Today, we face unprecedented times.
Oh, what we wouldn’t give for just one precented day!
- GennaRose Nethercott
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837
Monday, 13 October 2025
From BEEing Created by Beth Richardson ©2021
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Saturday, 11 October 2025
Friday, 10 October 2025
My Artist Voice #42 October 10, 2025
Welcome to my 42nd Letter. To receive these letters directly in your email inbox so you don't miss any, please contact thechautauqua@gmail.com 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 Sept. 27th, I decided to try making beet chips with my golden beets (plus 1 red beet) - I used the medium sized ones as they fit in my food processor for ease of slicing. The recipe I had called for dill, garlic powder, and salt/pepper for seasoning - I also added some dried oregano. Also I used some melted meat drippings instead of olive oil because that's what I had on hand. The chips sure SHRUNK, but they tasted great. I ended up with just shy of 2 cups of chips. In future attempts, I think I'll try making them on a higher temperature as they didn't crisp up for a very long time.
For the month of October, I have my 120 page lined journals available for purchase for a Heart-felt Donation to support The Chautauqua. I do ask for a minimum donation of $10 to cover shipping costs. They make great gifts. Email thechautauqua@gmail.com to purchase. Thank you for your support.
As a life-long creative, and now artist, I 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 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 seem small individually – have added up to quite a body of work in a few short years.
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I was quite surprised to answer a knock at my door Sept. 11th and be greeted with this lovely bouquet! A very nice, and incredibly unexpected, gesture on their part. I sent a hand-written thank you for the flowers to the Telus CEO, and included one of my TEA cards. There was a bit of a hiccup as my September statement had too many extra charges (I didn't know the customer care gal was to review before it was sent to me, and she didn't see it till after I got it), but hopefully all will be correct going forward now. Fingers crossed.
I was amazed that most of the flowers lasted 3 weeks before I had to compost them. The greenery is still quite lush looking so I left it in the vase on the table.
Celtic Year theme: Joy and Delight (fire, do what brings you joy weekly, how can you bring joy to others?)
Autumn Equinox: Rebirth and Reinvention (water, rejoice in your rebirth as a new person with a fresh path before you)
Celebrations:
After the massive hassle I had trying to get the power bill changed to my name (had to create a new account and that brought extra challenges and fees!), I was surprised how quick and easy it was to change the gas account to my name (again, had to set up a new account but the transition was seamless). Fingers crossed that everything works out the way it should.
The watercolour set I won back in July for World Watercolor Month arrived on Sept. 16th! I knew I was getting a set of paints, and was surprised to see a paintbrush too!
I missed the Canadian Country Music Awards on Sept. 13th - no TV - and I wasn't able to watch online as the promotion for it said I should have been able to, so I was pleased to see that the show was on the CCMA YouTube site a few days later, and I was able to watch the entire show replay on Sept. 20th. We have a lot of great new talent in this country.
I watched the CPCA race replays almost daily till they automatically deleted (30 days after posted). I figured that was the end of my chuckwagon race enjoyment for this year till I discovered a few videos of previous years’ races from the Calgary Stampede on YouTube! And I found some videos for previous years' CPCA races too! Hallelujah! While I don't plan to watch replays "every" evening all fall and winter (though I certainly could!), 2-3 days per week is sufficient, I’m pleased I found an easy way to continue making this joyful activity a part of my life for a few more months!
I love a good sea shanty and I also love a good acapella group, and this one ticks all the boxes for me and is my new favourite song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppLHWb-unIg
I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online. Both are repeats from last year.
Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter...
I finished my 13 inch "Stainglass Mandala" - painted in acrylics, Posca paint pen, and glitter glue - unfortunately, the lovely sparkle on it doesn't show in the picture.
I completed my 40th cartoon comic sketchbooklet. You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/1104929638293759
I completed more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper.
In Beth's Garden & Yard:
With the extreme heat the end of August, and being sick in bed the entire 2nd week of September, my poor garden didn't get the care and attention it really needed. I only watered the most vital food plants so the flowers died on me, and the other plants were pretty sad looking. I picked the last of the 2nd planting of peas on Sept. 11th and pulled the vines.
The two tomato seedlings I'd gotten from my friend earlier in the season were, I was led to believe, regular tomatoes. Instead, they turned out to be two orange cherry tomato plants! Much better option, and something I'd never tried before.
I picked the last of the beans on Sept. 14th and pulled the plants. I picked the last of the cherry tomatoes in my hanging planter from the greenhouse on Sept. 16th and the plant hit the compost. I also picked sage and chocolate mint to dry.
