To everyone: Happy 2022

[wavejumper]

Best wishes for 2022.
I have faith we will find a path through the challenges. Humanity often shines its brightest when faced with dire circumstances.

My suggestion: zoom with a friend and make cards. I hope to. We don't have to have a whole crop. One person can make a difference as long you are laughing and having fun.

Anyone else have a suggestion for points of light in the coming year?

[Mhewett]

I don’t have friends who make cards but I do have a group of close friends that started to zoom every week starting in April 2020. That has been nice.
What I like to do sometimes when stamping is to watch a video of someone making cards on YouTube. It’s kind of like stamping with someone.
Happy New Year!

[lutheran]

I do not have even the tiniest glimmer of hope for 2022. The posts on this thread may help me see at least a spark.
Mary Beth

[cnsteele]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mhewett

I don’t have friends who make cards but I do have a group of close friends that started to zoom every week starting in April 2020. That has been nice.
What I like to do sometimes when stamping is to watch a video of someone making cards on YouTube. It’s kind of like stamping with someone.
Happy New Year!

I do that, too!

[mcschmidty]

I am from a large family, and we have a family text. Of the 7, there are 3 girls including myself, we talk or text alot- always have.
Then we have a family text with the kids- we chat in spurts there....

In addition, I have a few stamping ladies from all over that I chat with on WhatsApp and a few that I zoom with as well.

One of my suggestions- join in the Teapot Tuesday challenge- my favorite- we send out cards to people who need support and encouragement. OR, send your cards to others- it is so nice to get a card in the mail : )

I do have hope- I have trust God is in control first.
I have been listening to a doc from the UK and this new strain is more contagious, but less virulent. Although, that's not to say people are not in the hospital and having issues, many are having more minor symptoms.

Shelly

[wavejumper]

Well maybe your zoom friend does not have to be making cards...they could be quilting, knitting, painting-some other craft or art....and you can show each other your progress over time....I made 10 cards this week and you completed 4 quilt squares.... or whatever project they are working on.

[stampindoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lutheran

I do not have even the tiniest glimmer of hope for 2022. The posts on this thread may help me see at least a spark.
Mary Beth

Please keep your chin up for 2022!
Omicron will run its course quickly this Spring.

When your a little down, come here to get some inspiration.

I will keep you in my prayers.
We will all make it through together.
God bless,
stampindoe

[lylacfey]

My post is very positive even if it sounds a little down. I lost ten people to Covid. Went through so much racism in the past few years it about destroyed me & my friends mentally, emotionally & even physically. The one steady in my life & my DH was his job. Then it all comes tumbling down because they were so short staffed they couldn't keep up with with the work. Twenty-five years just snap. It is a snap. DH & I both agree on that. Then because the world is short-staffed his new job needs us to move across country in less than two months, upending our lives! That didn't happen! Still have to move but not like that. I told a loved one recently in 2019 if somebody told me & my DH we wold be the Covid news stories I would have looked at them like they gone crazy, lol. I had such horrible grief, anger, rage, depression, the gamut. My DH summed it up and said the past couple of years have been one shock after another. I know that's why everything has been so hard because it's just wouldn't let up. DH & I are at the point that we actually don't care any more. Not like that "We gave up." kind of thing. It is actually healthy, hard to explain, but healthy. We had our booster the day they announced Omnicron. DH & I laughed so hard. It was like "Of course!"

I was in my art room the other day feeling sad because I have broken out in stress hives. Stress hives are miserable when you can't take traditional medicine. I was really down. I don't know why but I was thinking of my loved ones I lost due to Covid. I was thinking about their hugs & all the joy they brought me over the years. I remember they would tell me I brought them joy. That no matter what I went through I was always smiling, happy & full of laughter.

I realized I was not honoring them by being angry. I am not bringing them joy when they look down from heaven. I am sure they are really mad at me by now. It is hard to explain but eveything felt better. I am going to be that woman that is always smiling, happy & full of laughter. I have been through a lot worse in my life and I never stopped being happy. I refuse to let bad things win.

None of my friends are cardmakers. I do create when I talk to them. That is really nice. I think that was the healthiest thing all of us did when the pandemic started is that we made a vow that even though we couldn't be together in the same room, we would all still be together virtually. None of us were going to change our habits when we all did hang out. None of us have done that. We are all still laughing, goofy and just there for each other. Yes, we had our moments (Me and another friend mainly) who broke down. We had our group who wrapped us up in love and we were laughing again fifteen minutes later.

My words of light- I was hit early with the losses. I was going through it first. I was going through it when people were still in denial, understandably. That it was just a news story, understandly. I have been through all of this pain, grief, anger, hopelessness early on. It does get better. I am not going to sugar coat it. You will be different. You will be better. You will be damaged but you will be ok, you will be more than ok. I know people say this all the time but you are not alone. I know that is hard to believe. I have been there. You are not alone.

If your creativity is gone. It will come back. It will probably be different. It will be good. Even if you don't feel like it watch videos of stamping chats. I watch stamping chat videos and don't even stamp. I work in my coloring app. I have made so many new stamping friends this year & I wasn't even stamping!

Don't push yourself to be creative. Don't pressure yourself. Don't break out in stress hives, lol. It's ok to go in your room and look through your box of Prima's, or stamp images. You don't have to do anything with it. It's ok to cry in your stamp images.

If you are in a group and trying to be creative and you are not feeling it. Don't do it. Don't put pressure on yourself. If you just feel like putting glue dots all over your cardstock just do it. If you feel like beating a stamp on the table, just do it. If your card group doesn't like it that you can't make "goals". It's okay to leave and cuss them out when you close the window, lol.

Do healthy things for yourself in your art studio too. When was your happiest? Recreate that. I know it's hard but really try. I was the happiest when I use to play CD's in my room, sing & create. It's really simple and probably sounds stupid but I was the happiest. Early on in the pandemic I bought a CD player & a bunch of CD's. I have been really content. It's old school, I know but I am loving it. I actually found out that CD players are still popular. They make the cutest cases for them now. Who knew?

If you need a friend I am here for you all. You can contact me.

mcschmidty- I think we are watching the same doctor, lol.

[Takinmytyme]

lylacfy, thank you for your upbeat message. I've been feeling that it is hard to 'still care' about the things that usually matter to me. Thanks for saying things will get better, maybe not the same way it was. Thanks for reminding me that other people also are feeling this way too.
Stay safe. Know here on Split Coast we care about our friends .