This week, I am keeping things short. I’ve had a busy week catching up. The Christmas decor is down. I’ve had some jewelry to produce for the gallery that carries my pieces locally, and we are getting ready to get some Caribbean warmth.

In addition, I decided officially make REDUCE my OLW for 2026. I’ve heard from some that they are not “OLW” people, and to be honest, I’ve never really been either. It’s only been the last five years or so that I’ve picked a word, and if you asked me now, I’d have a hard time recalling what they were.

So, maybe I haven’t bought in all the way and am not using the words like I should. I wonder.

In any case, reduce, my word, was solidified last night when I opened the postcards I ordered from Canva for the New Year exchange.

Their packaging spoke to me about reducing and reusing. It just solidified my choice.

Also, today, I am reducing by going through some storage cubicles that haven’t been touched for a while. I want to reduce our three bed sleeeping loft in the cabin to two beds or even one queen bed.

This is an area our three boys slept in when we’d come up for a weekend when they were growing up. We don’t need the three beds anymore. And, I’d like to refresh the space – by reducing!

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Lastly, I drafted a poem about our cat Callie, who is a Manx – she doesn’t have more than a stub of a tail. We love her dearly, but she’s been getting into mischief lately and wants to be fed all the time. It fits my theme of reducing for 2026.

Untitled (so far)

My cat begs for her dinner mid-afternoon
Purring, rubbing, snuggling, all too soon

I want to feed her but she’s getting fat
The vet said no more food for my cat

So I give her less in the bowl
But then she tries to cajole

Me out of my sleep
By making a constant peep

After the peep, she reaches out
To touch my lips, and I pout

Go to sleep, you silly cat
I cannot feed you, you’ll get fat

© Draft, Carol Labuzzetta, 2026

Jan at Bookseedstudio had the roundup this week. Make sure you stop by for some poetry goodness. We have a wonderful and talented community. Thanks for hosting, Jan, and reminding us there is hope, and there were/are people who instill it in us.

Side note: I posted to the wrong blog on Friday – to Janice Scully’s Salt City Verse. I apologize. I figured I wrote this, I might as well put it on the roundup, although I know I’m very late. This is a sign I’m doing too much at once. Time to focus and stop multi-tasking. Thanks for hosting, Jan.

Below are a couple of Medium.com articles that I wrote this week. Both are shared with a friend link, so you should be able to read them.

https://medium.com/globetrotters/peace-found-on-the-pipiwai-bamboo-trail-maui-c576ddaacddc?sk=f31be60aa39ef63384f5433e4da2c783

https://medium.com/true-travel-tales/castles-in-the-sky-for-love-or-defense-21fe358b9c28?sk=c9dc4560a031ffb0897ab0d8b67a116a