I didn't get back out to the garden till Sept. 24th. I pulled weeds only so I could find the carrots and onions - filled an ice cream pail with both as small and not many! I pulled all the beets and got 4 lbs of golden beets and 4 lbs of red beets that I'd planted for my friend (gave them to her later in the morning). I also cut down thistles as tall as my shoulders by the north fence and filled a 5 gallon pail - very tightly packed! There are still so many around the garden, and as they went to seed, I'm sure they will produce next year too. Grrr. I discovered more mystery seeds growing - can't tell what they are yet, and I saw 2 marble sized fruit on the pumpkin/squash/gourd plants!
I managed to get the carrots and onions washed after lunch, but I felt too tired to touch the beets. Washed the beets on Sept. 25th.
Sept. 27th, I emptied my 2nd rain barrel completely. I pulled my cucumber plants - they weren't getting enough water and weren't really producing. I am glad I got some cucumbers this year as it was looking pretty bleak for most of the summer.
Sept. 30th, I went out and spent 1.75 hrs harvesting the plants along the house. That was my 2nd picking of peppers! If we’d gotten rain in September, as well as nice weather, the peppers would have been really big! The melons did better than it looked like they were going to - granted, they may not be developed when I cut them all open. The two tiny objects below the grapes, are my two "mystery seed" pumpkins/squash/gourds/??? - I was surprised when I saw them - alas, not enough season left (or moisture) for them to fully mature so I could tell for sure what they were. I also completely emptied my final rain barrel and put it away for the winter.
A friend gave me a bag of tomatoes and cucumbers on Oct. 2nd.
I made it out to the garden on Oct. 3rd and dealt with the final row of carrots - about half were only tops, but I managed to fill an ice cream pail with carrots and another pail with some of the carrot tops to dry. I also picked a small handful of SHORT rhubarb stalks. That's the harvest completely finished for the year!
My neighbour arrived Oct. 4th and trimmed my front dwarf lilacs - the biggest concern was that they were over the sidewalk so I don't need to worry about that any more. I washed the carrots - had to take many breaks to rest. My carrot crop turned out better than I expected. After assessing the carrot tops more closely, I was disappointed that they were in worse shape than I realized, so they all ended up in the compost.
I was glad everything was in the house because we had a killing frost the morning of Oct. 5th! My neighbour returned to do a final mowing and trimming of my lawn before winter. He also pruned the two flowering plum bushes in front of the solarium. My front yard is visible again!!
As the forecast for the Thanksgiving weekend was calling for snow, I went out Oct. 8th and tossed the plant pots I wanted to keep back into the garage, plus the plant pots that were around the labyrinth. I emptied the 2 pepper pots. The rest of the pots are on the deck in the sale. I also trimmed the double peony and used the leaves as mulch for a couple areas I wanted covered for the winter. All in all, I was outside about an hour. If nothing else gets done for winter prep, I have the most important tasks done now.
In Beth's Kitchen:
It took me a while to get myself back on track so it wasn't until after lunch on Sept. 20th before I was able to put together an Oregano, Tomato Cheddar clafoutis - a neighbour gave me some red cherry tomatoes the day before, and I used my own orange cherry tomatoes, plus I added fresh basil, dill, and thyme.
September 21st, I decided to try a more savoury clafoutis with apples, and I added cheddar cheese. While it was tasty, the sweeter (dessert) version was my favourite of the two.
I had produce ripening faster than I could deal with it so on Oct. 5th I pulled out a larger Pyrex dish and made a tomato/green pepper clafoutis with all of the ripe orange cherry tomatoes and the smaller green peppers. I also used 2% milk and added basil and dill to it.
The tomatoes from my friend were riper than I realized when I first looked at them, so I took all the large ones and blended them up (with some salt and dried basil) and made 2 cups of tomato juice.
I dealt with the carrots and put them in the fridge, except for all the really small ones. I had a carrot "fries" recipe I've wanted to try, and decided to use the small carrots, rather than cutting up the larger ones. I didn't have the right cheese for the recipe, so I used nutritional yeast instead, and I used the last of the melted meat drippings for the oil. I also added dill to the called for spices of onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I'm not sure if I'll make again as they didn't "crisp" as they were supposed to - though, they sure smelt and tasted great!
Oct. 7th, I decided to try a Pumpkin Apple pie recipe I recently came across. To make life easier, I used a pre-made pie shell, and I really should have had a "deep dish" one instead of a regular one. I had to do a wee bit of tweaking to the recipe to allow for the ingredients I had on hand.
Later in the day, I stuffed the remaining 6 green peppers I had - chopped onion, teeny tomatoes, grated cheese, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and herbs/spices.
