We don’t receive wisdom;
we must discover it for ourselves after a journey
that no one can take for us or spare us.
- Marcel Proust
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Bravery doesn’t mean that you always succeed;
bravery means that you try.
- Phoenix LeFae
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday, 21 July 2025
From May I Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Friday, 18 July 2025
July 18, 2025 Chautauqua
As I write this, it’s my favourite time of year!
For the first 3 days (Pool “A”), the animals were the real
winners, especially the bulls - only 11 of 31 bulls were ridden for the 8
seconds.
I found the rodeo commentary amusing as they will say how the
animal “should” react, based on previous behaviour, and rarely did the animal
do the expected.
Life is like that too. We think it will be exactly the same
way as our past experiences, but it’s never the same, not even two days in a
row!
~~~~~~~
After 10 years without change, I must now raise the ad
rates (see below) to cover the ever increasing costs.
Please note 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 continued support.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-EumoprClyz4cVTTdNVG0yreiq4goK8z/view?usp=drive_link
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, 16 July 2025
Monday, 14 July 2025
From May I Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Saturday, 12 July 2025
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Friday, 11 July 2025
My Artist Voice #39 July 11, 2025
Welcome to my 39th 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.
Another lovely reminder that arrived in my inbox. Alas, I don't know its origin so can't give them credit. Also applies when it's too rainy and wet to work outside.
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For the month of July, I have 4 different acrylic paintings on 9x12 canvas board available for purchase for a Heart-felt Donation to support The Chautauqua. I do ask that the minimum donation amount be $10 to cover costs of materials and possible shipping. (please note, colours may not be exactly as pictured) 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 my favourite time of year! Calgary Stampede time!!!!!! I was able to watch the parade July 4th on TV, and I've watched all of the rodeo events and chuckwagon races each day on TV too. The whole thing wraps up on Sunday, July 13th.
Celebrations:
For my birthday back in May, my niece gave me a kneaded eraser. Oh! My! Gosh! GAME-CHANGER! Makes working in my journal so much easier.
June 28th I opened the letter I'd written, last June 28th, from my Future self that was part of the Painting Happiness course I did. I was surprised how GOOD it felt to read such an ENCOURAGING letter, with reminders that I am doing great things, and being a good person, no matter what challenges Life throws at me. On the hand, none of the specific accomplishments mentioned in the letter have happened...yet?!
Deanne Fitzpatrick Studio had a special in June for Deanne's 60th birthday and orders received a free copy of her hardcover "Sunday Letters" book...I kept my order simple and ordered a pack each of 3 miscellaneous sized linen (left) and burlap. The order + book arrived on June 30th! So when I finish up my second burlap runner, I'll have some backing to keep going if I haven't found anything else in the meantime.
As per family tradition, I watched the Ottawa Canada Day ceremony on CBC July 1st. After two very disappointing years (and last year the commentators spoke through the whole thing, even the speeches, so viewers didn't get to even appreciate the show), I was thrilled that this year's was not only a great show, but much like I remembered from my youth - highlighting various great Canadians and our great culture. I was pleasantly surprised that Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, was in attendance. Even the speeches were all really, really good.
I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online. Both are repeats from last year. It was only AFTER I published it, that I realized I forgot to update the year on the grad one. Oops!
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Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter...
I completed my Inner Circle Unleashed Self painting I started on the Winter Solstice - it finally felt right to work on her again so started just before the Summer Solstice, and finished her on June 24th. I'm very happy with how she turned out, even though she's dramatically different than I expected when I started her back in December.
I still need to set up a dedicated space for my bits and pieces so I can complete more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper.
I completed my 38th cartoon comic booklet and you can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/1628244087840910
In Beth's Garden:
Sigh, the weeds are winning! Even the edible ones are out of hand!
On June 15th, after I watered everything, I dumped pots and pots of rotted dandelions around the potatoes to "hill" them. Haven't decided if I'm super lazy, or very clever and resourceful!
June 16th, I went over to a friend's here in town, and she gave me lots of irises, 1 lily, 2 tomato plants, 1 pepper plant, a kale plant, some German chamomile, and bee balm. As well, she let me have all of her rhubarb! All together, I was there about 1.5 hours as we also visited and toured her yard/garden. Back at home, I spent 15 mins transplanting everything into my garden - I even had space for it all! As it needed to go in the ground, I didn't worry that I wasn't really planting by the moon for these plants.
