It’s cold most places where you are reading, and it’s been cold for the writers. Holidays have come and gone, and now we settle in for the dark days and nights to wait for the first crocus. This issue of ncgiadd Online Magazine may tide you over in the flower department: we feature the personal account of a woman who was able to truly make art her work after her diagnosis and treatment with psychostimulant medication, and she paints, among other things, flowers!

We also bring you an opportunity to participate in research on women and medication treatment; one of our articles describes the study and links you to the site so you can be included.

There’s more: our mentoring relationship, wobbling through the holidays, is being taken up, and you can read along to see how Emily will learn from Sara as they exchange E-mails over the next months. We’ve got Maurine Harrison back again with her penetrating gaze and unflagging commitment to telling the truth about her life and to working out the kinks so she can continue to be as effective as possible.

Our magazine founders, Pat Quinn and Kathleen Nadeau, are both here with “Ask the Expert” columns; and in addition to Artist of the month who works in wood, and news of upcoming events, Last Words this month come in the form of a “Quiz,” to which there is no answer key; it is meant to provoke thought and conversation and, maybe, action if required.