Carnet de gratitude : March 2026 sketchbook

March 2026 is filling up nicely the last pages of my 10th Carnet de gratitude :-) It has become my ritual to spend each evening drawing, well into the night when everything is quiet... Quiet ? Not really at Maison Legrand with the 7 Potichats alternating between naps, cuddles and zoomies !
In fact, there is nothing better than to draw with a Potichat peacefully asleep next to my left side. And when they want to help my creativity by stepping all over the art materials, nibbling paper corners, photo-bombing sessions ? That's just love and fun.
Also notice my X-Rays hands ! Nice to see what is inside ;-)

If you want to know more about my Gratitude sketchbook practice, I answered an interview for Domestika's blog at the end of 2024. https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/13539-stig-legrand-s-journey-turning-daily-gratitude-into-illustrated-masterpieces

This project is published monthly and you can access the archives beginning in November 2021 from the Projects section on my Profile.

Sketchbook : Talens, Art Creation, 9x14cm, colour Fresh Mint
Fineliners : UniPin in Dark Grey, Light Grey, Black, size range from 0.03 to 0.5 - Colour Fineliners : Sakura Pigment
Brush Pens : Water-based Tombows AB1, Kuretake Art & Graphic Twin, Koi by Sakura, Pentel Brush Sign Pens, Faber-Castell Pitt Artist

Again, I didn't go to the Art shop (Boesner Champigny) this month - I still have supplies to last quite some times.

It's touchy sharpening pastel pencils isn't it ? I actually have a good stand-up sharpener with a handle that you spin and it is perfect ! Too bad it isn't on my drawing table, so I wrecked my white pastel pencil, that I use to add light to zones in my Gratitude sketchbook. It's painful to see the naked lead of the pencil, so I'll spare you that.

Instead, I show you my open sketchbook, last pages waiting to be filled (lots of little bits of eraser and lint on the back cover, but it is easy to clean when the sketchbook is complete).

I'm a big fan of The Popovy Sisters and their amazing dolls from another dimension of grace and perfection... They have just revealed this striking Robot.Mod Kali with her caged waist. This empty space at her middle is so, so, interesting.
Also, I had a visio chat and drink with two of my besties that I don't see very often. So enjoyable <3

It was supposed to be a very special day for me, as it was the date to ask online for my professional retirement ! But when I gathered the courage to click on the button, I was told that I was too early and had to wait another month.
Then I saw a publication from my friend Deer Bartok about Diego's 10 months party. I'll never forget how small and lonely this kitten was when he showed up in our garden trying to connect with our Potichats. And how my heart melt when Deer Bartok took him in <3

Weatherwise, it was a very soft and lovely day so Hinata lounged on the terrasse, and the Potichats lounged next to her in the catio.
I listened to Gorillaz new album : The Mountain.

Flowers on trees from all over the world floated in, and I love drawing flowers... Yuzu slept next to me while I was drawing.
Remember last month, when HappyVisio presented pages from Carnet de gratitude on their Facebook page ? This time, they included my pages in an email ! I felt very happy and honored.

Husband went to the dentist and on the way, took picture of this tree I love, the Magnolia Stellata, with the flowers wilting.
Meanwhile, I slept on the couch with Wabisabi and when I woke up, she was making biscuits on the cushion logs, paking this funny little sound.
Then in the evening, while I was drawing, we watched a TV show that was staged in Katmandu, a place I lived at in my youth and that is still very dear to my heart.

On that day, I watched the movie based on Haruki Murakami's novel, "Blind Willow; Sleeping Woman", I had been waiting for it for so long... <3
I received a very beautiful trouser but much much too long. It will have to be fixed.
And I managed my weekly shot all by myself again :-)

I listened again and again to Archive's last album "Glass Minds", it is that GOOD.
And I indulged in an almond filled chocolate croissant. That's sooooo satisfying <3

On Internation Women's Rights Day, we had our online Writing Workshop with my friends, and I told them about this crazy funny movie by Riad Sattouf in 2014, "Jacky au Royaume des Filles". It needs to be seen and you won't see the world the same afterwards.
It also was my first time on the Backmarket website where I found very interesting second hands.
And I airfryed nuts and seeds with brown sugar, coarse sea salt, a little spices and crushed pepper added just at the end... super yummy.

I went to see my podologist and she was back at work ! My feet were all relieved and happy.
When we removed the winter veil from my camelias, this red one was covered in flowers <3
And I had endless fascinating conversations with ChatGPT about litterature...

Oh ! I received my first Apple Watch ever from Backmarket. I was delighted <3 It wasn't put to use straightaway because... my iPhone's iOS was too old !
Hinata walked all over the table as she is prone to do, and she even drank from our water glasses and dipped her paw inside...

Perhaps, you care to take a look at the linework before color was added ?

On that day, I was super lucky by avoiding accidents. First a pile of kitchenware fell on me from above and crashed all over the kitchen floor, killing my 2 favorite ramen bowls. But they didn't fall on my head !
Then I opened a jar of mayonnaise from the garage and spread some on bread but I got a weird feeling and rechecked the expiry date... It was the right month but ONE YEAR TOO LATE ! So I was lucky to not poison myself and family LOL
Miruku decided to spread out on the table, like Hinata.