When I delivered papers on June 18 and 19th, I picked up some more strawberry plants from PJ's and Tailcreek greenhouses during their end of season sales. Over the two days, I ended up with 22 plants!! I was too tired after the deliveries, so didn't plant right away. I made it outside June 20th for 45 mins - planted the strawberry plants (with runners, I will have about 6 or 8 more if they each produce a plant!) and dealt with a few weeds. My garden is a MESS!
June 21st we had a good soaking rain! All in all, an inch of rain fell! Followed by another 1/4 inch on June 23rd.
June 24th I headed out to mow my lawn - only lasted 10 mins and only mowed 1/4 of it! June 25th, I went out with the intention of finishing. Ha! Again only managed 10 mins, and another 1/4 of the yard was mowed. Rained early in the morning of the 26th, so no mowing. Now the process would be much easier for “me” if I could mow at 5 AM when I have the most energy, but my neighbours would have a fit!
I was pleasantly surprised when my niece showed up at my door after lunch, and said she had an hour to help me in the yard, on the condition I paid her with a jar of rhubarb juice! Sold! While I pruned 2 or 3 of the front lilacs, she finished the mowing for me, moved a pile of branches from under the deck to the back yard, and wheeled the full wheelbarrow of lilac branches to the back for me. I gratefully paid her with TWO quart jars of rhubarb juice.
Another inch of rain fell June 27/28th which curtailed any outside work - even if my body had actually felt like doing anything (which it really didn't).
Heat warning July 2nd, but a few raindrops fell around 6:30 - 7 AM, and cooled things off a bit. I was outside for 55 mins before it got too muggy and hot for me. Weeded around the melons - quack grass was getting tall and thick - and pruned back the grapes. I also weeded around the cucumbers and beets - not very many beets came up (compared to what I planted!), but more than I thought had, so fingers crossed for a good crop. While the area I weeded was so small in the grand scheme of the garden/yard as a whole, it was nice to see at least a small patch that was all cleaned up.
Due to the heat warning, I made the decision to stay home and not deliver the papers, so I was able to go downtown before lunch. My "quick" trip ended up lasting 1.5 hrs because I saw a neighbour from my block and we chatted for most of that time! During the course of the conversation, he told me about his new battery weedeater and I joked that he could come play with it in my yard as I had LOTS of trimming that needed done. He said he'd be over later to do it (!) and showed up after lunch. He managed to get the very back of the yard done, and the path to the raspberries (there was 1 ripe berry!) cleared, which was a HUGE help. I also discovered my back fence had shifted somehow and some of the slats were loose, and he fixed that too!!! All together he was here 1.5 hours - though some of that was a hydration break and he admired my labyrinth. He also offered to help with other yard work too! WOW! Unfortunately, I ended up with a sunburn from being outside too much - though, less of a burn than I'd have gotten delivering the papers.
When I returned home, after delivering papers on July 3rd, my neighbour was just finishing up in the yard - he had mowed and finished all the trimming!! That was a HUGE load off my shoulders and my yard looks much better!
July 6th we received 1.25 inches of rain so no weeding done.
In Beth's Kitchen:
On June 13th I picked some of dwarf lilacs from the front to try as juice - I wanted to before, but they fried as soon as they bloomed the previous two years. My body sure wasn't up to dealing with the blossoms, so I only ended up with a cup of petals. Steeped them and finished the juice on June 14th - interesting colour from pale mauve flowers! It did become a wee bit more mauve once I added lemon juice, but I think I'll stick to regular lilacs for juice as the flavour of this one wasn't enjoyable (so good thing I only had a pint!)
June 16th I cut up and prepped all of the rhubarb, from my friend, for juice. With the paper deliveries, I wasn't able to get back to the rhubarb till the morning of June 20th. I was sure crossing my fingers when I lifted the lid on the pot! Thankfully it was still good and I made 23 cups of juice. It's practically colourless compared to the juice made with my rhubarb, so I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't as sour as I expected and I didn't have to use much sugar!
