August News 2026

Latest News:

The latest news is discouraging news.

Unfortunately, I cannot reasonably meet the new legal requirements for shipping to Germany. This makes me sad. I like Germany.

This development has also prompted me to look more closely at the requirements of other countries and, while the other EU countries have their requirements worded a little more vaguely, it still seems potentially risky to ship there. So for the moment, I have disabled shipping to all EU countries.

It is my understanding that these countries are ramping up regulations and enforcement, and I don’t want to get myself into a mess.

I hope this will change, maybe they will make exceptions for “micro businesses“ or make it just an added tax on the transaction, something manageable.

I can still ship to the UK, and some other places, but for now I have to weigh the risks.

In The Studio:

I still haven’t made any new art lately, but I have a few ideas.

There’s a holiday weekend coming up, an extra day off work, I’m hoping to get in some drawing time. Even just to get started.

I’m hoping to get back to being on Instagram soon, at least a little.

I’ve met some really nice people there that I have lost touch with in my absence.

My attention is so scattered.

I’ve been working on my Etsy shop, slowly working through decluttering the house, and rehabbing my neglected planted aquarium. And I feel good about all these things.

Instagram in itself feels lower priority… But I miss those connections. I’m always looking for balance.

At Home:

The dogs are doing well, that’s always the top priority.

They have been very silly and playful, they can put a smile on my face and melt away the stress of the day at work in just a few minutes of being home with them. And the cooler evenings make them a little more snuggly again.

The baby tree I planted to replace the large one I had removed last year is doing OK. It’s not producing much new top growth, but it’s probably focused more on root growth after the transplant.

To bridge the gap between now (living in full sun) and the point where the baby tree (a Red Maple) is big enough to provide any significant shade, I’ve decided to plant more trees. Ones that won’t get as large as the maple, but that could give me some added areas of shade as they fill out.

So, more trees are coming soon.

I hope your summer has been enjoyable, and that the cooler evenings and (maybe) lower humidity of pending autumn is welcome, as well. If your weather is anything like mine, anyway.

The shorter days always feel a little bittersweet to me, summer has always been my favorite. But summer living in full shade is a different experience than summer living in full sun… So I’m ready for cooler weather.

I hope the fall transition treats you well and brings its own fun adventures.

Thank you for being here, and thank you for being you!

Jennifer.