From Traditional Wisdom: Proverbs for Everyday Life Created by Beth Richardson ©2020
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Saturday, 10 October 2026
Friday, 9 October 2026
My Artist Voice #54 October 9, 2026
Welcome to my 54th 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. If you no longer wish to receive, please reply with "Unsubscribe."
After missing calls from the RCMP, and then the insurance adjuster, I was beginning to think I was cursed. I finally was able to get things dealt with. I'm covered for the damage to the County Shop, but not covered for the damage to truck (just have the most basic coverage for it). I took the final paperwork to the RCMP on Sept. 25th and hopefully that means my part in the whole situation has been completed.
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 weekend!
Sept. 11th my landline died and my internet was very spotty except late at night and VERY early in the morning. Second time this year - last time was early June after a nasty storm. I contacted the customer service guy who had helped last time and he was out of the office for a week. OY! A neighbour very nicely gave me the 1-888 number for Telus and I was able to phone them on Sept. 14th. A very helpful individual let me know a tech would be out in two days to fix the problem. The tech did show up on the 16th, and long story short, my lines worked fine, but there was a problem at the Telus building downtown, and what my working lines were attached to needed replaced (and should have been replaced when this happened in June!). Everything is functioning properly again. Having no online connection for days made me extremely happy I'm someone who has a variety of offline hobbies and interests, even though so much of our lives are online (by design) now.
The Telus tech finished early enough I was able to start the paper deliveries on the 16th. It was a good trip until I returned to Mirror. I parked beside the grocery store - took the papers in and and walked right back out to see my truck rolling backwards down the street. I chased after it, but wasn't able to reach it before it crashed into one of the County Shop doors. Thankfully there was no one around so no one got injured. Damaged the truck too, but thankfully it was still drivable. Sigh...
Then life got WORSE! The morning of Sept. 28th I was scraping frost off the windshield when the truck started going in reverse again on me! It ran into the next door neighbour's 5th wheel. Thankfully it didn't damage the motorhome, but did MORE damage to the truck - broke a window, bent the frame, back window loose. I took it to my brother-in-law as he's a mechanic and he said he'd see what he could do.
Brother-in-law called me Sept. 29th and I went over to hear the bad news - basically the truck was unfixable in many respects without extensive cash outlay, and the transmission was toast which is why it was pulling those runners on me. He bought it off of me for parts, and now I don't own a truck. I certainly was NOT planning to declutter that from my life! So so sad. He did assure me that if I ever need a vehicle (because something has happened to the car) he has one he can lend me.
On Oct. 1st, when I went back to get my belongings out of the truck, my brother-in-law told me he plans to fix the truck for my niece to drive! While a part of me feels better about that, another part is still quite devastated I couldn't keep it for myself as losing the truck has felt like Dad died all over again.
One plus to this whole terrible situation, was that the money from selling the truck was enough to cover the cost of replacing the brakes in the car so I was able to get that done Oct. 7th. Winter tires were put on the same time.
~~~~~~~~
Word of the Year: Hobbit (Comfort / Cozy)
September 19th I did a new Celtic Wheel of the Year reading - just to make life a bit easier for me, I did it for the next 2 years. So the card for this new year is the left one in the middle, and the current year cards are the inner circle - with the Autumn Equinox (first card) at far left.
Celtic Year 1 theme: Hibernation & Regeneration (earth, action - rest/recharge/downtime)
Autumn Equinox: Make a Move (water, action: keep moving forward)
Celebrations:
My rug hooking neighbour gave me a small bag of lettuce and a small bag of onions from her garden on Sept. 14th, and then some more lettuce on Sept. 21st. And on Sept. 24th she gave me 3 large ripe tomatoes. And this week she gave me some carrots (from her sister's garden).
Another neighbour lent me 4 DVDs to watch in Sept. as a thank you for updating his resume. There was a Steve Bell concert, a Malcolm Guite and Steve Bell concert, a Gordon Lightfoot concert, and "Take Me Home: the John Denver story."
My next door neighbour to the north knocked on my door Sept. 25 and asked if I had any spare freezer space as their freezer had died! I did, and was able to store some of their frozen food - which I still have! They haven't asked for it back yet!