Also, on my paper delivery travels on June 18th, I got 2 free bell peppers. On June 22nd, I mixed up some pecan "meat" and stuffed them. I ended up making more "meat" than I thought, so had enough left over to make 4 small patties as well. I made a no-bake cherry pie too - in one of the nut crusts from the freezer - before I called it a day.
June 23rd was cold and wet, and I was craving cinnamon buns, so I whipped up a batch. I added the crushed dried orange again, plus I added crushed walnuts, as well as the dried diced banana (nope, still haven't found the new package of raisins).
June 25th, I pulled out a recipe for no-yeast buns that I've had for ages, and never made. I'd gotten some mayonnaise from Sis the night before, and I used chocolate milk because that's what I have on hand (so did impact the colour). They went together nice and quick, but I'm not sure yet if it's a recipe I'll make again or not.
July 1st we were under a heat warning so I quickly made up a batch of the no-yeast buns very early in the morning - used coconut milk this time. They turned out MUCH better than the first ones, but I'm still not convinced this recipe is a keeper. Especially when I do have some lovely keeper recipes such as the scones and cinnamon buns.
Have I mentioned yet how much more fun and easy it is mixing up these recipes in the stainless steel mixing bowls?? It really is!
I was given a bunch of fresh fruit on July 4th, so on July 5th I made up a 1/2 batch of rhubarb scones (I'd had the rhubarb prepped for a few days) and froze them. Then I made a no-bake blueberry pie - didn't exactly turn out as it should have so hopefully it is okay - I've only ever used frozen fruit when I use this pie recipe, so now I know I have to make a few tweaks if using fresh fruit. I also was given 3 lbs of cherries, and wanted to pit them before I did anything else with them. Well, I ended up making a flying trip to the hardware in Alix as my (old as me, but possibly older) cherry pitter broke after I did just 2 cherries. Oy! Anyway, I now have a nice shiny new pitter that may end up working even better than my old one, and I pitted all of the cherries.
July 6th was a rainy day so I mixed up a half batch of scones - this time I used some of the cherries!
Included with the fresh produce was some mini cucumbers, so on July 8th, I sautéed them in butter. Ever since I saw the movie "Julie & Julia" and discovered you can cook cucumbers, I've enjoyed eating them this way - the secret is you have to use butter (not olive oil or coconut oil). I sprinkled some fresh dill on top.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Since my last letter, I completed two 1,000 piece puzzles
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
With the help I received in the yard, I don't feel like my life is an overwhelming UFO. Granted there is still lots that needs done outside (and inside), yet it feels like it's more manageable.
After some heavy reading last month, I decided I needed to reset my brain so pulled out a 4-book set of Erma Bombeck books from the basement (purchased from a yard sale) - I finished reading the first book.
Courses and Challenges (free and paid):
Era of Dreamers (free) with Maria Aleandra and Sage Adderley: I've been exploring different themes in my journal
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: I watched all of the course videos - I really like Deanne's teaching style. On June 14th I completed the hooked part of my next experiment - a 5x5 night sky based on one of my ipad drawings.
I had just enough space left on this long burlap table runner to do one more smaller rug. I started it on June 15th - same day as Deanne's 10 min/day hooking challenge (which goes all summer) began - and finished the hooking part on June 28th. Decided to try a round rug.
Lou Reed's free Becoming Extraordinary year-long energy course: there was delay getting my 2nd meeting with my coach booked, and then I found out the end of June that they were completely changing the course to something new, and I was offered a spot in the new course, which is starting in August. I’m still waiting to hear more information about the new course.
Amanda Sophia's free mini Divine Woman Awakening course (Celtic Wheel of the Year): Summer Solstice: time to be outside enjoying the sunshine, time to follow passions, and more.
In Demi Fox’s Morgan Le Fay Wheel of the Year, the Summer Solstice is the time of the Healer, with a focus on the element of water and herbalism.
Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course: I still have ideas for books I want to make.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: I'm back to 1 min at a time, every time I go down to the basement. As I've been more active outside with the watering, I'm okay with only doing a 1 min/day.
Chakradance I did my 2nd Full Moon Chakradance and mandala on July 9th.
"Mystery activity” I have done a little bit EVERY day for just over 45 weeks!!!!!!!!!
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
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- 13 inch round mandala acrylic painting - I felt it was time to paint over the Oracle painting from the Shiloh Sophia online class I did earlier this year.