It was my turn at the dentist and on the way I saw beautiful early flowers !
Back home, I backed eggplants with an Ottolenghi recipe, it was delicious. And Tanuki showed me her furry little belly <3

On Friday the 13th, I watched an animation movie that I was so curious about "Amélie et la Métaphysique des Tubes", it was perfection for me and made me so happy, sad, emotionnal and inspired... <3
I also cooked a lot : flan, and leek tart, and marinated Corean eggs, and spicy red peppers Tchoutchouka...

Ouch, it was a day for migraine headaches...! But before it began, I listened to a band I didn't know and that ChatGPT made me discover : The Antlers.
Miruku played with his favorite toy on a string : a very large red velvet octopus.

It was a voting day so we went and I alway take time to look at this tree in the school yard... Then I held an online writing workshop with friends and we used Inspiration Cards I provided about fantasy creatures.
And later, I made some ramen, easy going and scrumptious.

It was a private celebration day at Maison Legrand and husband upgraded the Potichats cat tree by switching their old derelict little house for a new one. Then I gifted myself the Apple Watch, and we ordered beautiful takeaway sushi from Sushi Shop, a special box themed Le Petit Prince <3
I also had a beer and that's very very rare.

I get a new bronze pen as my old one was all dried up. Listened to Anna Von Hausswolff on ChatGPT advice but wasn't thrilled. Yuzu looked at me with utmost seriousness. I got a Power Bank that holds on the back of my iPhone with Magsafe, in my preparations for the new iOS.
Then I tasted for the first time Corean KKwabaegi, these wonderful cinnamon and sugar coated dougnuts twists.

Too tired in the morning, even for yoga, I combed and cuddled the Potichats for hours on the bed. Then I tried a new shower gel that woke me up a bit, mint and eucalyptus BullDog ;-)
Then I saved my iPhone's content and set-up on my computer for the first time, because I was planning to update my old iOS.

I remembered that it was the day of David Byrne's concert in Paris, and regretted not going to concerts anymore. American Utopia still is one of my very favourite concerts, so I was very curious about this one "Who is the sky ?". I hope it will be available as a film.
Instead I assembled the new scatching pad for the Potichats.

First day of Spring, and equinox <3 I saw lovely photos of flowers at a friend's garden and vegetable patch. Vegetables that I enjoyed as tattoos, very graphical and colorful by CEC Paramo from Maastricht Studio. Yuzu was very patient and sweet while I cleaned his eyes.

Ouch ! Waking up to leg cramps isn't funny. But I listened to Kim Gordon's new album "Play me" because her legs seemed just fine on the cover <3
Then we chatted with my Theater Therapy friends for our online informal meeting. We shared shrimps with the Potichats and afterwards they made comic faces.

After a few tentative days when the Potichats didn't recognize the smell of their little house, Kurumi decided that it was indeed his house and returned to his usual carefree living. I sang "Chaise Longue" by WetLeg and "Sunday Morning" this old Velvet Underground song. And drew a cat dream found on The Strangest Flea Market.

I had to wake up super early in order to show up on time at the hospital in the morning and begin my check-ups marathon. After being fitted with a catheter up my forearm, I was led into a Scanner, an IRM and X-Ray shots of my whole skeleton ! Quite a run of tests <3
Then when they removed the catherer I didn't clot fast enough and ended up bleeding all over my clothes and the corridor. Spectacular !

I received results from the scanner and they were good ! On our way from the dentist, I saw the last flower on the Magnolia Stellata.
At home, the neighbor came over to ask if we had seen Nagisa, half brother of our Potichats, but we hadn't. Where was Nagisa ? Everybody worried.

A nice day beginning with Happy Yoga sitting on my lovely firm Zafu... Then playing with the Potichats, and Kurumi making me laugh because he loves husband's shoes. It was the birthday of my friend Sibylline, she is the singer of band "Hey Pretty !" and they played a concert. Their poster was fantastic !

I listened to Nightmares on Wax' album "Thought so..." all day <3
Went for a liver ultrasound and it proved stable from last year.
Another flower opened on the red camelia ! And for dinner, we had scallops with spaghetti <3

I tested the Very Cherry shower cream from Weleda and liked it <3 So I dressed in pink to keep this vibe, and listened to King Crimson's Court of the Crimson King (I know the songs and have been singing them from youth until now).
For dinner, I made fresh tuna chirashi on japanese rice, with a side dish of grated cabbage salad and edamame beans.

It was NO KINGS day in the United States and friends showed up with great signs, and there were so many Americans protesting <3
I felt like making pancakes so we enjoyed a big pile of them.
And I watched Arte TV : "Mr Nobody against Putin" and beautiful original art animations.

On that morning, I decided to cook early and make my tchoutchouka before anybody woke up (because husband hates red peppers and can't stand the grilled smell). I was halfway through the process when drums began banging in the street just in front of our house. It was Carnaval and I had forgotten ! The Battucada played in place for a long time, I love it but our Potichats do not and it terrifies them. They all growled and ran and hid all over the place.
Later we had a Writing Workshop with my inspiration card about physical and mental Clutter.

The very good news of thay day was Nagisa reappeared <3 Kurumi had another love session with husband's shoes.
I found the X-Rays of my bones online, but not the medical reports. Still it's great to have so many selfies from my bones ;-)

I love watching Yuzu sleep over the TV on the cushion - Catification forever !
More bones, more bones, more bones x-P