Mirror is now getting curbside recycling pick ups. The blue bins were dropped off Sept. 26th. They're HUGE so this could be an interesting process. Our first pick up is Oct. 13th. In theory, this should make my life much easier as I won't have to drive my recycling to the drop off location for our county. The bins are so large, that my rug hooking neighbour refused one as it's almost as tall as her and there's no way she could manhandle it to the street. I offered her space in mine if she wants.
When I was out delivering papers on Sept. 30th, I received 4 free bell peppers in Bashaw, more free wire hangers in Clive, and 8 free books in Mirror!
I finished watching season 9 of "When Calls the Heart." That's the last season I could watch for free on the Global TV app so I requested season 10 from the library - it arrived last week and I hope to start watching it this weekend. I watched some Hallmark movies on the Global app on my ipad and Josh Johnson's weekly comedy sketches online for laughter and stress relief.
I watched more YouTube videos from Hannah of Real Vintage Doll House - she's such a hoot. I enjoy her videos that include her partner, who is an antique train enthusiast, as they are so adorable together. This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwNFrjeeJqI is a new favourite of mine because it's nice to have someone take care of you. Another reason I really enjoy these videos is that many really fit into my whole comfy, cozy Hobbit theme for this year. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview she did with a 100 year old veteran - he was delightful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tORTpdfyeeE I think I will need to start saving money so I can join her membership - even if only for a month or two so I can access some of her other videos and resources. At the moment, I'm now watching July 2025 videos.
I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online. Both are repeats from previous years.
Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter...
I haven't completed anything, but I've still been creative every day and I've still been taking my many baby steps in different areas of my life.
In Beth's Kitchen:
I ended up making my 2nd loaf of peasant bread into French toast Sept. 12th. Then I made more tomato soup - got 5 cups.
I picked the last of the rhubarb Sept. 12 (as frost was threatening) and after I cut it up, discovered I had almost enough for another pie! Sept. 13th, I cut up 4 apples from my neighbour's tree that had landed in my yard, and that gave me just enough filling once I added them to the rhubarb. I wasn't going to make pastry in the food processor again, but I did for ease. Overall, pastry is still not working for me so this pie ended up with quite the "rustic" look. Since it's just for me to eat, and I'm not entering any contests, I'll call it good and tackle my pastry problems another day.
I did use a smaller pie plate which helped. And even though the pastry didn't roll out properly, it was my flakiest attempt so far! And, the filling ended up sitting for twice as along as the recipe said as I was wrestling with the pastry so the filling set this time! The recipe called for 1.5 cups of sugar and I only used 1/2 cup and it was more than sweet enough. I guess I am getting better (even if it doesn't feel/look like it)
Sept. 14th was a very cold dreary day, plus my phone/internet issues weren't resolved, and I felt like I needed some cozy comfort, so I baked a loaf of peasant bread. My best loaf yet!
I also don't think I shared where I got the recipe yet. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjqnyXBU2js
I had some (old) Bisquik in the house so decided to make some biscuits Sept. 15th. Another failed attempt. Oy! Now, they weren't a complete failure because they aren't hard or tough, and they did taste good, they're just really flat and solid. I'm going to blame the age of the Bisquik for this failure.
Sept. 20th I made another batch of tomato soup - this had 1 pepper, 1 onion, lettuce (from my neighbour) and some fresh basil blended with the tomatoes. While it would be easier to have had the tomatoes all ripe at the same time, and get the mess in the kitchen over with at once, these small batches have been working out much better for my energy levels so the task is getting done. This time I got 6 cups of soup.
Later in the day, I made pancakes with the remainder of the Bisquik mix and that took another box out of my cupboard!
Sept. 22nd I cut up the larger carrots (about half of my total carrots) and cooked them in the large electric frying pan. This year I was introduced to the concept of oven boiling potatoes/root veggies and I've been using the electric frying pans to create the same effect as it's quick, very easy to clean up, and there is no threat of a pot boiling over! I blended up the cooked carrots and got just over 7 cups of puree for pies/baking. I froze 6 cups - because my life works better when the prep is done ahead - and made the rest into a carrot pie (used an Impossible Pumpkin Pie recipe).
Sept. 26th was quite the day in my kitchen. I mixed up a loaf of peasant bread - decided to start experimenting with the recipe. You know me...have to play at some point! I added the last of my Italian spice mix and some grated cheese.
