Last year, one of my smarter moves was to ask Vermont artist and baker Emily Gold to make some collage Appreciation Cards that I could send to supporters of the Army Of Good for as long as they lasted.

I first saw them at a farmer’s market where Emily held forth, shivering and blowing ice clouds. I fell in love with them.

Emily got the idea right away. Appreciation is important to me; I take time out every day to appreciate my life and the good things that have come into it.

I promised myself I would never fail to appreciate my life and the people who made it possible.

I never expected collage would express this so well, but that was before I met Emily. Creative people can make almost anything work.

I buy the cards in bunches of 10 or 12 and send them out, and then, when I can, I order another ten.

They have become quite popular. People love and appreciate them.

These cards say a lot, and one of the things they say is that the people who help me and the AOG with the Mansion work and the refugee children are very much appreciated.

They do so much good; they have touched so many people.

The cards say it better than I can say it sometimes.

People often thank me for sending them these cards; they each have their own spirit and powerful, often poignant,  emotion, an exceptional way to say thank you.

Emily has a website called PaperCakeScissors and works in collage and other forms. She is also an extraordinarily creative baker – she makes the only Gluten-free brownies  I’ve ever had that taste better than the regular ones.

She makes note cards, tea towels, pillows, sketchbooks, and tote bags, paper books and brooches and pins and muffins and cookies and cakes. She offers online classes in collage making, which a dozen of you have already taken.

Emily is a creative wonder; everything she does is something that touches me in some way. She is endlessly creative; her writing is  thoughtful and honest.

Emily understands that a good blog is not just about a product but about life, honestly and openly told and shared.

I met Emily through Maria; the two are in Maria’s Belly Dancing class and have become close friends. They are much alike in their drive, creativity, and empathy. The class is filled with Amazing Women.

Maria and Emily Zoomed with one another all through the pandemic, and the friendship just stuck. They are eerily alike sometimes, pure creatives who never stop growing and experimenting.

They just never quit. They put themselves out there again and again.

Artists, like writers, often work alone, and the work can get lonely. Artists need support, especially from other artists who know how difficult the life of an artist can be.

I appreciate how these two nourish, support, and inspire one another; it’s a beautiful thing.

I think it’s something men are rarely able to do.  Maria always comes back from these conversations, most still on Zoom, smiling and uplifted.

Once in a while, they meet somewhere to walk and talk.

I love Emily’s art; her notecards are wonderful. They are, like her, funny and wise and smart. Through collage, she can reflect on life, as good art does.

But I am grateful for these and will make them last as long as I can. Then I’ll order some more, for as long as she will make them for me. I wish I had one for everyone who reads my blog.

Oh, and thanks. You are appreciated.