I had enough ingredients so made a second pumpkin apple pie Oct. 8th, and froze it. I made a batch of rhubarb cinnamon buns with the last of my fresh rhubarb.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Since my last letter, I completed a 1,000 piece puzzle...
...and a 300 piece one that certainly fits the season.
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
On Sept. 12th I closed a whole bunch of open website tabs on my computer. While the topics and information may have been important (or seemed important) at one time, I'm in a completely different place now so could let most go (full disclosure: half of the links no longer even worked so easy decision to close). As well, I had a lot of open tabs that were recipes I wanted to try so on Sept. 13th, I decided what I still wanted to give a go, downloaded those recipes, and closed the tabs.
Sept. 27th, I watched a free 3-video class on writing/illustrating picture books that I signed up for back in May. Honestly, even for a freebie, it wasn't a great class so I'm glad that's done and I could close the tab and unsubscribe from the gal's email list.
I finally sold mom's liftchair! That was a nice LARGE item to get out of the house, and created some nice open space in the basement.
I’m still reading “Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson.” It’s neat to read how Johnson, and other authors in his circle, rated their contemporaries' literature who are now considered our “classics.” (If Johnson and gang had their way, we wouldn't have had some of them to read in this day and age!). Also, it highlights how different our society is now from the late 1700s! Overall, as a society, we have really lost the ability to have civil discussions were people are encouraged to disagree with each other, and yet remain steadfast friends.
Courses and Challenges (free and paid):
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: I finished hooking another small rug on Sept. 21st. An experiment with hooking different coloured yarns together to create new colours. Also, the first time I've used a real textured yarn.
Lou Reed's Inner Empire Immersion: our Opening Ceremony was Sept. 22nd (my time), and it was a small intimate group on live, including Lou. We did a journal ceremony ritual, and the main take-away for me was that I need to slow down and bring more stillness into my life! The suggestion/example Lou gave me was to go through my life at the same speed I would walk if I was in water up to my neck! That will be quite the challenge!!
Our first session was on Oct. 6th (my time) and we're now entering the beginning of our journey together.
Demi Fox hosted a free 3-day Sacred Way of the Priestess of Avalon immersion October 6-8th. I was able to watch all three Zoom sessions live. I’d love to take her year-long program.
Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course: I still have ideas for books I want to make.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: I'm only doing a 1 min/day.
"Mystery activity” I’m still doing this DAILY!! My aim is to increase my time to over 1 minute daily!
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- 13 inch round mandala acrylic painting
- Era of the Dreamers journal - I usually do something in it every day
- personal smashbook for some journal writing as part of my connection to Spirit and my Guides
- mini collages
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - stalled right now
- UFO crochet project (not food)
- my next small hooked rug
A good friend was surprised to hear that I had never watched the TV series "Yellowstone" and highly recommended it. I haven't started Season 2 yet.
Featured Products for Sale:
The Fall is a great time to get back into routines, so I am making my hour long Love Your Body Yoga Class (suitable for beginners and all levels) available in digital format for $20. If you would like to experience this class, please email thechautauqua@gmail.com.
I have inspirational card decks, journals, chapbooks, musical CD's and more for sale that would make gifts. Please contact me at thechautauqua@gmail.com or phone 403-352-3837 to make a purchase. Or visit 4910 47 St, in Mirror, AB. Items are also available for sale at Amy’s Bakery on Main Street in Delburne, AB.
Upcoming Projects:
- I offer $50 Distance Reiki/Energy Healing sessions. I’ve been an Kundalini Reiki Master since 2023. 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
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Thank you so much for your support, to receive this newsletter directly via email please email: thechautauqua@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list. Thank you!
Back issues of this newsletter are found here: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/ under the category "Artist Newsletter"
To support my artistic journey, please consider purchasing my artwork, items available in person at 4910-47 St, Mirror, AB
or make a donation via
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0
E-transfer/PayPal to thechautauqua@gmail.com
Your support and kindness are always greatly appreciated, and I look forward to bringing you joy and inspiration! Thank you so much and have a marvellous day!
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
People should have fun, enjoy the present,
and take notice of who is on the journey of life with them.
I believe that in others we find meaning.
- Deanne Fitzpatrick
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or phone: 403-352-3837
Monday, 6 October 2025
From BEEing Created by Beth Richardson ©2021
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Friday, 3 October 2025
October 3, 2025 Chautauqua
In this digital age, why IS print media still important and
relevant?
I’m not anti-technology, as I wouldn’t be able to produce
this printed newspaper without it, and the ease it brings me. There are truly
great things being done by technological advances all the time, And yet, there
is still a lot about technology that we should pause and think twice (or even
thrice) about.