- Era of the Dreamers journal - this is where I'm playing with my watercolour for now, as well as my other creative explorations.
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - stalled right now
Featured Products for Sale:
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
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
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, 9 July 2025
You don’t need to work yourself to the point of exhaustion to prove your value.
You don’t need to keep going when the tank is empty or seek external validation.
You only need to take care of you.
That is fighting the good fight from a modern perspective.
- Phoenix LeFae
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday, 7 July 2025
From May I Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Friday, 4 July 2025
July 4, 2025 Chautauqua
This year, half of
my garden is a “mystery” garden, and I don’t mean the weeds! I decided to plant
all of the seeds my Dad had collected and saved from 25 (at least) to
(possibly) 40+ years ago. As Dad’s been gone over 22 years, I can safely say
the seeds are all quite OLD!
While Dad was very
meticulous about labelling the jars, he did tend to reuse containers, so I can
also safely say that many of the labels did NOT reflect the seeds actually
stored in the jars! At the time of writing, none of the mystery seeds have come
up yet.
~~~~~~~
After 10 years
without changing my ad rates, I now must raise them (see below) in order
to cover my increasing costs.
Please note there
is no charge to submit photos and/or news items, however, a donation is
gratefully accepted.
And 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 continued support.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19eDghaOTcu5iB1QUjCEUKhXrAg_8TTcr/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, 2 July 2025
Self-care is knowing your limits and not getting to the point of burnout.
Self-care is saying no to obligations when there is already too much on your plate.
Self-care is pacing yourself. Self-care is delegating.
Self-care is taking breaks, eating regularly, bathing regularly,
and getting outside as much as possible...
We can take care of ourselves as an act of rebellion
. - Phoenix LeFae
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday, 30 June 2025
From May I Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Friday, 27 June 2025
None of our ancestors lived in a fairy tale,
though they might have the wit to invent one.
- Jean Manco
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
The legacy of your life isn’t about how popular you are or how much money you have;
it’s how you treat people, how you change their lives,
and how much you express your own truth in the world...
If your life is your art, what do you want people to feel when they experience you?
- Shaheen Miro
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday, 23 June 2025
From May I Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Friday, 20 June 2025
June 20, 2025 Chautauqua
The dust has settled, and it’s not great news. I lost $2,500
in ad revenue this spring due to circumstances beyond my control. And, it was
confirmed Black Press is billing me for printing.
First, I had to tell Black Press (note: I’ve been their
customer for YEARS), for the UMPTEENTH time since this situation began in
April, The Chautauqua is NOT a 16 page colour weekly, because they are VERY
determined it is (WHY?!), and INSIST I have to pay for that!
I pointed out The Chautauqua is 8 pages, B&W, published
twice a month, AND I sent them the quote I receive from the
The final price is now higher than the quoted price, and
$500/month more than I was paying the
10 years without changing my ad rates, I now must
raise them (see below). And 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 continued support.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g49cOQAUjku7YxKzyvxTYUugytl7aPJv/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, 18 June 2025
Give a child three crayons and they can paint a whole picture.
Give an adult three crayons and they will probably ask for the only color not there.
If you allow yourself to see the possibility, rather than the limitation,
you become empowered.
- Shaheen Miro
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
Monday, 16 June 2025
From May I Created by Beth Richardson ©2022
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
to purchase decks: https://thechautauquanewspaper.blogspot.com/p/products-for-sale.html
Saturday, 14 June 2025
Friday, 13 June 2025
My Artist Voice #38 June 13, 2025
Welcome to my 38th Letter. To receive these letters directly in your email inbox, 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.
For the month of June, I have three 5x7 paintings on canvas board available for sale for a Heart-felt Donation. I do ask that the minimum donation amount be $10 to cover costs of materials and possible shipping. 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.
My ornamental flowering plums bloomed this year!!!!! (photo taken May 14th). They haven't bloomed in years! Mom was still very much alive the last time they had more than a handful of blossoms. Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of her passing. Hard to believe it's been that long already. Most of my fruit trees had blossoms too, so fingers crossed for fruit later in the season.
This image (below) was sent to me so I have no idea where it originated, but it's certainly how I feel most days. That is also how I literally lived for most of my 20's and 40's!