While the bread dough was rising, I made another batch of tomato soup - this one had lettuce, baby beet greens and 1 cup (because I grabbed the wrong jar from the fridge) of chopped onion and miscellaneous spices (using up more dribs & drabs from the cupboard). I ended up with 6 cups of soup.
Then, because the dough was still rising, I pulled out all the jars of dandelion syrup that were still downstairs in the fridge - I started with about 5 pints (?), and after I boiled it all down to thicken it (that didn't work, but it did concentrate it) I was left with 1.75 pints. I'll use it to make dandelion (hot) tea this winter.
After that, when the bread dough was on its second rise, I mixed up a batch of cinnamon buns - used 2% milk that was left from other baking, and I used the chopped rhubarb and dried diced banana. I'm not sure if it's because I was doing too much at once, or some other reason, but I only managed to get 10 buns this time!
When the cinnamon buns were finished baking, I put the loaf of bread into the oven. The smell was delightful! And, all that happened before 10 AM! (Clean up took me two days!)
Sept. 28th I mixed up another loaf of herb & cheese peasant bread. First rise ended up well over an hour longer than planned as my day went completely sideways. Thus it was baked much later in the day than I thought it would be. After it cooled, I popped it into the freezer.
Oct. 3rd I decided to stuff the peppers I'd been given, as well as the lone (orange) bell pepper I had on my plant. I used a nut "meat" recipe I had recently found that was different from the ones I've used before. I did have to make the odd ingredient substitution, but overall, I was happy with it. I had some extra "meat" so made two patties out of it.
Then I pulled out the impossible pumpkin pie recipe again, and this time I made it with my homemade applesauce as an experiment. It worked better than I expected so I'll certainly make again, but I think I'll need to drain the applesauce first as there was just too much moisture.
I had a bunch of ripe tomatoes so made another batch of soup on Oct. 6th. Added onion, 1 sweet pepper, and two tiny hot peppers, fresh parsley & basil, and miscellaneous spices. Ended up with 6 cups.
Yard & Garden:
We received another 1/4 inch of rain Sept. 10th and the rain on Sept. 11th didn't register.
I lost my landline and internet connection Sept. 11th so didn't know till the morning of Sept. 12th that we were under a frost warning! It was only 2C when I dashed outside at 6 AM and covered the garden produce and hoped that I was able to save it.
Everything seemed fine when I took the blankets off later in the morning. I made sure I covered everything that night as it was very frosty Sept. 13th!
I brought in all of the carrots Sept. 18 & 19th - quite a few small ones, and surprisingly quite a number of large carrots. Overall, much better yield than the previous two years so couldn't complain.
I was out for about an hour early on Sept. 20th. Dug up the entire beet bed and there was 1 (ONE!) tennis ball sized beet. That was it for my beet crop this year! Disappointing. I dug about 5 lbs of potatoes. The potatoes I planted closest to the house didn't really produce at all, but the potatoes in the plant pots sure did!
After I sorted through the beet greens, I ended up with 4 cups of baby greens and 10 beets the size of a large marble. Still a pathetic yield, but better than I originally thought, and considering our wild and crazy weather, amazing that I got any!
I spent an hour outside Sept. 21st and dug up the rest of the potatoes (had to pull a lot of quack grass/weeds to get to them!). I ended up with about 10 lbs, and the best potatoes were the ones that grew from a bunch of potato sprouts I'd just thrown in the ground for a lark! I had hoped for a bigger harvest - most hills only had 1 larger potato under them - but again, weird growing season so harvesting anything is a bonus.
I spent an hour out in the garden on Sept. 22nd and planted Egyptian Walking Onion bulbs in different spots around the garden - hopefully they come up next year and then I won't have to worry about onions, as I discovered this year that in addition to the pearl onion sized bulbs on top, they also have a good sized onion underground! BONUS! I also planted some "winter onions" - which should be the absolute last of Dad's old seeds.
I pulled the corn plants - they never got taller than 1.5 feet and didn't even produce a baby ear on them! So that was a bust. I pulled the dead pea vines too. Planting the pea seeds really close together was a successful experiment, as was planting the peas inside tomato cages for more flexibility.
I went out Sept. 23 and planted the rest of the Egyptian Walking Onion bulbs in select spots in the garden. I also dug up 4 of the plants by the house to get the onion - they were a pretty good size! I'm just so excited about the possibility of actually getting onions in the future without having to purchase onion sets.