As AI (artificial intelligence) becomes more prevalent in our everyday lives, we need to have non-digital resources and activities to keep our brains healthy. Human are meant to do physical activities for our brain and physical health. Reading printed media could make you healthier and smarter!
***************************************************
Ad rates have gone up to cover costs.
There is no charge to submit photos and/or news items,
however, a donation is gratefully accepted.
I ask you to please donate a minimum of $23 in honour of
the 23 years I’ve been in publication. That’s less than a $1/issue for a
year. Receipts available on request. Thank you for your support.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tZ9QBCOQvaAq2ECveHm7OZ_W3YDVda8V/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 23 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.
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0
E-transfer/PayPal to thechautauqua@gmail.com
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!
Wednesday, 1 October 2025
I think it takes creativity
to keep getting out of bed in the morning.
- quoted by Deanne Fitzpatrick
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com or phone: 403-352-3837
Monday, 29 September 2025
Saturday, 27 September 2025
Friday, 26 September 2025
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Monday, 22 September 2025
Friday, 19 September 2025
September 19, 2025 Chautauqua
Picture source unknown
After 10 years, ad rates have gone up to cover costs.
There is no charge to submit photos and/or news items,
however, a donation is gratefully accepted.
I encourage, as many readers as possible to please donate
a minimum of $23 in honour of the 23 years I’ve been in publication. That’s
less than a $1/issue for a year. Receipts available on request. Thank you
for your support.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nyBnTNh_rmwuRBR_9cIt4rTUSz7XxVE0/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 23 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.
Mail a cheque or money order (made out to Beth Richardson – Chautauqua) to Box 261 Mirror, AB T0B 3C0
E-transfer/PayPal to thechautauqua@gmail.com
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!
Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Weather forecast for tonight: dark.
Continued dark overnight,
with widely scattered light by morning.
- George Carlin
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday, 15 September 2025
Saturday, 13 September 2025
Friday, 12 September 2025
My Artist Voice #41 September 12, 2025
Welcome to my 41st Letter. To receive these letters directly in your email inbox so you don't miss any, please contact thechautauqua@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list. Please share this with friends who may also be interested. Thank you so much for your support.
A friend sent this to me, and I can't give credit to the creator because I don't have that info. This is pretty much how I've felt for most of this year, and particularly in August as I was on the phone with Telus for over THREE WEEKS trying to get my “simple” TV cancellation request to go through, and they kept telling me there was no option in the system for them to cancel it, or it would be cancelled within 24 hrs, but it wasn’t! Sept. 7th I fired off an email to the Telus CEO! I was surprised to receive a response. Within two days the service was cancelled and my account adjusted. Would have been done sooner, but I was sick in bed on Monday and missed the phone call. What an ordeal!
My neighbour showed up on Aug. 24th to mow and trim my lawn again. I also had him cut maple trees out of my flowering plums at the front and an ornamental tree of some nature growing out of the lilac at the back. I picked a couple handfuls of yellow beans and gave to Sis as I still had lots in the house for myself.
I made an Impossible Coconut Pie (uses Bisquick mix https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-coconut-pie/dca95b46-58a1-4253-81ae-6091f4abf47c) Aug. 17th before supper. It’s been a while since I made one.
Aug. 22nd I finished making the second batch of crabapple juice, and made approximately 20 (?) cups of juice. Froze the juice in the Tupperware jug. I prepped crabapples for a last batch of juice - ended up tossing two ice cream pails of fruit that were wormy and rotten inside. Grrr! That left me with just one ice cream pail to deal with.
Though it wasn't my plan for the day, on Aug. 24th, I cut up the rest of the crabapples to make applesauce - ended up tossing half of the pail as wormy/rotten, so that meant I only had 47 lbs of usable fruit from the 60 lbs I picked! Good thing I picked more than I thought I could use! I cut up some of my smaller apples to fill the pot. Ended up with 6 cups of applesauce, and had an explosion to clean up as one of the jars slipped out of my hand as I was filling it and applesauce went EVERYWHERE! Thankfully the jar didn't break, but what a MESS! I think I'll stick to making juice as less work for me and mess!
For the month of September, I have my "Exploring My Artist Voice," 40-page chapbook with coloured photos, available for purchase for a Heart-felt Donation to support The Chautauqua. They make great gifts. Email thechautauqua@gmail.com to purchase. Thank you for your support.
As a life-long creative, and now artist, I 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 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 seem small individually – have added up to quite a body of work in a few short years.
It's been QUITE the month! August 22nd I drove to Lacombe to sign Thomas Lukaszuk’s “Forever Canadian” petition to keep Alberta in Canada. So ridiculous we have gotten to this stage in the province where something like this is even necessary.