Celebrations:
I opened my yard/craft/gift/art sales on the Saturday and Sunday of the May long weekend. I sold some items which made me happy, and created space for me to put more out. I hope to have the sales open most weekends - weather and health permitting from 9 - 4 pm at 4910 47th St., Mirror. I encourage you to please come visit.
June 8th I attended the Bashaw School Sr. High musical - “Newsies” - as usual, an outstanding performance by all!
I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online. The first is a repeat from last year, and the 2nd is a new one!
Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter...
I continued to play with the Walmart set of watercolours, and the remains of my Dollar Store set, and finished my third pad of 4x6 watercolour paper. Near the end, I used the watercolours I won last year on one of the spreads (very vibrant colours) and my Inktense pencils (last page) - interestingly, I also discovered that the watercolours that I've been using all the time (and the Inktense), don't work as well on watercolour paper as they do on mixed media, or even regular, paper - who knew?! You can view the flip-through here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/3917516788512401
I still need to set up a dedicated space for my bits and pieces so I can complete more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper.
I completed my 37th cartoon comic booklet and you can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/9919202761473843
In Beth's Garden:
In my family, we never planted the garden till after the May Long weekend. After I got sick in 2013, mom and I often didn't get the garden planted till the first week of June! Now, it IS Alberta so it can snow/freeze till the end of May, and there were some years we couldn't plant earlier, even if we had wanted to. In 2019, I shocked mom (by then she was in the hospital) when I told her I planted the garden on Mother's Day - I kept it simple and only planted peas, potatoes and carrots, because I was literally crawling around the garden (pre-labyrinth) to plant it as I was too weak to stand up! Even though I planted early, it took FOREVER to come up, though it was such a bumper crop that year, I was giving boxes and bags of produce away to neighbours, friends, and Sis.
This year, I wanted to try planting with the Moon. Well, that's easier said than done in Alberta! Even keeping it very basic and simple, the most optimal moon time was to be the full moon in Scorpio (a water moon) in May! I also still had a bunch of little jars of seeds Dad saved 25 (30? 35? 40+?) years ago and I decided I would plant them all and see if anything came up - at worst, nothing would, and I end up with more dandelions and weeds in my garden, and at best, I’d have some surprises.
May 9th I took my list and herb plant pot to leave at Tailcreek Greenhouse (Nevis) - my all-time favourite greenhouse, and had a quick look around. Then I went to P.J's Plantation greenhouse (Tees) - my 2nd favourite greenhouse. I saw lots of people I knew and visited with a couple. Despite my best laid plans, I walked out of there with seed potatoes, onion sets (which I did need), and two daisies for the perennial bed.
May 10th I made it out to the garden! I spent 1.5 hours pulling weeds on the west side of the garage - traditionally, that's been our small (extra) garden space, and I've used it as garden space since mom passed away. Now that I have a better idea of what I want to plant in my garden each year, how compactly I can plant in the labyrinth spaces (with companion planting), and as it's only me eating the majority of what I harvest, I don't need that extra space so want to turn it back to lawn for now. Maybe in the future, I'll plant fruiting shrubs back there, but that's just a dream at this point.
I also put in 15 mins pulling the quack grass from around my 2 grape vines. Then I spent 1 hr 25 mins pulling weeds from the tulip/perennial bed. Only half of my tulips came up this year, and those that did, didn't bloom at all!
Later in the afternoon, I spent 20 mins raking the west side of the garage before I tossed clover seed down. I planted hollyhocks (from Dad's collection of seeds) and the two new daisies in the perennial bed. I planted garlic chives on the west side of the grape vines - there are currently some on the east side of the vines.
May 11th I managed to get out of bed (it WAS questionable!) and outside at 5:55 AM. I spent 3.5 hours pulling HUGE dandelions, and planted potatoes, onions, half of the carrots, beets, and peas. The whole process would have gone much faster if I didn't have to pull those darn dandelions first. Half of the garden was done, and that was all I could handle for the day - I hoped because the full moon energy is around the day before and the day after the actual full moon, that it would still count as planting on the full moon. Also, it was to rain the next day, and I wanted the seeds in the ground first. I also planted pumpkin and sunflowers (from Dad's collection) in the perennial bed where the tulips didn't come up. May my garden produce abundantly this season!
