I started sorting through my photos from 2025 (all from my phone) and I realized a couple things. First. I take a lot of pictures of our cat. Second, I don’t take nearly enough pictures of the people in my life. I had one picture of my Mother – which made me extremely sad, a couple of my son, one of my husband, a bunch of me (I am always trying out new makeup looks), a few of my sister, and her family (as they worked on my basement reno so they were caught in the progress pics).

I have – no kidding – at least 150 photos of this cat on my phone. The only other person who has more ‘spots’ on the phone is Lily, our Border Terrier. What I love about this photo is the pensive look on her face. She doesn’t look like her usual Crescent-self here either. It also illustrates her whiskers. That cat has whiskers for days – like the human equivalent eyelashes. If she gets close to you, they are up your nose, in your ears. And close to you she gets. Crescent is no stranger to cuddles. She has been my strength some nights lately. Loving and snuggly, she curls up tight in my arms, pushed up close to my face (thankfully, I have outgrown my once very serious allergy to cats), her purr softening my sadness, calming my breathing, slowing my mind. Her warmth helping me to fall asleep, and only then does she gently extract herself from my embrace and move down behind my legs. Usually. Some nights, I’ve woken hours later, and she’s still there, curled up tight against me, holding me close, instinctively knowing I still need her near. Her look here, to me, illustrates her thoughtfulness.

Desk organization. This is my new desk, in the new studio space. Well, technically, it is my old desk, but the peg board and storage cups and bits are new. And I love it. The panels to the left have been converted to white and black board space so I can write down thoughts, quotes, or shopping lists. I can (and have) just sat here and stared at it. All my tools are within reach, they all have a space, and the only thing I misplaced was my roll of scotch tape. I can work on my computer here (and have a permanent cord for it), craft here (the rest of my supplies are within reach to my right), spin around behind to my sewing machines. And, my guitars are hung behind me, so I can practice, all within the same space!

This is Merlin, my Mom’s cat. She called him The Wizard (because he was named after Merlin from Arthurian legend/Knights of the Round Table). Merlin is a ornery fella. Like, don’t pet him, even if he comes to you, kind of guy. Mom could, usually. Unless it was the wrong day, or he was feeling pissy. Or it was raining, or his tail was bent sideways and it was raining. Largely, he was unpredictable, but Mom was his person and where she went, he went always and it drove Mom bonkers. She was always tripping over him. But their relationship worked and they loved and needed one another.

What I like about this picture is that he looks like he is going to start talking to you. Merlin liked me – well, maybe he tolerated me. Haha. But he liked to talk to me, and get the odd pet (my sister and I were the two other people who could routinely pet him). He liked me more when I would share my food with him, or when he figured he could just snitch things off my plate. But here, he is just looking at me, maybe he was chirping at me, I don’t remember, but I like how he is looking and while it was from this summer, when Mom wasn’t feeling well, it was happier times. I’d spent the weekend with her and we’d watched more Star Trek, ordered pizza, and spent the weekend talking, napping, and just relaxing in one another’s company. Happier times for us all.

My advice to everyone for 2026 – take more pictures of your people (and keep taking them of your pets). You never know when your people won’t be there. Take pictures of yourself! Take family photos. And… record your voice mail in your own voice. Trust me.