Wednesday 31 July 2024

Tomorrow, we can eat broccoli, 
but today is for ice cream. 
 - Malory Hobson

Monday 29 July 2024



From TEA for the Bitter Times  Created by Beth Richardson ©2022


Saturday 27 July 2024

Saturday Morning Comic 


email: thechautauqua@gmail.com

Friday 26 July 2024

Here’s an idea: let’s get over ourselves.  
Buy a cherry pie, and go fall in love with life.
 - Tom Robbins

Wednesday 24 July 2024

When the sun is shining, 
I can do anything; no mountain is too high, 
no trouble too difficult to overcome. 
 - Wilma Rudolph

Monday 22 July 2024



From TEA for the Bitter Times  Created by Beth Richardson ©2022


Friday 19 July 2024

July 19, 2024 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

   As I write this, we are right in the middle of the Calgary Stampede.  My favourite 10 days of the year!

   While I’m not always a huge fan of our current technology, I am thrilled with the ability we now have to watch the entire coverage of the rodeo events and chuckwagon races on TV or online.  When I was younger, we could only watch the final weekend - which was thrilling, to be sure - but being able to watch it all is amazing and wonderful!

   Ranching and rodeo life is a large part of my heritage and ancestry.  My great-great grandfather John Ellis was the manager of the Stair Ranch in the Cypress Hills area until he started his own ranch, Glenmar.He is also know for building the first barbwire telephone in Alberta.  Many of his descendantsinvolved in rodeos - especially around Medicine Hat, as competitors (such as Dale "Hoot" Rose) and stock contractors (such as Reg Rose).

   My favourite of favourite events is the chuckwagon races.  I would love to experience racing around the track in a chuckwagon at least once in my life.  For the rodeo events, it's hands down the bull-riding, followed by the steer wrestling and tie-down (calf) roping.  The wild pony races are way up there as they are in a class all their own. 

   There is something so incredibly unique about the Calgary Stampede that can’t be replicated anywhere else.  It’s the dream of every cowboy and cowgirl to compete in the Stampede, and of course, their ultimate dream to WIN in Calgary.

   The reality is that there can only be one top winner in each event.  They can’t all win, though in a sense they have all won just be showing up and competing.  At the end of the day, the real competition isn’t between the human competitors, but between the humans and animals, and even more, each one is really competing only with themselves.  

Beth 

Did you know…you can purchase copies of my books and CDs at the Alix Wagon Wheel Museum on Main Street? 


Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19OYFt9Y6GKiJ8-7r5T39aEXG3U3yNLgJ/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 17 July 2024

I do not mean to be sentimental about suffering…
But people who do not suffer can never grow up, 
can never discover who they are. 
  – James Baldwin

Monday 15 July 2024



From TEA for the Bitter Times  Created by Beth Richardson ©2022


Saturday 13 July 2024

Saturday Morning Comic 


email: thechautauqua@gmail.com

Friday 12 July 2024

My Artist Voice #27 July 12, 2024

   Welcome to my 27th 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.

   It's my favourite time of year!  The Calgary Stampede!  I started with the parade on Friday, and I've watched all the rodeo events and the chuckwagon races on TV, with all their thrills and spills.  I treated these days as a bit of a holiday and immersed myself into the coverage.

   My great-great grandfather John Ellis was the manager of the Stair Ranch in the Cypress Hills until he started his own ranch, Glenmar.  Many of his descendants were involved in rodeos - especially around Medicine Hat, as competitors (such as Dale "Hoot" Rose) and stock contractors (such as Reg Rose).

My favourite of favourite events is the chuckwagon races.  For the rodeo events, it's hands down the bull-riding, followed by the steer wrestling and tie-down (calf) roping.

Celebrations: 

- I finished pulling the HUGE weeds and planted the rest of the carrots on June 14th.  I bought 3 more 6-packs of petunias that day and planted them in my planters and I planted some radishes in the wheelbarrow planter.  My garden was finally planted!

   Though, I bought 2 honeydew melon plants from PJ’s Plantation greenhouse on June 19th which I finally planted on June 22nd.  I thought I had everything in the garden, but then felt the urge to get a new asparagus plant (mine has never really produced) and more strawberries.  I picked the plants up from PJ’s on June 28th.  I weeded just enough to plant a small asparagus/strawberry bed on the northwest side of the labyrinth.  After looking around my garden, I realized I needed more plants, so made another trip to PJ’s after lunch, and picked up a second asparagus plant, plus more strawberry plants.  I now have 3 small strawberry beds around the labyrinth.

- Also back on June 14th, I went to Stettler for groceries.  While I was there, I went to Walmart as I had won a $15 gift card earlier in the year.  They didn't have the art supplies I wanted, so I purchased some watercolour paints - a step (or 3!) up from the dollar store set I have been using and playing around with.  I also picked up some pen refills at the stationery  store for an engraved pen that was a (university) grad gift back in 2001.

- I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online.


Recently Completed:

Since the last newsletter, I've completed...
    After more than a year (and most of that time was just looking at it, not painting!), I finally finished my Inner Circle Hawaii/INterCONNECTION canvas!!! (16x20 acrylics/Inktense pencils, Posca paint pens)

   In May/June we did an interesting exploration of our lineage in Inner Circle.  I completed my spread on June 28th, which included a thank you letter to my ancestors (part of the process).  In the end, I was surprised as I didn't focus on the gifts I've received from my lineage, but was encouraged to focus my attention on what "I" am uniquely adding to my lineage!  

