From TEA for the Bitter Times Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Friday 17 May 2024
May 17, 2024 Chautauqua
It’s dandelion
season!
I have already
picked a few blossoms and made dandelion tea.
My preference is to drink it cold, rather than hot.
I also picked some
whole plants and simmered to make dandelion broth - ended up with 11 cups. It is great for make soup or as the liquid
when you cook rice.
Dandelions are not
only cheerfully bright signs of spring on our lawns, but they are like an
entire pharmacy in one plant.
Every single part
of the dandelion plant is edible from the root to the blossom petals, and each
part has it’s own benefit for the body.
Besides being full
of important vitamins, “dandelion leaves act as a diuretic, increasing the
amount of urine your body makes. The leaves are used to stimulate the appetite
and help digestion. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may
also help improve the immune system. Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify
the liver and gallbladder, and dandelion leaves to help kidney function.” *
There is a good
reason why our ancestors placed so much importance on the dandelion as it
provided a much needed nutritional boost after the cold winters. And as an added bonus, the dandelion is one
of the few early spring plants that continues to grow and produce through the
summer and fall so you can partake of its healthy benefits for months.
As a bitter green,
dandelion is best eaten young and fresh, or cooked, or even steeped as a tea,
with a dash of lemon juice.
Beth
Did you know...I released a 10-song music CD in 2022? You can listen here: https://linktr.ee/beth.richardson and CDs are $15 each and can be purchased directly from me.
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1crJLKMwIO0s_8aZIe5U_i0kHZ1J-xZ7f/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 22+ 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!
Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua
Wednesday 15 May 2024
You don’t always get extra credit for making it harder for yourself,
so you might as well pick the easy way.
– Miriam Schulman
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday 13 May 2024
From TEA for the Bitter Times Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Saturday 11 May 2024
Friday 10 May 2024
My Artist Voice #25 May 10, 2024
Welcome to my 25th Artist Letter to you. Thank you so much to everyone who subscribed to date. If you would like to receive this letter directly in your email inbox, please contact thechautauqua@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list. Please share this with friends who may also be interested. Thank you so much for your support.
On May 5th, I went to the Bashaw Art Club's Art Show - didn't see all of my artist friends this time, and I admired some great art. I loved Mary Kinsella's series of boot paintings.
- Shiloh Sophia's Wild Card Oracle class - still not sure if I will make more cards or not.
Top (L-R): Pink shirt - Day 1 - Feb. 19, Feb. 26, Mar. 4
As a life-long creative, and recently self-taught artist, I endeavour to weave my varied interests and wisdom together in an enlightening and entertaining manner, to make people think, but above all else, bring a smile to their faces and hearts, as my style is almost childlike in its simplicity and playfulness. While bedridden for much of 2017, I developed 5 – 10 minute practices which allowed me to commit to them daily. I’ve been called the “Queen of Small Steps” because my simple practices – though they may seem small individually – have added up to quite a body of work in a relatively short time period.
My 2nd Anniversary letter! Where did the time go? When I started this endeavour, I never thought I'd have so much fun sharing with you what I've been up to each month. Also, I didn't realize I'd have so much to share!
On April 26th I attended the annual Encore Art Show and Sale in Lacombe. I started by viewing the student artwork in the foyer of the Memorial Centre. I was almost ready to enter the art show proper when a neighbour walked up and we ended up having a lovely (very long) chat. I had a delightful time looking at the different art and wished I had a million dollars and unlimited wall space so I could take a lot of it home with me! One artist said that watching me look at the art in the various booths was like watching a kid in a candy store, as my eyes widened and lit up! I bought two cards and two coasters from Linda Findstad (FamousCoffeeArtist.com) - which was neat because I've had an article about her on my table for at least 2 years as a reminder to look her up. I also bought a card with an image of a felted fawn from Vicki Sullivan (www.vickisulivanart.com) - her felted artworks were amazing!
Celebrations:
- I had blood work done on April 12th and it was "dramatically" improved from when I had it done in December! I still have a l-o-n-g way to go before I'm healthy, but at least I know I'm still heading in the right direction. After my appointment, Sheila Sandul and I visited the Viewpoint Gallery in Red Deer to see the "Craft & Care" fibre and textile exhibition. My neighbour, Margaret Blank, was one of 11 artists with work on display - Margaret had 3 quilted pieces in the show. There were amazing felted pieces and painted silks and so much more. We were not allowed to touch the items, which I totally understood, but when you have knitted pieces and textiles with great texture, it is hard to not want to touch them!
