For our Holiday card this year. I wanted to inspire my friends and family! 

I thought of wearing khaki pants and posing on the beach with my boys. Maybe photoshopping 

peace on earth beneath us…yeah that would have been nice…..But No….No I went with this.

I decided to illustrate a portion of Muhammad Ali’s famous 1974 speech given prior to his fight against George Foreman. “Interesting choice, go on…I’m curious to see where this goes”

  While perusing the internet for motivation and inspiration I came across this and was moved. 

Do You Hear what I Hear? Listen to it Here

I saw pictures in my head, which is natures way of telling me to draw, so I did, awesome right…..

Yeah, that’s what I thought, cool poster ED…but WORST X-MAS CARD EVER.

I ordered these weeks ago…They are sitting on my desk. I am not even too lazy to mail them out…I am simply too embarrassed.

“Happy Holiday’s Look How great I am!” ….huh?

“Oh Look honey, ED HOSE sent us a card…..It says she is gonna show us how great she is….and that she put a rock in the hospital?” …”Is she on meds? Did she forget to take them? Is this a threat? Do You know if she hangs out with a hooker named Thunder?” …”This is just weird, should I call the cops?”

I had a hunch while I was drawing this that maybe it wasn’t the best Holiday card idea…but I really wanted to draw a pro wrestling alligator. I silenced the voices telling my to move on, I was like…no no this will INSPIRE!..my friends across the country will pin this to their bathroom mirrors. They will bob and weave each morning psyching themselves up for greatness. They will Say to themselves ” I AM GREAT, I AM POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE,  I CAN DO ANYTHING I SET MY MIND TO.” They will hear “The Eye of the Tiger” they will rise up to greet the day! They will see themselves the way I see them, as powerful warriors, capable of harnessing their wildest dreams. 

My strong, courageous, funny, magnificent people.

That is the gift I was looking to give.

So Merry Holidays….Sorry this card went awry. I mean, I think I am pretty adequate…but I’m not gonna lead with that in a seasonal note…..oh man…it’s just so awkward..I don’t think it should see daylight…but then..I don’t want ya’ll to think I didn’t get you anything at all.  Especially when in reality I love you so much.

Next year, Khakis on the beach, I Promise.

BONUS FUNNY from my 8 year old son Ogden:  I was reciting parts of this Muhammad Ali speech to the boys one day, I was Like “I wrestled an alligator” and they were like ” NO YOU DIDN’T MOM” I said ” I tussled with a whale…and they were like NO WAY …and then I said  ‘I’m so fast I turned off the light switch in my room and was in bed before the room was dark.’ and Ogden without missing a beat said ” Yeah, It was probably still daytime”……ahahaha, this kid!.