Well, life took quite the unexpected turn in October. After a rough few months trying to keep the paper going, and faced with potentially more rising costs, I received a call from Black Press on Oct. 15th that they were not going to let me have a Christmas issue larger than 16 pages (usually it's 24-28 pages depending on the number of greetings) because I had a quote for up to 16 pages from the Lethbridge Press, but not for a larger paper. Well, that was unacceptable to me because that would mean a loss of 50-75% of my income from the Christmas issue, at a time when I need all the income I can get to pay their insane printing costs. When I challenged them - can a customer not order what they want? - I was told that if I had more than 16 pages I WOULD be charged the $800+ per week they want to charge me because Black Press STILL INSISTED I'm a 16 page, colour weekly! Even after 5 months of them printing an 8 page, B&W paper twice a month! (Let alone the 23 years I’ve been with them - only the number of pages has changed). Questioning just led to more comments that I would be charged the $800+/weekly (retro to when I started with the Lethbridge press, if I didn't toe the line). Grrrrrr!
Thankfully, out of the blue, I also received a call with an offer to help me out with the printing at a MUCH better cost, so I investigated that offer further, and got a quote from my favourite printer friend. Both were not only a better option than Black Press, but they were also much more willing to support my vision for the paper - keeping the visual look as close to a newspaper as possible as it would no longer be printed on newsprint. I went with the first offer - with major logistics that needed worked out at my end, and I hoped my health was up to it, with the 2nd option as my Plan B if needed.
I contacted Black Press on Oct. 27th and let them know that I would no longer require their services effective immediately. That was a HUGE relief! The response to my announcement from my press liaison guy was "Good for you! I'm glad." Not exactly what I expected.
Then...later that day, my press liaison guy phoned to say that Lethbridge came back with an offer that they wanted me to consider and if I liked it, we could continue as we have been. The offer WAS impressive, but I said I needed to know about the Christmas issue first, and I was told I could have any size I wanted! This year it will be 20 pages just because I already made the changes when I was planning to go with the other option. They phoned back early Tuesday morning with an even better price for the Christmas issue than I expected in my wildest dreams! And, apparently this has all been presented as a new negotiated price between Lethbridge and myself so I don't have the $800+/week threat over me anymore! So, it's life as usual with my printing costs cut in half! Hopefully this will allow me to get my debts from the previous 5 months dealt with and back on track (though I did say it would be really nice if they gave me that new price retro to when I started with Lethbridge, and I was told to not hold my breath on that one!).
Now I'm deep into getting Christmas greetings for my Christmas issue (that is coming very, very fast!).
Celtic Year theme: Joy and Delight (fire, do what brings you joy weekly, how can you bring joy to others?)
Samhain: Imagine and Envision (air, let your imagination soar)
Celebrations:
Two months after I received the bouquet from Telus, I still have a vase of lush greenery from the bouquet on my table!
Oct. 11th I attended the Magnificent Mythical Market in Erskine that was hosted by my neighbour. I received a swag bag full of amazing goodies (!) and a free oracle card (pictured bottom right corner). After I returned home, I took a baggie of small carrots to a neighbour for her early birthday gift, and she gave me some frozen rhubarb, and a pair of sandals that didn't fit her (picture left, top). Unexpected gifts!
While I was at the Mirror Library on Oct. 15th chatting with my niece, the lovely librarian gave me 3 boxes of Harlequins for free!! Yes, I am a reader of Harlequins and have been for years. Back in my teens I had a "wise" adult tell me that they were worse than any other addiction out there (I strongly disagreed) and to quit reading them while I could. Now as a wiser adult myself, I know there are far worse things out in the world, and so I read fluffy Harlequins when I want an escape from the real world when life gets to be too much. And, if you've been reading these letters, you know full well, that I don't ONLY read Harlequins so I'm sure that my moral and intellectual fibre hasn't been compromised beyond repair.
I attended the Community Theatre production of "Dare to Dream Jr: a Disney Musical Review" on Oct. 26th in Bashaw. The cast was wonderful and it was a fun afternoon.
