers with me are the words. The message that takes more time to communicate. Words and ideas that make me think, feel and want to know more than when I started.

Is this a sign of getting old? Or is it a sign of social media burn out? Sick of being fed what an algorithm is feeding me only to lose that account in a sea of garbage?

Honestly, I think it is all of the above. I want to spend more time doing things that feed my soul. Maybe writing as well as reading more is where I will find that. I have found that creating, writing and making for my eyes only has been truly where my happy place is.

Have a great day!

Vicki