Miller November 2024 Update
Another month has come and gone.
We didn’t take many pictures—this was mostly a month of recovery and preparation. (And quite a bit of shuffling/cleaning of the home ready for months of hibernation approaching) It was also another month of waiting for Michelle’s Medicaid and food stamps to be reinstated. The system has changed so that benefits cannot be approved unless they are processed in chronological order, and with their low staffing, the wait times have been extended significantly. Any medical appointments Michelle had scheduled months in advance had to be canceled, with no idea of when they could be rescheduled. This year alone, despite having no reason to be removed from her benefits, she has had access to them for maybe about six months total.
Our food supply has been cut in half because Michelle’s account always requires verification from her job. The benefit amounts also change randomly, throwing off our food budgeting. Sometimes, the system doesn’t back-pay the amount we should have received, even when the paperwork was submitted on time.
This is not a new struggle.
We have faced these challenges for many years. Given our health, welfare has been a necessity for nearly a decade.
Dealing with this constant stress consumes our time, energy, and limited income—resources that could otherwise be used to improve our situation.
This needs to be said: we should be on Disability Medicare, given our health conditions. Dozens of doctors and medical professionals have supported our claims, but the bureaucratic hoops and long wait times to get a case seen are exhausting. Even asking for clarification on paperwork or retrieving proper documentation to reverse wrongful terminations of benefits is a battle. It feels like a miracle that we’ve managed to make it this far with the limited assistance we’ve received versus what the government promises.
Still, we are grateful for what we have now. It has allowed us to build and grow, even though we’ve had to restart our lives countless times after everything collapsed beneath us. No exaggeration either as both John and Michelle can count over a dozen times this has happened before they met, and the dozen times this has happened while being together. This time seems solid.
We are beginning to see an upturn in our struggles. Though many of the same challenges persist, we are feeling more optimistic about the future.
In November, we prioritized rest, as it is essential for achieving even a basic level of functioning. Though we understand its importance, we still rarely manage to get enough, which means we need to take purposeful and intentional steps to prioritize it. We are committed to breaking the cycle of working ourselves into collapse or pushing ourselves to the point of ER visits. Maintaining our streak of staying out of the ER has been a priority, making rest a necessity. So far we are two years out after 5 years of going in multiple times a year!
Crafting is Self-Care too. Thanks Cheech for this picture!
-----
Now, onto the highlights of the month. The biggest accomplishments in November included:
WGAS Art Swap
Dropping off three new ATC kits at Who Gives a SCRAP!
Hosting our monthly Crafty Card Collective ATC Event
Participating in Rainy Day Anime’s Customer Appreciation Week (C.A.W.)
WGAS Art Swap
The final Art Swap of the year took place at a lovely new location. It was the Mobile Library located at Banning Lewis Ranch Rec Center (6885 Vista Del Pico Blvd). Although it was smaller with fewer attendees, the atmosphere was clean and peaceful. We highly recommend attending this event next year if you love art swaps or happen to be nearby if it is to be at this location again. We gathered a good amount of supplies, many of which John has already completed projects with and put up for sale!
We don't know when or where the next one will be. Assuming sometime in February is when it'll likely start up again as indicated in the previous years. We will likely be there again in 2025 for most of those.
November ATC Kits
We dropped off three kits:
S29: “Bright and Bold” – A fun collage with vibrant papers.
S30: “Finish This ATC” – Provided two partially started ATCs for participants to finish.
S31: “Clear Tape ATCs” – A specialty card we introduced in June that uses clear tape to create see-through designs.
Unfortunately, car trouble delayed our drop-off. The car needed to be towed and visited the shop three times in one week, consuming a lot of our time and energy. Despite this, we pushed through and worked to get caught up on everything.
Some random cards Michelle drew to get back into doodling.
We are a little behind dropping off December's kits which will be today's stop. Three new kits: Water Color Split, Outline That!, and Color Palette Mosaic will be available at the store. There will also be two sets reappearing in smaller amounts.
Crafty Card Collective ATC Event
November’s theme focused on Recycle/Upcycle, offering a craft buffet with various materials to experiment with. We also brought tools for attendees to try, and some were excited to see them return in future sessions.
We were so mentally drained we forgot to take pictures, which is a sign that we need to prioritize rest more consistently.
Next month's focus will be Window ATCs as the last Specialty card of 2024~ Also a small little Winter Party for those wanting to hang out and chat with some cheerful crafters! You don't have to craft, just appreciate the joy of crafting with us.
Located in the same place: Rainy Day Anime store, last Sundays of the month from 11am-1pm! Drop in at any time and just relax and craft~
Rainy Day Anime C.A.W.
We had a lot of fun and hope to be back next year! What sort of random items will we have available next time?
The month ended with a three-day Anime and Arts/Crafts Fair at Rainy Day Anime, where we hosted a table. John led this table with his artwork and kits, while Michelle provided freebies and support with various backup items.
You can see in front of John he had his paper ribs (which will be available as kits this upcoming year), small tree art which was also available as kits, The Top Hat Tom shadow figure in the book, the hanging bees in front of the table, and there is lasercut bee art behind the freebie board in the bottom left corner. Oh, and most of the sticker designs are his. We are both really proud of what John was able to accomplish before this event.
We had a visitor say he liked them because they were "Fun and Derpy!"
We Agree!
As mentioned before in the bottom left corner is our freebie board. Our freebie board and business cards were a hit—people loved them! We ran out of business cards daily and rushed to make more each night. By the end of the event, we had handed out about 50 cards per day or 150 cards, a significant milestone for us! Seeing people walk away from our table smiling made all the effort worthwhile. Some with an armful of freebies (we gave away ATC jar kits!) and huge smiles.
-----
Recommendations!
Jacqueline Brunk - Fine Arts and Handmade Items
An artist we have helped out and got to see her amazing art in her home. We got to enjoy her small calendar with lovely artwork this past year (only missing to change it twice!). Highly recommend you look into the beautiful arts she makes and sells on her website: https://jacquelinebrunk.com/
Destination Coffees - Travel Through the Coffee Bean
A youth pastor we happened to meet, right as they were moving out of our apartment complex! They started a coffee business started from discovering it on their travels and falling in love with it. We got to try their Colombian Coffee, and will only buy from them now. Why wouldn't we want great-tasting coffee that supports a small business and helps support a growing family? Give them a try: https://www.destinationcoffees.com/
Disclaimer: We are NOT receiving any benefits in any form to write these reviews or recommendations. We genuinely enjoy what they do and support them.
-----
A Little Teaser...
We’re working on a surprise for future events—a fun little item that participants will get to try their hand at to have a chance to take something home. Stay tuned for more details!
-----
Lastly!
My little sister is in college and needing money for veggies! (Ok and saving up to move into a house with a few friends) so looking to take commissions. As shown below sample of her artwork and the price ranges to expect. Please consider hiring her! <3
(Did you click the RIGHT arrow to see the second page?)
----
And with that, I believe that wraps everything up. A lot happened to us, but not really worth writing about here. Especially as many are still Works In Progress. A lot of time is also spent planning out our days, meals, events, and more for all of 2025. We need to cut out the time wasted due to executive dysfunction issues. During this past year, Michelle has been keeping note of things that need to change and the best possible options to try. Let's see how well this hypothesis plays out shall we?
Please stick with us to see how things play out this upcoming year!
Comments