   I also completed a HEAL painting (watercolour pencils, acrylics, Inktense pencils, Posca paint pens on 9x12 mixed media paper) inspired by a process by Whitney Freya

I'm still playing with Charlotte Hamilton's 5-minute self-portraits  process.  While I complete each portrait over the course of about a week (only painting for 1 minute per day), I think how I felt also impacted how the portrait turned out - better I felt, the better/happier it looked.

For these next two, I used a larger reference photo - wow, what a difference! (At least on the first one, second must reflect how wonky I felt last week!)


- I completed more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper

- I finished my 30th cartoon comic booklet = 1,440 DAILY cartoon strips!  You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/888768373118141

In Beth's Kitchen: 

   I didn't end up making any lilac juice with the front lilacs.  Maybe next year?

Jigsaw Puzzles:

Since my last letter, I completed a 550 piece (top left), 1,000 piece (top right) and two 500 piece puzzles (bottom )

UFO (UnFinished Object) Update: 

- My whole life feels like a UFO!  Haven't touched anything except what I've already mentioned.  Though, I have read some more novels from the basement and passed them onto my sister to read.

Courses and Challenges (free and paid):

- Minette Riordan Mythical Makeovers (free) course - I completed my journal on July 6th. 



- Angela Murray's 6 week Painting Happiness (free) course - I finally wrote the Letter from my Future Self on June 28th - didn't turn out as I thought it might, and it will be interesting to see how it compares with reality when I open it on June 28, 2025.  With that step completed, I was able to move forward on my round canvas.

- Amanda Sophia's free mini course on Feng Shui - paused as I was having my health challenges.

- Amanda Sophia’s free Geomancy & Land Healing course - haven’t started it yet.

- Amanda Sophia's free mini Divine Woman Awakening course on the Celtic Wheel of the Year - We are now in the Summer Solstice season - I like how Amanda calls them "seasons" because I completely missed the solstice "day" as I was in bed very sick.  The Summer Solstice season is about getting out in nature and touching the land (ie through gardening!), as well as being more aware of your body - through your senses - as the weather continues to warm up.

- On June 25th I signed up for Hillary Faye's (paid) Eternal Beauty course which looks at beauty through the lens of 6 goddesses.  This ties in really well with the previous embodiment and healing courses I've done (and totally fits with the Summer Solstice season as mentioned above), so I look forward to this deeper dive. (photo from course material) Hillary also included in the program 30 days of distance healing sent to each participant!

- I'm practicing my drum playing daily, and still haven't moved onto the next lesson yet.

- Shiloh Sophia's Wild Card Oracle class - still not sure if I will make more cards or not.

- 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
- an Inner Circle mandala (9x12 mixed media paper)
- a 13" inch round acrylic painting (from Painting Happiness course) 

- seated forward bends!  It's been a challenge to keep doing my practice (my daily sun salutations and Qigong have completely fallen by the wayside for now as they require just too much energy)

Top (L-R): Pink shirt - Day 1 - Feb. 19, Feb. 26, Mar. 4
2nd row (L-R): Mar. 11, Mar. 18, Mar. 25
3rd row (L-R): Apr. 1, Apr. 8
4th row (L-R): Apr. 15, Apr. 22, Apr. 29
5th row (L-R): May 6, May 13, May 27
6th row (L-R): June 3, June 10
Bottom (L-R): June 17, June 24, July 8

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 

Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to share with anyone you think might enjoy it.

Beth 

~~~~~~~~

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. 

~~~~~~~~

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 10 July 2024

The work you do while you procrastinate 
is probably the work you should be doing
 for the rest of your life. 
 - Jessica Hische

Monday 8 July 2024



From TEA for the Bitter Times  Created by Beth Richardson ©2022


Friday 5 July 2024

July 5, 2024 Chautauqua

Beth's Ponderings

   We recently celebrated Canada Day. 

   As a nation, we have a lot to be proud of.     However, we also have a lot to be ashamed of in our history (such as the treatment of our indigenous neighbours), and in current affairs.

   Canada, as a nation, is currently on the wrong side of history in regards to the situation in the Middle East, and that means Canada is also complicit in the genocidal acts being carried out by Israel on the Palestinian people of Gaza, Lebanon and other Middle Eastern nations.   Sending humanitarian aid is an empty meaningless gesture when our “partner” in the Middle East not only refuses to let the aid in, but has purposely destroyed any means of getting the aid in.

   The International Court of Justice called Israel's aggressions a plausible genocide and is investigating them as such, the UN Rapporteur investigated Israel's actions and declared them to be genocidal, and, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his Defense Minister for war crimes in Palestine.  Also, the UN added Israel to the blacklist of "Countries Who Harm Children." Israel now shares that title with ISIS, Al Qaeda and Boko Haram.

   I admit I don’t know the whole story of what is happening in the Middle East, but what I do know has completely shocked and appalled me that Canada - who has in past decades built a reputation as peacekeepers around the globe, and supporter of the underdog -  is unconditionally supporting such atrocities against another population. 

   I recently discussed with someone what it means to stand by a friend.  Yes, we should always be loyal and stand by our friends, HOWEVER, when a friend has committed a criminal act, the most loving and loyal thing you can do is to report your friend so that they (and their victims) can get the help they need  to heal their lives.

   Letting Israel, with the full support of the US, continue to break international law without any consequences is NOT an act of loyalty to another nation (Israel nor the US), and I strongly believe we will, as a nation, be paying dearly for our support for many, many years to come.

Beth


Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ajYr2_hAsUAM_cz-k8NqCcWE_7WYYWu/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 3 July 2024

The body is not a thing we have, 
but an experience we are.  
- Theresa Silow

Monday 1 July 2024



From TEA for the Bitter Times  Created by Beth Richardson ©2022


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