Fresh Joy, a blog

Believe it or not, May is just around the corner. Around this time last month, many of us were settling into our new quarantine routines, hoping that our friends, family, jobs and toilet paper supply would be safe. It's been a tough month for everyone, to say the least.I am grateful for all the little things that are helping my husband and I cope- extra sleep, dog snuggles, FaceTime & Zoom, and "The Best Chicken Soup" takeout from Lourdes Mexican Food (trust me on this one).I am also grateful for the small distraction that National Card and Letter Writing Month has provided. For those of you participating in the #write_on challenge, are you getting...

It finally stopped raining here in Southern California. We had SO. MUCH. RAIN. last week. While the weather helped to keep everyone at home, it also led to extreme flooding of local homes and small businesses. Having been through a house fire and flood myself, I know how brutal the aftermath is, both physically and emotionally. Not being able to reach out to others for help must multiple it tenfold. My heart goes out to them. I think it's safe to say we're all grateful the sun is shining again.On that sunshinier note, we're now two weeks into National Card and Letter Writing Month. For those...

We're one week (+/-) into National Card and Letter Writing Month. For those of you joining me in the #write_on challenge, how did you do? There's no right way to do, whether you commit to one card each day, all 30 in one day, or somewhere in between. I've only written two so far, so have some catch-up ahead.  Here's a Week 1 recap of the writing prompts we've shared on our Instagram stories so far.  In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing all 30 prompts for those of you not on Instagram. (If you are on Instagram and aren't already following...

April Fool's Day is essentially cancelled this year as no joke or prank could outshine the unbelievable 'ish happening in the world right now. So we're turning our full attention to the first day of National Card and Letter Writing Month (I promise this is not a joke). First designated in 2001 by the U.S. Postal Service, the goal is to "raise awareness of the importance and historical significance of card and letter writing.” An entire month dedicated to personalized snail mail??? Sign us up!Join us for the #write_on challenge of writing 30 letters in 30 days. It might seem daunting, but you've...

With COVID-19 dominating the news and social media, most of us have, understandably, lost sight of the fact that March is National Women's History Month. With the month coming to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight an oft-overlooked hero, Alice Paul. Alice Paul (1885-1977) was a vocal leader of the 20th century women's rights movement. With her friend Lucy Burns, she formed the National Women's Party and organized the Silent Sentinels, a group of women who silently protested at the White House for over two years, until the passage of the 19th Amendment. After women were granted...