The Start of 2026: Extremes

I am happy to be at the end of this first month of 2026. It’s been full in a way that I could barely hold, and I am ready to set some of those feelings down. I’ll start with the heavier things, the heaviest being that we laid our golden girl Sunday to rest. My sweet girl. I search for a reference that would resonate beyond nerds for epic poetry, but I return to this: she was the Virgil to my Dante on my journey into motherhood. She joined our family at the exact right time; I needed her calm presence, her low maintenance company, her soft snores that I adored and found so comforting when I could make them out in the quiet of an early morning. She had a dopey smile and jack-o-lantern teeth. She had eyes like moonstones set in mahogany. We love her so much and are lucky to have had nearly six years with her, especially since she was already a senior dog, somewhere between 10 and 12 years old, when we adopted her in April of 2020 - a wonderful addition during a time of such loss. A hollowness sank in as the vets left with her from our house. Kev and I were both home to be with her and we both felt it immediately. That evening, there was a blazing sunset, red and pink and gold. Her ashes will be home in another week or so.

More than once in the days after her passing, Jasper has told us, with uncanny certainty, that she will fall from the sky as a baby next week. I hope we see her again.

My heart already aching, it’s been very difficult to bear the state of the country. I find myself gazing at the boys and welling up with tears at the thought of what the hell kind of a world we will be giving to them. I feel terror that they could die for being good, like Alex Pretti did.

In this moment, it can feel like my pottery is frivolous, an intentional turning away and obstinate insistence upon “beauty” when it’s glaringly clear that there is only ugliness, cruelty, cause for the highest alarm. And yet, I’ve made a few pieces. I’ve needed the escape into that flow state. I’ve needed to take a breather. I’m approaching some level of conviction that it’s okay to do something I like - this has been difficult when I know that others are outside in freezing temperatures putting their bodies on the line to stand by their neighbors.

At the start of last year, I’d stated my intention to try to hold onto small joys. It’s even harder to do now after a year of the damage and havoc wrought by the second Trump administration, and we’re only through year one. I’d like to try, still. This too shall pass, and when I look back I’d like to find reasons to smile as well.

The best of January was very good. Jasper turned five. My earnest, kind, generous, soft, bright-eyed boy. We went back to the Museum of Natural History and had a great day with his aunt and uncle. We continued movie nights. We hosted a Spider-Man themed birthday party for him.

Rowy calls edamame “en-mommy” or “ena-mommy” - it’s so cute I might feed him a whole bag of them if he asked.

I’ve had the best January of sales that I’ve had in recent memory. I’m grateful.

My amaryllis and paperwhites have bloomed.

I’m in the middle of reading Circe by Madeline Miller and am in awe of her gorgeous writing.

Kev and I took a day off from work while the boys were at school and got to just hang out for the first time in a long time. We played video games, ate un-hurried lunches, and had a lazy day. It was so nice.

We completed the kindergarten application process for Jasper. God what a gauntlet. I’m glad it’s behind us, and now it’s out of our hands.

We hosted our Christmas in January for part of the family and it was wonderful, as always, to have the house packed with loved ones.

My dad has been painting beautiful pieces for our new Bamboo Brush mug collection. Jasper has already claimed one depicting lychees for our kitchen.

I baked another sprinkle cake!

After slowly, slowly, so slowly rehydrating my last bag of low-fire clay that had been sitting around for a year, I’ve been using it to make more wall altars, a category I hadn’t returned to after last February’s fervent production.

Looking Ahead

I’ve been looking at February as the real start to my 2026. My birthday falls on the 1st, and the Lunar New Year is on February 16th. We’re in mid-winter, and what I’ll prioritize is rest and warmth. A year is short and I am happy not to wish away the colder, darker months. There’s so much ahead, and each day will bring more light than the last.

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