May 12th we received an inch of rain - no puddles in the garden so it was really needed! May 16th I woke up to frost! I crossed my fingers, yet was sure the garden was fine as I'd planted root veggies and nothing too fragile yet. More rain (1.5 inches) May 20 and 21st.
I put in an hour the afternoon of May 22nd and pulled more HUGE dandelions. The mosquitoes sure love me - no matter what I put on to repel them, it just seems to attract them even more! Unfortunately, mosquito bites on me swell up to the size of toonies (without any scratching) and I end up sick if I get more than a handful of bites. When there are too many bites to count, I’m in REAL trouble. That makes it very challenging to do anything outside, unless I go out before the sunrise when it's too cold for them to be active yet - and you can't do everything at that time.
May 25th, I headed out at 5:05 AM and finished planting the carrots, and a handful of potatoes left from last year - still in the Waning Moon phase, and an earth moon, so it counted. Then I spent an hour weeding the garden.
May 27th, I bought more bean seeds (think I got the wrong variety, but decided to plant and see what happened - I'm only a fan of beans if they are yellow, and I'm eating them fresh as I walk through the garden). I went to PJ's greenhouse and bought 2 honeydew melon plants (plus a watermelon plant and strawberry plant!). I also went to Tailcreek Greenhouse and picked up my plant order - half what I purchased last year so I hoped I could make everything work out as planned. By the time I returned home, I was too tired to do anything more then put the pots by the house.
May 28th we were under a heat warning, so it was a good thing I was outside at 5 AM when it was still cool! I spent an hour and 15 mins pulling HUGE dandelions from the garden and the two beds along the house - everywhere that I needed to plant had been weeded!
May 29th I was outside at 4:30 AM. It was "just" light enough to see what I was doing, plus we were still under the heat warning, and I was surprised how warm/humid it was at that time! I spent an hour planting peas, beans, cucumbers (seedlings), pattypan squash, cantaloupe/honeydew/watermelon (seedlings), some petunias (seedlings), pumpkins, sunflowers, and LOTS of mystery seeds from Dad's collection. That just left the flowers still to plant. As everything I planted (not sure about the mystery seeds) were plants that produce above ground, it worked that I planted on a Waxing water (Cancer) moon.
I didn't get back outside till June 1st - put in an hour and 40 mins weeding behind the garage and around all my strawberries. I was quite surprised that the asparagus I planted last year hasn't come up yet!
I headed out June 3rd, from 5:30-5:50 AM, and planted flowers in only 3 flowerpots - much less than I had planned, but I didn’t feel physically able to do more, and I had to get the seedlings in dirt before they died. After that, I called the garden planting completed!
A neighbour very generously mowed my lawn June 2 & 3rd and it looks SO MUCH better without the foot tall dandelions!
In Beth's Kitchen:
On May 13th, I made up another quart of chia juice. I also mixed up a pint of overnight oats (milk, oats, chia seeds - in fridge overnight) as that's something I've wanted to try for over 15 years and for some reason have never managed to experiment. Turned out okay, and is something I'll do again, but not something I'd worry about making on a regular basis.
May 23rd, I made up a batch of cinnamon buns. I really love how quick and easy these are to make - though it didn't feel very quick and easy that day! I also made another quart of chia juice.
On May 24th, I wanted to make some rhubarb scones (recipe shared by Deanne Fitzpatrick of hookingrugs.com) but didn't have any buttermilk. I decided to use a can of coconut milk instead (I find it easier to keep cans on hand for baking, than to make sure I have 2% milk, and so far it's worked in my recipes). I made a half batch and made the scones smaller - froze half of them. They were even better than Mom’s! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
May 28th, I picked some lilacs and prepped the blossoms for lilac juice and steeped them. I dragged myself out of bed on May 30th (body felt VERY stressed!) and finished making the lilac juice - ended up with 17 cups. I also quickly mixed up a 1/2 batch of rhubarb scones - tweaked the recipe a bit by also adding crushed dried orange + dried diced banana with the rhubarb (also cut the rhubarb smaller), and I used a can of coconut milk again. I froze half of them.
May 31st, I made more chia juice - it's been working out very well.