- Also on April 12th I attended my niece's school play - "Disorder in the Court" - where my niece played the character of Beulah Young.
- My Spring header image went live on the Wondercafe2 site on April 14th!
- April 27th marked 3 YEARS of DAILY sky drawings on the ipad! On April 30th I drew my 1,700th sky since April 27, 2021!
- I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online.
- My birthday was May 1st, and it also marked 11 (!) years since my total physical collapse. While I wish I felt healthier most days, I'm thrilled I'm doing as well as I am, and that I'm still alive to celebrate another birthday.
Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter, I've completed...
(L-R) Watercolour play (on 9x12 mixed media paper, dip pen, stencils), MAP painting (watercolour pencils, acrylics, Inktense pencils, Posca paint pens on 9x12 mixed media paper) inspired by a process by Whitney Freya
Back in January I participated in Karen Abend's New Year Challenge - though, I used my mini collages for my creativity rather than following the provided prompts. That said, I was intrigued by the prompt from artist Charlotte Hamilton for 5-minute self-portraits (she used markers for hers). I've never painted a portrait before, and had no idea if I even could, so the thought of a quick one appealed. I recently switched my daily watercolour play (on 9x12 mixed media paper) to attempt this loose, messy style. I've included the reference photo so you can see how close I managed to get to a depiction of myself.
- I completed more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper
- I completed my 29th cartoon comic booklet and you can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/700040675467072
In Beth's Kitchen:
On May 3rd, I picked my first handful of dandelion blossoms this season and steeped them to make a quart of dandelion (ice) tea - it was rather weak as I needed more blossoms, but was still nice to have that fresh again. I made another quart on May 7th.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Since my last letter, I completed 3 puzzles. First 2 are 1,000 piece ones and the bird puzzle was a 500 piece one.
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
- One of my UFO projects this past winter/spring was to read the 16-book Whiteoak Chronicles (Jalna) series of novels that were mom's favourite. I finished the last book the last week of April. While I had read most of her books through the years, I didn't touch this series before. In a way, I'm glad I read it as an adult and not a youth, as I might not have finished it.
- I added more gravel to the labyrinth path. Only working a half hour at a time, though that doesn't seem to result in much progress! I was out April 28th and May 4th (World Labyrinth Day!). My starting point is the tip of my finger and in the second photo I made it to the large black planter in the sun.
Courses and Challenges (free and paid):
- Minette Riordan Mythical Makeovers - this free course looks at the characters of the Wizard of Oz as archetypes in our lives. I have completed half of the course so far. I drew the characters freehand, though they are based on colouring pages supplied in the course.
- Angela Murray's 6 week Painting Happiness (free) course - week 1 started with creating free-hand mandalas. As this is a practice I have done before, I just dove right in and didn't do any of the prep exercises. On April 28th, I completed my B&W mandala, and then decided to start another for fun.
- I completed Whitney Freya's Life Artist free masterclass (below, top) and then started on her Rise Above free masterclass - as she teaches process more than finished product, I just kept creating the layers on top of the Life Artist spread in my smashbook. I completed that course May 3rd (bottom). As I liked the image, I decided to keep it and started her Shine Your Light free masterclass on a new page.
- Amanda Sophia's free mini Divine Woman Awakening course on the Celtic Wheel of the Year - this has been an incredible course and I'm learning a LOT! We've now entered the season of Bealtaine (May 1) which is all about joy, fun, passion, and play. So, for this season, I will focus on creative explorations, doing things that light me up, getting outside in the garden, and more.
- Laura Rose's Honey Pot (embodiment) practices - breath work, self-massage techniques, and sex magic manifesting.
With the erotic dance, I've come to the realization that I am more of a playfully sexy gal than a seductive sexy gal, so after 11 weeks of practice, on April 24th, I decided to call that particular practice done and I will invest my time and energy into a different practice that I enjoy more. You can see the dance here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wM2brtoI5fp9w6KrI2wJ6IFIVYZm7bC2/view?usp=sharing
- I'm practicing my drum playing daily, and haven't moved onto the next lesson yet.
- Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals Ayurveda course practices: eating only my personal portion size during each meal and doing abdominal rubbing throughout the day to help with digestion/elimination and overall relaxation of the body.
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- a 9x12 page of watercolour play
- inspired by Whitney Freya classes, I'm working on another word painting
- a 13" (?) inch round acrylic painting (from Painting Happiness course)
- a 16x20 acrylic painting
- seated forward bends! It's a good thing I have these pictures because there are weeks I have no sense of any improvement at all!
next (L-R): Mar. 11, Mar. 18, Mar. 25
next (L-R): Apr. 1, Apr. 8
Bottom (L-R): Apr. 15, Apr. 22, Apr. 29
Featured Items for Sale:
"Magical Moments in my Day Journal: for the extra special moments all around me" 6x9 lined journal (2022/2023) $15 or from Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CJLKZ3KB
Please contact me at thechautauqua@gmail.com or phone 403-352-3837 to make a purchase.
Upcoming Projects:
- I offer Pay-What-You-Can Distance Reiki/Energy Healing sessions. Energy healing works great from any distance and I've sent Reiki healing as far away as Queensland, Australia. Please, contact me to set up your healing session.
"I have been suffering with Long COVID for over a year and have tried every healing modality in the book to get my energy back. Beth has been gifting me with healing Reiki energy for quite some time now and I have, for the first time in over a year, started to feel like myself again. Much of my weakness has dissipated, and the dark cloud that I have been stewing under has lifted. Thank you Beth. ♥️" - Carla, Esthetician, Nova Scotia
I bought this cute little 3-D printed bee as a treat for myself on May 7th. He was created by a local gal who has a lot of neat 3-D printed creations.
Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to share with anyone you think might enjoy it.
Beth
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much for your support, and again, if you would like to receive this newsletter directly via email please email: thechautauqua@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list. Thank you!
Back issues of this newsletter can be found here: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/ under the category "Artist Newsletter"
If you would like to support my artistic journey, please consider purchasing my artwork, items available in person at 4910-47 St, Mirror, AB
or by making a donation via
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 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 8 May 2024
If you want creative workers,
give them enough time to play.
– John Cleese
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday 6 May 2024
From TEA for the Bitter Times Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Friday 3 May 2024
May 3, 2024 Chautauqua
At the time of
publication, it will have been 11 years since my total physical collapse. ELEVEN!?!?!?!? How can it be ELEVEN YEARS?!!?!?!? Where did the time go????
Those eleven years
have been quite the roller-coaster ride with many steps forward, and almost as
many steps back. I’ve been on the brink
of death 3 times, and in the past 3 years finally was able to take my foot out
of the grave and move forward.
They have been very
frustrating years as we tried almost everything under the sun to figure out
what was causing my health challenges. I
had to stop eating so many different foods, only to find out it was the tap
water, not the food that was the issue.
Finding out about
the tap water - and getting a reverse osmosis unit - dealt with a good 90% of
my health challenges, but then I had the l-o-n-g road of getting a lifetime’s
worth of toxins out of my body. Thankfully,
it’s an easier process when you aren’t adding a ridiculous amount daily.
But, that has left
us with a baffling 10% that we still can’t figure out. Is my body still just getting rid of
toxins? Is there another trigger we
haven’t discovered yet? Is it the
weather? Stress? What??!?!
Whatever that 10%
is, it is still knocking me down more days than I am up in a month, which makes
for a challenging life.
On the other hand,
I had my blood checked last month and the results were a DRAMACTIC improvement
from when I was last checked in December!!!!
While I’m still frustrated that I can’t do what I want when I want
because I feel so sick, I was thrilled to find out that my body IS still
healing and getting better.
Until something
reveals itself as the answer we are looking for, I will just continue to smile
and breathe. Inhale…...exhale…………………...
Beth
Did you know I write a monthly artist newsletter? It can be found here: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/ under Artist Newsletter
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yrAMmPqBGACsAu4p96HJNlcRyD1HVygX/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 22+ 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!
Contact The Chautauqua via email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChautauqua
Wednesday 1 May 2024
Birds sing after a storm;
why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight
in whatever sunlight remains to them?
- Rose Kennedy
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
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