The County completely cleaned up the empty lot a couple of doors north of me (where the fatal fire occurred Dec. 2022), and while the equipment was still on the street, they also put fresh gravel down at my end of the street on Oct. 31st, and got rid of the ruts and holes in front of my place! It's much nicer now, and should also make it, not only easier to park, but easier to shovel the sidewalks this winter.
Halloween evening was very cold and very blustery. I debated whether or not to hand out treats (I do enjoy it though numbers of children trick or treating has dropped dramatically in recent years) - and decided to give it a try as there are a number of new kids in town. As I only had 4 stop last year, I planned for a dozen this year and gave away 8 treats at 6:30 pm when the first ones stopped! My niece stopped and I handed out the last treats at 7 PM so shut down for the night. (I'm SURE there are probably Halloween themed trinkets in the house somewhere, but not accessible enough for me to find quickly). I will obviously have to plan for more next year!
Nov 1st was the dinner concert in Stettler that kicked off the 2025/26 Variety Showcase season. I invited my friend along as a thank you for all the driving and errands she did for me this year. The meal was very good - yes, I ate more than my personal portion size! Jake Semple's tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (one of our great Canadian musical legends) was delightful. The evening was also punctuated by requests for the current score for the World Series game 7. Alas the evening didn't end with the Toronto Blue Jays winning, but still a lovely evening.
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On Nov. 4th, my artist neighbour gave me the book "The Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany begins her life's work at 72" by Molly Peacock. And when I delivered papers on Nov. 6th, I was given some free Old Dutch potato chips (leftover from Halloween treats) - I can't remember the last time I ate some potato chips!?
I've been watching the 2023 CPCA chuckwagon racing season replays online, watching a race each weekend.
The acapella group, Home Free, did it again - this sea shanty came into my awareness after the one I shared last month. It's impossible to listen to this and have a bad day - at least for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDxPb66E9Sg I'm going to have to have a listen to all the songs on their new sea shanty album.
As my yearly theme is Joy & Delight I have been looking a what I can do that brings me more joy. Lately I have been watching Josh Johnson's videos on YouTube. I first heard about him from the Daily Show earlier this year. This video about Canada is a hoot - if you don't want to watch the whole thing, start at the 32 mins mark for his views on Canadian hockey, which is beyond hilarious - I'm not really a hockey fan and I was laughing so hard I had tears pouring out of my eyes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TSmBUl0sPY
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 mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper.
In Beth's Garden & Yard:
Oct. 12th I woke up to an 1/8th of an inch of rain in the gauge and a skiff of snow on the rooftops and vehicles!
We got a sprinkle of rain before I put the rain gauge away in the garage on Oct. 19th. Then on Oct. 26th I wished the rain gauge was still out as it was pouring rain when I woke up - though, based on the puddles across the street, it probably wasn’t more than 1/8th of an inch.
Nov. 7th was our first snowfall - 4 inches - and I got my snow tires on my car on Nov. 10th! Snow didn't last more than a couple of days due to a lovely Chinook wind.
In Beth's Kitchen:
I was asked last month what I do with ALL of the food I make. To dispel all doubt, I EAT IT! Every single bite! (Except the odd sample I share with others.) That said, I certainly don't eat it all at once, and I freeze a lot of the freezable foods for future meals. Generally, whatever I make lasts me for an entire week of meals or snacks. Truthfully, for me the challenge isn't eating the food, but keeping on top of all of the dirty dishes, that are created in the making of the food, in a timely manner.
Oct. 9th, I sautéed the 2 baby pumpkins/squash (?) in butter.
Oct. 10th, I took the 6 cucumbers (the 5 from my friend and my last one) and removed the seeds, and stuffed them (similar filling to what I stuff peppers with), before I popped them into the oven to cook. The few that didn't fit in the Pyrex dishes, I just sautéed in butter and ate. I froze 4 halves as an experiment. I'll let you know how it goes.
I had a pre-cooked beef roast in the freezer, that was given to me this summer, so cooked that Oct. 11th with some of my small potatoes, onions, and carrots for my Thanksgiving weekend meals. Comfort food! And I whipped cream to eat with my pumpkin apple pie over the weekend.