A friend sent this to me, and I can't give credit to the creator because I don't have that info. This is pretty much how I've felt for most of this year, and particularly in August as I was on the phone with Telus for over THREE WEEKS trying to get my “simple” TV cancellation request to go through, and they kept telling me there was no option in the system for them to cancel it, or it would be cancelled within 24 hrs, but it wasn’t! Sept. 7th I fired off an email to the Telus CEO! I was surprised to receive a response. Within two days the service was cancelled and my account adjusted. Would have been done sooner, but I was sick in bed on Monday and missed the phone call. What an ordeal!
And, I've been trying to get the utility accounts changed to my name - Mom had left them in Dad's name - which has also been a bit of a gong show.
I also still haven't figured out how to pay for the increased costs for the Chautauqua printing, and other increased bills that are coming my way. OY!
Celebrations:
When I was delivering papers on Aug. 13th, a friend offered me some free crabapples. The only catch was I had to go to Clive and pick them myself, which wouldn't be a concern, except I never really know what my energy will be like from hour to hour, let alone day to day! After I finished delivering the papers on Aug. 14th, I called my friend to get directions to the tree, and then headed over to Clive before lunch. I picked crabapples for 1 hr and 50 mins and left with 60 lbs! Way more than I planned to pick, but when I saw the tree was LOADED, I decided to fill the cooler bag I had in the truck too. All that, and it didn't look like I'd taken any fruit off the tree there was so much!
I listened to the entire WPCA chuckwagon races from Dawson Creek, and I listened to the WPCA finals from Rocky Mountain House Aug. 13 - Aug. 17th. My favourite driver won!!!
As the CPCA chuckwagon season was a week longer than the WPCA season, I was able to watch the CPCA finals in Lloydminster online from Aug. 20 - 24th!
I figured out how to access the online race replays for the CPCA! Yippee! I couldn’t find anything for the races before the Calgary Stampede, as they only had the races from mid-July to the of the season. I started watching the replays, and am thrilled to be able to still have chuckwagon racing in my life a little longer! Though, I’m not sure how much longer as some of the replays have been deleted after a certain number of weeks!
My niece was here for her 15th birthday. She arrived at 8:15 AM and we tried to identify some berries she had picked - the tech savvy girl finally got an answer - chokecherries! We planted my herb pot into the garden - my hope is that some of the herbs will go to seed and come up next year. Fingers crossed! We picked some ripe veggies from the garden, and dug the last of the potatoes (15 lbs) - most hills only had a couple of potatoes, but they were LARGE! We dealt with the produce and put 14 larger potatoes in the oven to bake. Next we played Scrabble - she trounced me! We're not sure how, as I was winning for most of the game. She opened her card and gifts. We made waffles for lunch, and ate them with raspberries and whipped cream. We made a quick trip down to the library as I knew the librarian had a birthday card for her. We watched "Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff on DVD as she gave me a mani/pedi - she even gave me a hand massage! We played 4 games of Clue - she won all of them! We prepped the cooled potatoes to go into the freezer. Then it was time to take her home. We saw a sign for the mini art show at the Museum so stopped for a couple of minutes and had a very quick look. I returned her home at 4:30 PM. All in all, a fun day! Though I admit it was weird seeing her wearing one of my favourite dresses that I gave to her a year or two ago because it no longer fit me.
I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online. Both are repeats from last year.
Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter...
I completed more spreads in my Era of the Dreamers journal…
I completed my 39th cartoon comic sketchbooklet. You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/1041185908092019
I am a step closer to a dedicated space for my bits and pieces so I can complete more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper.
In Beth's Garden & Yard:
We received 1/4 inch rain on Aug. 7th so that curtailed any outside work. There was a light mist when I went out on Aug. 8th. I spent 50 mins digging potatoes from my 3 largest planters, and got 10 lbs! My apple situation was an illusion - I thought they were ripe earlier than usual, however only the two largest branches closest to the house had ripe apples as the rest weren't ready. I picked the ripe apples and ended up with 5 lbs.
I picked peas on Aug. 10th and then spend an hour weeding along them (didn't get down the whole row) - I discovered a lot of carrot tops growing and hoped there were carrots under them!
My neighbour returned on Aug. 11th to mow and trim in my yard!
There was a lovely breeze, so despite the humidity, I went out Aug. 12th and weeded for 1.5 hrs. I found more carrot tops!!! Alas, they seemed to be ONLY tops. I picked a handful of peas - they're almost finished for the year - and my first handful of yellow beans.
We got an inch of rain on Aug. 13th. All this rain and still no puddles in my garden!
