Friday, 29 December 2023
Wednesday, 27 December 2023
Monday, 25 December 2023
Friday, 22 December 2023
Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Monday, 18 December 2023
Friday, 15 December 2023
December 15, 2023 Chautauqua
Beth's Ponderings
We are days away
from the Winter Solstice - shortest day, longest night.
As an adult, I
always found it interesting that what should be a time of quiet and reflection
in our year is the busiest and most frantic time as we prepare for and
celebrate Christmas (and other holidays if you are of a different faith
background).
I also found it
really interesting this year that I felt the return to Standard Time in a way I
haven’t notice before. I’m sure this isn’t
the first year it’s happened to me, but it certainly is the first year that my
body really registered the time change. So
much so, that I suddenly felt like I was no longer “rushing” through my days.
Now, to be clear,
just because the time changed, that didn’t mean that my life dramatically
changed, because it didn’t. If anything,
life got a lot busier as I collected the greetings for this issue’s special
insert.
But, in amongst the
busyness, and frantic phoning, and everything else I was juggling, I felt
myself move through the day in a completely different manner.
I wasn’t looking at
the clock or my watch every 5 minutes and lamenting about how fast the day was
going. I wasn’t rushing through meals because it felt like I didn’t have enough
hours in my day. I didn’t feel like I
was trying to cram a week’s (or month’s) worth of work into the day just to get
done what needed to be done.
No, I was actually
waking up later in the morning than before the time change. I was eating my meals leisurely. I was getting the majority of my work done
before lunch. I was ending my days with
my evenings free to do whatever I wanted.
Now, I do realize as a single person, I have more flexibility in my life than most people, but even so, we all need to take some time, as the days shorten, to create some more space and leisure so we can truly enjoy the various celebrations this time of year. Merry Christmas!
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y8hGw9u4C-BTXJPlP-bIDPKhrpMf46EV/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 21 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it. If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available:
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0
E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com
PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount)
Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!
And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua
Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Monday, 11 December 2023
Friday, 8 December 2023
My Artist Voice #20 December 8, 2023
- My commissioned Christmas header went live on Wondercafe2 on November 25th, and was very well received.
I have a number of pairs of knitted and crocheted fingerless gloves for sale (prices range from $20 - $25 with GST included) First come, first serve for colour choices.
Upcoming Projects:
E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com
PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount)
Your support and kindness are always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration! Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
Monday, 4 December 2023
Friday, 1 December 2023
December 1, 2023 Chautauqua
Beth's Ponderings
Sigh...as costs
continue to rise, especially the cost of paper and printing, I found myself
faced with a very difficult decision.
The printing costs
are currently 3/4s of the overall expenses, so in order to continue printing
the paper, I have to make some changes. I
will not be going completely online due to the unpredictable whims of the
online world. And, there remains
something special about a physical newspaper, especially for those of us who
rebel a little with more going online..
The incredibly
tough decision I made was that I will no longer be publishing the council
minutes for Alix, Bashaw, Clive after
This was a tough
decision because when I took over the paper in 2002 from Linda VanRingen, the
council minutes were included. I
continued to print them for free as a community service. Otherwise the municipalities would have had
to pay $560 PER issue to have them included.
While I would love
to increase the number of pages of the paper (sadly not an option with current
printing costs), I have not able to currently include as much as I’d like from
our various communities as the council minutes take up such a significant chunk
of the paper. Without the minutes, there
will be space to showcase other community news
Also, in the event
that my only other option to keep going is to drop down to 8 pages (must be in
multiples of 4 pages), it will be easier without the council minutes - which
cover close to 4 pages now.
It is my sincere
desire that not only will you continue to read and support the Chautauqua once
the minutes are no longer printed, but that the communities and their
organizations will continue to submit their ads, news and happenings so that we
can all continue to support each other.
As the bulk of the paper’s income comes from ads and donations, I greatly appreciate any financial support, as I continue to publish.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KUgu-JyE6yxYxo9HtuaEy_HGJ7MlyWp3/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 21 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it. If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available:
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0
E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com
PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount)
Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!
And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua
Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Monday, 27 November 2023
Friday, 24 November 2023
Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Monday, 20 November 2023
Friday, 17 November 2023
November 17, 2023 Chautauqua
Beth's Ponderings
Last month, I
watched an online interview and one of the comments made was that it is very
easy to figure out what your life purpose is.
The presenter
continued by saying, just take a look at all your daily activities, your work/job,
your volunteer tasks and community involvement, your hobbies and pretty much
every area of your life. Then imagine
that you were told you could only do 1 of those activities for the rest of your
life, and you had to quit everything else.
What would you choose?
The presenter said
she would choose writing, and that’s how she knows it’s her life purpose. Note, she didn’t choose a specific type of
writing or even a genre. Our life
purpose isn’t something that is very specific, nor is there only one “right” way
to express it.
I found that little
exercise interesting because I have personally lived it, in a manner of
speaking. Ten and a half years ago when
I had my total physical collapse, I was faced with having to literally give up
everything I was doing in my life.
I had to leave my
job at the library, I had to resign from every board I was a member of, I had
to quit teaching yoga, I ended up having to put a long pause on many of my
hobbies, and virtually every area of my life was affected as I spent many hours
in bed unable to do anything.
The one thing I
didn’t give up, and refused to give up under any circumstances, was publishing
this newspaper.
It wasn’t easy to
keep going as there were many challenges across the board, and I needed help
with the deliveries, but I knew that publishing the paper was vital to my
health and wellbeing (even if I was on death’s doorstep at the time).
Another way of looking at this question, is to ask what gets you out of bed each morning. We all have something that keeps us going even when life falls apart. What is yours?
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FjwcShwZGEq9YDWpCYInFuTLsrHzPJG3/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 21 years ago, are a brand new reader, or somewhere in between, I sincerely hope that The Chautauqua has enriched your life, as much as it has enriched mine publishing it. If you would like to help ensure it continues to enrich others like yourself, I ask you to please consider making a donation to The Chautauqua. There are three methods available:
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0
E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com
PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount)
Your support and kindness is always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration to you with each issue. Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!
And, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, please visit: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua
Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Monday, 13 November 2023
Friday, 10 November 2023
My Artist Voice #19 November 10, 2023
- I submitted the Christmas and Winter header images to the Wondercafe2 site moderator October 10 and 15, and received my first commission payment for the images!!!!!!!!
Featured Artworks for Sale:
I also have my card decks, chapbooks and my musical CD (listen to sample here: https://linktr.ee/beth.richardson) for sale too. They would make great stocking stuffers. Please reach out to find out more, or to purchase.
As well, I have a paperback and hardcover journal (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CJLKZ3KB) and a daily creative planner available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BMJM1SD3)
Perfect for Fall weather, I have a number of pairs of knitted and crocheted fingerless gloves for sale (prices range from $20 - $25 with GST included) First come, first serve for colour choices.
Upcoming Projects:
E-transfer to thechautauqua@gmail.com
PayPal at https://paypal.me/thechautauqua (note: you will need to sign into PayPal first, and then specify the amount)
Your support and kindness are always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to continuing to bring joy and inspiration! Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!