Rick writes... Has everything gone digital? We check time on digital watches, talk on digital phones, take pictures with digital cameras, listen to digital music, find our way with digital maps, read digital books, spend digital cash, weigh ourselves with digital scales, and welcome guests when a digital doorbell rings. But when we create art on a Zentangle tile, it’s all analog. And there’s a reason for that. First, some descriptions: Our analog world is characterized by continuous and smooth transitions. There are no abrupt steps between any one point and another. A good example is the old familiar analog...

Thiele writes... I married into Rick and Maria’s family in the summer of 2024. And prior to that, I spent 8 years dating their oldest grandson and witnessing many family traditions. One of my favorite traditions that this special family maintains is a practice of gratitude each night before dinner. It goes a little something like this… Everyone gathers around a delicious, home-cooked meal that typically includes ingredients from a household garden or chicken coop. We hold hands with our table neighbors. We share, one-by-one, something we are grateful for. It can be as simple as one word, and usually,...

Jen writes... As the holiday season approaches, I find myself thinking about traditions, both the ones we keep and the ones we create. The rhythm of the season often stirs up memories of gatherings, laughter, and those quiet, shared moments that shape who we become. Just as tangling connects simple strokes into something beautiful, our lives are tangled compositions of the people and experiences that influence us most often across generations. Now, in these middle years of life, I find myself reflecting more often on the people who shaped me: parents, siblings, friends, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and even...