I went out Aug. 17th and spent an hour picking my apples - 45 lbs! I gave Sis 10 lbs, and my next door neighbour 5 lbs. Before I went inside, I also started digging potatoes from the garden, and got 7 lbs. It's a good thing apples and potatoes don't need dealt with right after you pick them like some fruits and veggies. I gave another neighbour 5 lbs of apples on Aug. 21st.
The heat warning continued so I was out early on Aug. 28th and picked all of the rhubarb. It was very deceptive as the leaves were HUGE, but most of the stalks were barely as big around as a pencil! Later in the morning, I looked at various branches growing through my fence from my neighbour's trees - had to phone her to get some identified! I staked up a goji berry branch at the very back of my yard - not something I would have planted myself, but I can keep a free branch and see what happens! I also pruned the raspberry canes growing through the fence as they were in sad shape (and there are always new volunteer canes each year). I picked 1/2 cup of LARGE Nanking cherries off the branches on my side - I will have to remember to keep an eye on those earlier next year - I just made a pint of juice out of them. I also picked 17 apples off the ground on my side of the fence. What I'm really excited about, and can't wait to see, is that it looks like I might have some hazelnuts on my side of the fence too!
I picked another 17 apples off my lawn from the neighbour's tree on Aug. 31st, so I went out Sept. 1st and picked all the apples on my side of the fence - 10lbs! So that's 15 lbs of bonus apples!
I have 3 rain barrels, and thankfully, they continued to fill this summer, however the week or so of extreme heat meant that I was using a lot of the water (and I was only watering the food plants, none of the flowers) so I completely emptied 1 on Sept. 2nd. Now, normally, I'd be thrilled as that means I'm not trying to empty them as the snow is flying, but I still have so much in my garden that is JUST producing now that still needs watered! With no rain in the immediate future, I was tempted to leave it out so it could fill if/when we did get rain, but I washed it out and put it away for the winter.
I woke to frost Sept. 5th. I hadn't covered anything because it wasn't to get very cold. Thankfully, the frost didn't go to the ground and my plants all seemed okay. I covered the plants the next few nights just in case - which was good as it did get close to freezing again.
In Beth's Kitchen:
I don't think I've ever shared with you that the majority of my family members honestly believed that I was completely incapable of doing anything domestic - including cooking/baking - and most of them also believed that I was completely incapable of even learning how (because they believed I lacked the smarts/ability)! I always loved helping mom with the cooking and baking as a child, and it was even better when I got older and could do some of it on my own (supervised, of course). Despite that love, I made the difficult decision in my early teens to stop cooking and baking. The only exceptions were when I was told I "had" to, and if absolutely no one was around. The reason was because mom would have a massive fit when I did anything in the kitchen with my left hand (I'm a leftie! Interestingly, she never treated my Sis - also a leftie - quite the same way) and it got so the kitchen was a minefield that took all the joy out of cooking and baking for me. When family members would go on about me being a failure because I couldn't cook, I'd always say that I "could" and I "chose" not to. I even did really well in Home Ec in school - baking more than cooking, because I liked those recipes better - and the Shop kids usually wanted to be at my table to sample what we made.
As we got older, Sis would do the baking and cooking, while I did all the clean up. After she moved out, I was still relegated to clean up duty, till mom got too sick to prepare meals. Also, as this was after I'd had my physical collapse in 2013, I was doing more experimenting as so many foods were cut out of my diet - though not a lot as my health wasn't up to lots of meal prep. Still, the overall prevailing attitude was that eating anything made by Beth would poison you. It has only since mom passed - and the kitchen became "mine" - that I've been able to really get back to exploring new recipes, tweaking old favourites, and creating new ones, plus feeling comfortable sharing what I make with others. This year, in particular, I have really embraced my love of creating magic in my kitchen, and I feel so much happier!
On Aug. 8th, I prepped the 5 lbs of apples for juice - tossed in the last handful of Nanking cherries and the last couple cups of raspberries as I knew I wouldn't get them eaten before they went mouldy.
Aug. 10th, I finished off the apple/raspberry juice and ended up with just over 8 cups. I also made an old-fashioned brown sugar pudding - the recipe was in a book I'd read recently and I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten one.
Aug. 11th, I mixed up a batch of almond flour chocolate chip cookies because I was craving them. They ended up cooking too long, but were still fine.
Despite feeling very rough and tired, I spent the afternoon of Aug. 15th cutting 15 lbs of crabapples in half and prepping them for juice. Then I made another Oregano/Tomato/Cheddar clafoutis - I used Gouda and 2% milk again, plus I added beans, peas, peppers, nasturtium leaves, and parsley. It's so YUMMY! I forgot to take a picture before I cut it up and started eating it, which was too bad as "visually" it was the best one yet!