I still had one pail of apples (from neighbour's branches over the fence in my yard) in the hallway that DESPERATELY needed dealt with so on Oct. 19th I cut up some of the apples and cooked for waffle topping (to go with the rest of the whipped cream I had from Thanksgiving). There were 5-6 completely rotten ones and a few half rotten ones so I salvaged what I could of the remaining apples (and halves) and made 2 cups of applesauce - I was going to freeze it, but decided to just eat it fresh.
I had cherry tomatoes ripening faster than I realized so on Oct. 24th, I put together a tomato & black olive clafoutis.
I had a pie plate of tiny garden cherry tomatoes left so on Oct. 31st, I mixed up a tomato clafoutis and tossed them all in (ripe, semi-ripe, and green) with miscellaneous herbs as they didn't look like they would last much longer if I didn't do something quick.
Nov. 4th I made another Impossible Coconut pie. Just because!
Update on the frozen stuffed cucumbers: I heated them up in the oven from frozen and they were better than I expected - didn't go completely soggy. That said, I won't freeze again, nor do I recommend it.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Since my last letter, I have been working on a 1,000 piece puzzle and have it about 3/4s completed, so no picture yet.
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
I finished reading “Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson” - he was quite the character, though not someone I would really want to travel back in time to meet if I could (I doubt he'd appreciate my outspokenness!)
The next book from the basement box was "The Children's Hour and Twenty Other Selections" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (published in 1887) - it was literally falling apart so a bit of a challenge to read, and went into the recycling when I was done as there was no real way to save it.
After that, the next book was "O. Henry's Short Stories" - I had read a couple of his stories previously ("Gift of the Magi" being the most popular, of course) so was surprised to discover that I actually had read more of the stories in the past than I realized. What I really like about O. Henry as a writer is that he drops clues and sets you up for one type of ending but then stuns you with a completely different (yet obvious in hindsight) ending.
I also started reading the creativity books my neighbour gave me last (?) year. First was "Sark's New Creative Companion" and then I read "Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper" also by SARK - this one I will keep (for now)
Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course: I still have ideas for books I want to make though that's on the back burner for now.
Courses and Challenges (free and paid):
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: I finished hooking another small rug on Oct. 23rd - didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to, but was an experiment and learning process nonetheless.
I looked at the rug every day and finally on Nov. 9th I added some subtle definition and it's closer to what I was trying to convey. Hopefully after I get it fully finished, it will be okay. (fingers crossed) If not, again, it was just for learning techniques.
Lou Reed's Inner Empire Immersion: I've been experimenting with slowing down - helps that the days are shorter and we’re back on normal time - by staying in bed and reading for a bit before I get up in the morning (I used to do that EVERY day till I collapsed in 2013). I'm also doing less activities in my day, and instead of doing a little bit of EVERYTHING, EVERY SINGLE DAY, I'm only doing a couple of creative activities each day. This is also giving me more rest time and space in my day.
Our next online session together was on Oct. 19th at 10:30 pm my time! I thought I might attend, but then around 7 pm that night, I decided I would have to skip it and just watch the replay as that would be too late for me. I also missed our session on Nov. 5th as I was delivering papers - our sessions are scheduled based on the new and full moons, which doesn’t always line up with our solar calendar’s dates!
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: Even though I'm only doing a 1 min/day, it feels like it is getting easier than when I started last December!
"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 week as it's been a bit slower with the rest of life happening.
- personal smashbook for daily 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
- 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. It wasn't my plan, yet I ended up watching ALL of Season 2 Thanksgiving Sunday and Monday - with LOTS of breaks between each episode as I can only handle watching a screen for a short period of time. I haven’t started Season 3 yet.
Featured Products for Sale:
For the month of November, I have my Creative Daily Planners available for purchase for a Heart-felt Donation to support The Chautauqua. I do ask for a minimum donation of $25 to also cover potential shipping costs. They make great gifts and can be viewed in person at 4919 47th St., Mirror. Or email thechautauqua@gmail.com to purchase. Thank you for your support.
This 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!
