02/01/2026
Since I've posted some of my cedar carvings on Marketplace, it's been so encouraging and affirming that even people who don't know my struggles or my life, like you guys do, still believe in me and support me like their own family. I'm so grateful for my family and friends. I know that you guys love my art, and I feel that.
I have doubts. I don't tell them to myself, but it's more of a feeling or a belief that's hard to hush because it shrugs so hard. My mind pushes beliefs like it's hard, it's a waste of time, you're spending so much time on this and not getting a return that pays, or even reliably, like a 9 to 5. The truth is, people are viewing my crafts. They're saving them to their apps because it means something to them.
Today I have been feeling so good. The snow is withering away, and I have been working around it for a little while now. It's not a bother. Just when it keeps me from getting to town is it an issue. 20 degrees during the day actually feels just fine. At night, my corgis and I sleep well. Wind chills and single digits are not any problem, except for the crackling noises from my visqueen barrier waking me up sometimes.
It's amazing how much more balanced I feel being closer to nature. I saw so many birds looking for food, so I removed some patches of snow and watched them forage. A mole resting under my feet when the weather gets cold. Staring up at the night sky and always being greeted by the Big Dipper, or seeing a huge halo around the moon.
I'm getting closer to my travels every time I put effort into my woodworking skills and craft projects. It's growing and growing. Now I have to organize things into categories. Now I have things to post for sale.
To travel, I always hear it takes money. It does, but less than you'd think. It doesn't take much to live on when you have to. Who wishes that their monthly expenses could be covered by working one week full time at 13 an hour. If I could get rid of my storage unit and my bus storage, it would be even less than that.
I still eat 2 or 3 very healthy meals a day. I have a phone and the internet, electricity, and running water. I have gas for cooking and diesel heat to keep my corgis and me warm in our arctic shelter. I can move it anywhere. I could move anywhere. I guess now I could live in most climates. I could move anywhere at a whim and explore the world with my corgis as long as I can make and sell my woodworks. With the internet and a post office, it's possible.
What better freedom is there than doing what you love? I hope to start doing well with my woodworking so I can start renovations on my bus and move into it. It'll be an amazing all in one home and workshop for my corgis and me. I and everyone else have already proved to me that it's possible. I think greater things are coming soon.