Aug. 16th, I used the biscuit recipe for Deanne's cinnamon buns and instead of using a cinnamon filling, I used fresh herbs from my garden, plus Gouda and cheddar cheese to make Herb & Cheese rolls. I also used 2% milk. Super Yummy!
Aug. 18th, I drained the crabapples and made approximately 20 (?) cups of juice. I put it in Tupperware jugs to freeze instead of quart jars. I prepped another potful of crabapples for juice.
Earlier this year (or late last year?) my cousin introduced me to the Lebonese chef, Abir (https://www.facebook.com/abiresag), who is just so much fun to watch! A while back she made an apple pie with a cinnamon bun crust that really intrigued me. I created my own version with the biscuit recipe I've been using this year and my apples - I made two mini pies. They didn't turn out too bad, but I think I need to do some tweaking if I make again.
On Aug. 20th, I was up early and put together another of my garden veggie clafoutis. This one had beans, peppers, peas, cherry tomatoes and a mixture of fresh herbs.
Aug.25th I finished making the last batch of crabapple juice and only ended up with 12 & a bit cups! As I didn't want to let "applesauce" defeat me, I cut up the smaller apples (originally planned to make them into juice before I got all of the crabapples) and used a different "easy" recipe - ended up with 7 cups and it worked MUCH better and easier, so I could make more if I want, though what I've made already will probably last me ages.
As I still had some 2% milk that needed used right away, I got into the kitchen before the intense heat on Aug. 26th, and made a batch of apple cinnamon buns (MUCH easier than another cinnamon bun crust apple pie and INCREDIBLY YUMMY!) and a batch of herb & cheese rolls (SO YUMMY!). I froze some of them.
We were under a heat warning again, so I went into the kitchen early on Aug. 27th. I had a dozen peppers off my plants (surprising as I had a LOT rot this year with all our moisture) so decided to stuff them. I used ground pecans for “meat,” chopped cauliflower for “rice,” and added other veggies, plus lots of herbs and spices, but I didn't add the kitchen sink. I didn’t measure any of the ingredients, and ended up with EXACTLY the right amount to stuff the peppers! I froze half of them for future meals.
Aug. 28th, I prepped the rhubarb for juice - there wasn't quite enough to fill the Dutch oven, so I cut up a few apples to fill the remaining space.
Heat warning continued, and the morning of Aug. 29th, my body did NOT want to get out of bed! I finally did get up, and made 4 cups of applesauce with the apples I'd picked off the lawn as they looked sad (added some of my own apples to fill the pot), and tried an applesauce blender muffin recipe. I froze 8 muffins.
The heat warning continued, so I was in the kitchen early on Aug. 30th. I had a jar of homemade coconut butter of indeterminate age, and decided to use it to make coconut cookies, based on Kraft's 3-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe (I didn't add sugar as the coconut was already sweet). Well, they weren't a resounding success, but they weren't a flop either, and I have one less jar on my counter now!
Aug. 31st was Day 6 of the heat warning! I was in the kitchen early and finished off the apple/rhubarb juice - made 11 cups. I've been making so much this year, I'm going to have to create an inventory for myself so I know what I have, and so I don't overlook using/eating anything!
And the heat warnings continued, so I was up early on Sept. 1st. Made a batch of apple cinnamon buns - used chocolate milk and the gingerbread spice again. Also, instead of slicing the apples, I grated them to see if that worked better - personally, I prefer the apples thinly sliced.
Sept. 7th, I made another garden veggie clafoutis - beans, nasturtium leaves, peas, sliced cucumber, dill, oregano, garlic chive bulbs, red and orange tomatoes, and I used 2% milk and cheddar cheese. I decided to tweak the basic clafoutis recipe I’ve been using and make an apple clafoutis too (most recipes I found online were way too involved for me). I sliced the apples very thin with the food processor, and added sugar, gingerbread spice, plus I used 2% milk. I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar on top before I popped it in the oven. It turned out pretty good, though I could have used more apples so will have to remember for next time.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Since my last letter, I completed two 1,000 piece puzzles
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
I went through the box of books from yard/library book sales and discovered 2 books from the 1960's that I would never have purchased - even with my wildly eclectic reading habits - so I'm not sure how I ended up with them, and how they ended up in the box. I decided not to read them (life's way too short) and just passed them on. The next book in the box was a short collection of John Milton's poems that was published in 1926 - as I never read those poems before, I decided to read them. Their use of English is amazing, and the poems really need read aloud to get the full experience. I haven't decided if I'll keep this book or not. The next book was John Ruskin's "Crown of Wild Olive," which was also published in the 1920's - I've never read any of his works, other than short quotes, so decided to give this one a go - amazing how similar our world is now to his in the 1800’s, yet at the same time, he’d be horrified how much WORSE the problems he was bemoaning at the time are now in 2025. Now I'm reading "Boswell's the Life of Samuel Johnson" - this is one that I have wanted to read for eons as I read excerpts from it, and different writings about/by Johnson, in my university courses.