June 7th I picked the rhubarb - I was surprised that there wasn't as much as I thought - HUGE leaves on really skinny stalks! I prepped 1.5 cups for scones, 2 cups for a baked oatmeal, and the rest I prepped for juice. As I thought I was going to get more rhubarb than I did, I had more water boiling than I needed, so steeped some dried dandelion in it overnight and made a quart of dandelion tea on June 8th - popped in the fridge to drink as iced tea.
June 9th I was in the kitchen shortly after 5 AM. I drained the rhubarb - even less than I realized, but I still ended up with 9 cups of juice by the time I was done (which didn't take as long as expected because there was so little). Then I made a 1/2 batch of rhubarb scones - cut the rhubarb smaller - this was my BEST batch so far! (full disclosure: when I halved the recipe before, I miscalculated the amount of milk somehow and this time I did it correctly). I was on a roll and mixed up a rhubarb baked oatmeal. I ended up with a can of coconut milk exploding all over as I didn't realize it was actually labelled upside down till I was opening it with the can opener. What a mess! All in all, I managed to get everything done and the oven off before 8 AM as it was to be a very hot day. I also made another quart of chia juice.
As I was doing all that making and baking, I had a moment and asked myself why I was still using our OLD Tupperware mixing bowls when there was a rarely used set of 6 stainless steel mixing bowls in the basement??? Mom did use the largest one through the years when she was making a large quantity of something for a church supper. A couple of days later, I went through the cupboards and pulled out the Tupperware, and I now have the stainless steel set (plus 2 additional stainless steel mixing bowls in other sizes I found) in the cupboard to use all the time.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Since my last letter, I completed two 750 piece puzzles
I also found a 175 piece puzzle that was a gift back when Sis and I were Highland Dancing all time, so I completed it too.
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
As May was a 5-Friday month, the 2nd last week was a week holiday from the paper. During the week, I got caught up on filing, paperwork, financials, correspondence and more that has been falling through the cracks for the previous 2-3 months. There is still a wee backlog, but not as bad as it was.
Courses and Challenges (free and paid):
Era of Dreamers (free) with Maria Aleandra and Sage Adderley: I've been exploring different themes in my journal - the watercolour play with wax crayon resist didn't do what I planned at all! Also, that isn’t all the books I've read this year, just the ones I really liked.
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: I didn't get a chance to do much rug hooking for a few days, so it wasn't until May 18th that I finished the hooking part on my 3rd coaster.
I completed the hooking part on my 4th coaster June 1st. This was an experiment with different yarn and ribbon.
June 10th I completed hooking a 5x5 mini landscape/coaster. It was fun translating one of my sky drawings into a hooked rug piece.
Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course: I still have ideas for books I want to make.
Lou Reed's free Becoming Extraordinary year-long energy course: I had my first online meeting with my course coach on May 10th - 25 mins session, and it was a delight to meet her. The purpose of the session was to integrate the teachings and insights from the first 3 lessons, and it went very well. I’m all caught up, and recently finished the 6th lesson so it will soon be time for another meeting with my course coach.
Amanda Sophia's free mini Divine Woman Awakening course (Celtic Wheel of the Year): Bealtaine season certainly was one for the senses. I was out in the garden. I was baking and doing creative projects. I thoroughly enjoyed the scent of the blooming lilacs - my favourite flower - and the smell of fresh cut grass. I delighted in waking to the sound of birds singing. There was wind, sun and rain (sometimes in the same day!) to feel on my body. And so much more.
Now we’re just a week away from the Summer Solstice.
In Demi Fox’s Morgan Le Fay Wheel of the Year, the Summer Solstice is the time of the Healer, with a focus on the element of water and herbalism.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: I'm back to 1 min at a time, every time I go down to the basement. As I've been more active outside with the weeding, planting and watering, I'm okay with only doing a 1 min/day.
Chakradance Full Moon - I missed the May full moon because I had used so much energy out in the garden. For June's full moon (June 11th) I did the dancing on June 10th - it was very different from other Chakradance sessions I've done before, so I do want to do again. I started my mandala in my Era of the Dreamers journal.
"Mystery activity” I have done a little bit EVERY day for just over 41 weeks!
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- 13" round canvas (acrylics) - stalled for now
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - stalled right now
- Era of the Dreamers journal - this is where I'm playing with my watercolour for now, as well as my other creative explorations.
Featured Art for Sale:
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. 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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