Meet Bubble, a sweet and shy little African Pygmy Hedgehog, owned by Samantha Walsh and her family from Traverse City, Michigan.

Samantha was a girl on a mission she dreamed of having a hedgehog for a pet. So she worked hard and saved all of her babysitting money for months and researched everything she could about African Pygmy Hedgehogs. She paid for the pet, cage, food, and accessories all by herself.

Below is my conversation with Samantha on what it’s like to have a hedgehog for a pet!

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Meet Fern, an adorable little Julianna pig, owned by Amber Hassler and her family from Buckley, Michigan. When they submitted her for Pets of the Pandemic and I saw the pictures of Fern and heard their story I knew I had to paint her! Below is my converstion with Amber on what it’s like to have a pig for a pet

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Meet Teddy, a sweet little Daisy dog, known by the first graders at Willow Hill Elementary in Traverse City, as the funny and adorable “Teddy Tuesday.”

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Years ago, I would never admit to myself what I really wanted. Instead, I would bury those desires deep and not talk about them or let them out. I would distract myself with other things and purchases so that I wouldn’t have to face my real reality.

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I hope the first few days of the new year have been wonderful for you. I’ve spent a good portion of my time cleaning, reflecting and planning for the year ahead.

As I reflected over the last year, I realized something that I hadn’t noticed earlier. Last year I started doing things that had been on my bucket list for years. The pandemic awoke in me a sense of urgency. I started to worry that I may get to the end of my life and regret never having tried the things that I wanted to do. Sure, there are trips that I want to take and things I want to experience, but what was really nagging at me was my reluctance to start things that I had a passion for and felt drawn to, such as painting and music.

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As we head into the holidays, during a year in which many traditions and gatherings have been put on pause, it’s easy to fixate on what we’re missing. At times like these, it’s important to find the abundance—kindness, good and happiness—wherever it may lie. It’s there. You just have to look for it.

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