Goodness, it’s 2021….we hope this finds you better rested and grounded after a necessary break over the holidays. It is a new year, with the same pandemic, but the days are getting longer and cherry blossoms and hyacinths are starting to crack as part of our cyclical PNW “spring before actual spring”. I’m certain the rest of Canada is quite jealous.
As there is no preparation, no dress rehearsal for the year we are wrapping up and we have a fresh opportunity to move through the world with fresh eyes, open heart and hopeful spirit. At least if this finds you safe and healthy, you’re doing OK.
We figured these New Year’s wishes courtesy of magical and renowned author, Neil Gaiman would be especially fitting as we fumble through the start of 2021 in our ever changing circumstances:
And for this year, my wish for each of us is small and very simple.
And it’s this.
I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.
So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.
Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.
Make your mistakes, next year and forever.
- Questions to Ask Yourself Before Giving Up, a poem by Kaitlin Boulding
- Immune & Respiratory Herbs: a Resource for Tribal Communities during COVID-19
Straightforward recipes and 
ally guide from txʷəlšucid territory (Puget Sound) - 17 Healthy Vegetarian Soup Recipes, courtesy of Cookie and Kate
We can’t stress enough, in the middle of our damp-cold West Coast winters, to keep your food warm and cooked to support your digestive fire. This is a thorough list of veggie-based soups that will likely suit a variety of tastes, most are also chock full of fragrant herbs and spices to assist digestion, freezes well and can be modified to include animal products (ie. bone broth, eggs, chicken, etc. ) - Soothing Bedtime Golden Milk from Well Plated
This particular recipe also provides a simple breakdown of the benefits of each of the ingredients, which will keep your insides warmed and circulating. - Your New Year’s Indigenous soundtrack:
Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, by Jeremy Dutcher
Inuit Nunangat & Anuri feat. Riit, Terry Uyarak (Super Inuk)
All my relations, by Cochemea
Roots and Shoots with Cris Derksen
Black Belt Eagle Scout – Full Performance (Live on KEXP)
Blending Traditional and Modern Music with IsKwé - How to Be Bored
Is boredom good—a spark that ignites the creative spirit? Or bad, a pressure that we can break from, and violate public health guidelines, endangering our communities? - Recommending Borealis on the National Film Board of Canada, aside from the amazing selection of shorts, documentaries and animations.
In his new feature documentary Borealis, acclaimed director Kevin McMahon (Waterlife) travels deep into the heart of the boreal forest to explore the chorus of life in Canada’s iconic wilderness. How do trees move, communicate and survive the destructive forces of fire, insects, and human encroachment? Borealis offers an immersive portrait of the lifecycles of the forest from the perspective of the plants and animals that live there. - Simple Qigong Routine – Easy Home 10 Minute Practice for balancing Qi with Jeffrey Chand
A simple 10 minute qigong routine that you can practice at home to help increase qi, chi, or energy.
Qigong is a simple exercise, similar to tai chi but easier to learn and practice. This is a routine that is well balanced to help reduce stress, anxiety, and tension while increasing energy, circulation and qi.