On Aug. 8th, I went through 3 small boxes in Sis's old bedroom and sorted the contents - most went into a bag for Sis to go through. The most unusual item I found was this bag - I think it was from Gramma's as I believe she made them and gave them as gifts to the men in the family one year? So appropriate for the times we live in now!
Also in the basement, I had a stack of the old cookbooks we used to get from TransAlta and ATCO. Mom also had her own large stack of them (plus extras that she saved to give as gifts). I started going through them to see if there was anything I wanted to make, and if not, it went in Sis's bag - Sis wasn't interested in them (I'm sure she probably still has her own set too?!) so I put them all in the yard sale except one dessert one so far.
Aug. 19th, I decided that there were a bunch more UFO craft projects in Sis's old bedroom that I will NOT be doing - I have too many of my own projects I want to do - so I filled three large grocery bags with the craft kits and supplies and took to Sis to go through. She kept about half of the items and the rest I put in the yard sale. I went through more boxes and bags and filled three large grocery bags and a box with more items for Sis to look at - lotta craft supplies from Gramma's house! I filled two more bags and took to Sis before the end of the week. She didn’t keep as much from the latter bags so I still need to find new homes for it all!
I should almost rename this section “Beth’s MANY Decluttering Attempts!” The morning of Aug. 26th, I deleted the extra/duplicate copies of my various song tracks that we needed till my music album was completed. Well, it’s been 3 years since I released my album so I decided it was time to delete those extra files off my iPad.
Courses and Challenges (free and paid):
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: I finished the hooking part on a 5 x 7.5 inch landscape on Aug. 16th.
Sept. 2nd, a couple of days before the 10 min/day challenge wrapped up, I finished hooking my next rug - a 9 inch round, loosely based on one of my cartoon paintings. Can you spot the music notes hidden in the sky?
Lou Reed's year-long energy course has now become the Inner Empire Immersion and the online Opening Ceremony is to be Monday, September 22nd (my time, as Lou's in Australia). I had a pre-session with my coach, Le'a, on Saturday, August 30th to reset my energy and discover the energies I'll be taking into this Immersion - inner certainty & joy! The course material access opened on September 9th - I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet as I’ve been sick in bed all week.
Amanda Sophia's free mini Divine Woman Awakening course (Celtic Wheel of the Year): As we're almost at the Autumn Equinox, I did a new Celtic Wheel of the Year reading in August. My year card (centre) is "Joy and Delight" and Autumn Equinox starts at the 9:00 position on the circle of cards. Rather than pulling a card for each month, I decided to just go with the 8 Celtic festivals, and then pulled three extra cards (outside circle) for Winter/Rest, Spring/Seeds, and Summer/Harvest.
Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course: I still have ideas for books I want to make.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: As I've been more active outside with the garden and watering, I'm okay with only doing a 1 min/day.
"Mystery activity” I have done a little bit EVERY day for over a YEAR!!!!!! While I'm not where I thought I'd be in terms of skill, that I have been doing this DAILY for OVER a YEAR puts me much closer than any other time in my life! Now my aim is to increase my time to over 1 minute daily!
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- 13 inch round mandala acrylic painting
- Era of the Dreamers journal - I usually do something in it every day
- personal smashbook for some journal writing as part of my connection to Spirit and my Guides
- setting up a spot to work on my mini collages
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - stalled right now
- UFO crochet project (not food)
- my next small hooked rug
A good friend was surprised to hear that I had never watched the TV series "Yellowstone" and highly recommended it. I have now watched all of Season 1 on DVD.
Featured Products for Sale:
September is a great time to get back into routines, so I am making my hour long Love Your Body Yoga Class (suitable for beginners and all levels) available in digital format for $20. If you would like to experience this class, please email thechautauqua@gmail.com.
I have inspirational card decks, journals, chapbooks, musical CD's and more for sale that would make gifts. Please contact me at thechautauqua@gmail.com or phone 403-352-3837 to make a purchase. Or visit 4910 47 St, in Mirror, AB. Items are also available for sale at Amy’s Bakery on Main Street in Delburne, AB.
Upcoming Projects:
- I offer $50 Distance Reiki/Energy Healing sessions. I’ve been an Kundalini Reiki Master since 2023. 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
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To support my artistic journey, please consider purchasing my artwork, items available in person at 4910-47 St, Mirror, AB
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