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What a wild start to 2026! 😲
January has been a VERY eventful month — there was good, there was bad, and a lot of in-between. Regardless, I am grateful.. read on to see why.
Recommended: A “Soft Life” Guide for 2026: Living Well Without Burning Out
I started the new year with the resolution of “no goals, just vibes” due to my chronic overachieving behaviors (that always lead to burnout) and having accomplished everything I needed to for the moment, and more. I’m just settling into my new life in a new home in a new area.
And I knew the stories would come to me in due time… I just didn’t realize it would be this soon! (Good thing I didn’t make plans — the revolution is calling.)
Recommended: FACTORY by Beer Tree Brew – Johnson City, NY
What I’m loving right now:
going out for lunch on a cold, overcast afternoon ☆ cheesecake ☆ making time for simple pleasures when life is not so simple ☆ quiet moments ☆ watching the cats play ☆ allowing space for the creative flow
Recommended: A Cat Tree Update: Still the Best Cat Furniture Purchase I’ve Ever Made
organizing my kitchen ☆ planning decor for our (relatively) new home (we moved in November!) ☆ building in silence ☆ quiet contemplation ☆ watching the people come together in a loving, supportive way during difficult times ☆ finding my place in all of this
Recommended: ICE Out For Good Protest – Ithaca, NY
After the murder of Renée Good by an ICE agent, I joined many others to protest ICE and their brutality on a cold, windy Saturday in downtown Ithaca, NY. (One of many protests across the nation.)
It was a terrible reason for us to be there, and also the perfect way to find community. We all showed up for the same reason — wanting better for our country and people. (Born here or immigrant, we all have a right to a peaceful life!)
This is what LOVE looks like. 💖
What I wore:
Carhartt black waffle knit beanie ☆ Fjällräven women’s Keb Eco-shell jacket ☆ Columbia women’s Joy Peak II hooded black winter jacket ☆ Goodr OG polarized sunglasses – Vincent’s Absinthe Night Terrors
Recommended: Winter Hiking at Taughannock Falls State Park (Trumansburg, NY)
Recommended: Farm by Beer Tree Brew – Port Crane, NY
Working with a new prescriber and getting started on Ritalin (for my ADHD) mid-month has been a massive gamechanger! I spent 40 years learning how to push a metaphorical boulder up a hill, and building solid systems to keep me on track, and now it just feels amazing to suddenly become much more functional! I always knew I was working with a handicap (watching neurotypicals my age navigate life with ease mystified me as a kid), but I had no idea how bad it was this whole time! And now I suddenly get to start building my business with so much more mental clarity.. it feels so good! 🧠
What I wore:
Carhartt black waffle knit beanie ☆ Michael Kors grey plaid scarf ☆ Coach Tabby 20 black/grey denim chain strap bag ☆ Banana Republic burnt orange corduroy pants ☆ UGG Classic Ultra Mini Maxi Curly booties
Recommended: Soft Self-Talk: Rewiring Your Inner Voice
What I wore:
Carhartt black waffle knit beanie ☆ Columbia women’s Joy Peak II hooded black winter jacket ☆ Coach Tabby 20 black/grey denim chain strap bag ☆ BenBoy windproof winter hiking pants ☆ Adidas women’s Barreda Decode sneakers
Recommended: Everson Museum of Art – Syracuse, NY
And then there was the big snowstorm. ❄️
I know much of the country struggled, but the headlines didn’t quite reach us here (likely due to all the other news right now). To those reading this, I hope you and your loved ones are safe. 💖
We got about 14 inches here (~36 cm), which I swept off the deck and triggered a fibromyalgia flare the next day, but the quiet work of clearing snow itself was nice. I treat cleaning as a mindfulness practice, focusing on one step at a time, listening to the sweeping sounds of the broom and the snow hitting the ground below. So satisfying.
Recommended: Emotional Regulation Practices for Everyday Life
And then there was the brutal beating and execution of Alex Pretti on Jan 24th, by another ICE agent, after trying to help a woman who was assaulted before him.
This is what the patriarchy actually is, folks — a bunch of insecure “leftover men” (whom real men with morals and a life purpose don’t take seriously, and women hate, and no one ever asks for their opinion) dressing as authoritative figures and demanding respect by force. Angry children in adult bodies, failing to evolve with the changing times, and crashing out hard when the real world doesn’t match the false one they’ve created in their heads.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — there is nothing more pathetic than a grown ass man who STILL hasn’t learned how to regulate his “big emotions”. And now there’s a whole gang of crybabies who were given participation trophies (I mean badges) and told they were fit for the job. (But who are they kidding? There’s nothing fit about that thicc blue line.)
If anything, it’s causing unrest. Met with protest. Mockery. Revolution.
I’ve already ordered my protest outfit — it’s time to step it up. You’ll see me out there in a frog onesie and playing a cowbell soon enough. Come say hi and join the party!
And I mean it when I say party —
I don’t kill with kindness, I kill with unapologetic joy.
Because nothing bothers an insecure man more than a happy woman. Remember that, ladies. ✌🏻
Oh, Kae. 
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