As temps were to drop significantly, I picked my 2 small watermelons Sept. 25th. I was going to pull out the vines when I saw a 3rd watermelon that wasn't ready to pick yet so left them. I also picked a small handful of rhubarb! After I chopped it, I had about 1/4 cup. I had been covering various plants every night since our frost Sept. 12th, whether they needed to be covered or not (just in case!)
We got quite the frost the morning of Sept. 28th - it was below freezing! That afternoon, I went out and pulled the tomato plants from the garden itself. I put the plant pots from around the labyrinth in the garage for winter. And, I emptied 1 of the rain barrels.
Oct. 5th I picked the chocolate mint, parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, and lavender to dry. I picked the last strawberry in garden on Oct. 6th. That just left the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, watermelon, basil, and grapes along the south side of the house to harvest.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Since my last Letter, I completed a 1,000 piece puzzle
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
As part of my Hobbit year, I make sure that I let go of (or put away, or finish) at least one physical item per day, and delete at least one computer file (or old email, or tab closed) per day. Some of my bigger highlights so far...
- LOTS of old magazines (saved because I didn't read them at the time, or saved because I did read and wanted something from them????), old magazine/newspaper articles, as well as old photocopies and printouts sorted and the bulk tossed into the recycling - I'm no longer in the place I was when I saved them (with my health, business, or other areas of life) so they could all go. OR, even more surprisingly, I have added/incorporated whatever they were about into my life somewhere along the line.
- more items used up from the freezer and cupboards, and as I subbed ingredients in recipes for what I have on hand. This also allowed me to start rearranging my pantry cupboard.
- more open tabs on my computer looked at and closed - even ones for creativity programs/classes I was supposed to have "lifetime" access to that I can no longer access!
I was able to open the sales quite a number of days in September and early October. Met some delightful people, and sold the odd item. I also sold Dad's old extension ladder to a friend - it wasn't my plan to sell the ladder (not because I didn't want to, but because I was focussing on the house contents, not the garage per se) so that was a nice bonus.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: I've been doing 10 minutes of the health bounce, four times per day. I haven't missed a day at all!
"Mystery activity” I’m still doing this DAILY!! I haven't missed a day!
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- Era of the Dreamers journal - almost daily as I've been recording my outside activities in the garden.
- personal smashbook for DAILY journal writing as part of my connection to Spirit, my Guides, and my inner Wisdom.
- mini collages - at the stage where I have a whole bunch more bits and pieces that need sorted before I complete more.
- making 3 journals (from Sketchbook Revival session) - stalled for now
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - on hold
- UFO crochet project (not food) - on hold
- my next small hooked rug
- I have my 13 inch round canvas that I started in Lou's program last year (that I got kicked out of) and I'm trying to decide what to cover it with.
- Kiala Givehand’s 7 Books in 7 Days course: ideas for books I want to make on the back burner for now.
Featured Products for Sale:
This is a great time to get back into routines, so I have 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 and stocking stuffers. 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, and at Pharmasave, Main Street, Clive.
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, 7 October 2026
Monday, 5 October 2026
From Traditional Wisdom: Proverbs for Everyday Life Created by Beth Richardson ©2020
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Friday, 2 October 2026
October 2, 2026 Chautauqua
September 11th I
lost my landline and internet connection until September 16th.
I was really
thankful I have numerous offline hobbies - doing physical jigsaw puzzles,
reading physical books, baking from recipes on actual recipe cards, crochet and
rug hooking, gardening, visiting in person, etc, so I wasn’t lost for something
to do while I was disconnected.
But it also showed
how much of our lives are online now. I couldn’t even look up the Telus phone
number or submit an outage report to Telus because I had no internet access.
There was a
As our world
becomes more online, we need to keep as much as we can offline so we can still
function in a power or internet outage.
Would you like to sponsor an issue of the Chautauqua?
Option A: $500/issue or Option B: $250/issue. Maximum of two sponsors per
issue. Details on page A8.
Plus, I have many original artworks for sale ($50 - $100
each) at 4910 47
No charge to submit photos and/or news items: a donation is strongly encouraged. I invite you to please donate a minimum of $24 in honour of the 24 years I’ve been in publication. Thank you for your support.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S305DAZ0AfJemYBId6DXzhY6ayzPeVuT/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 24 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, 30 September 2026
Adventures don’t begin until you get into the forest.
That first step is an act of faith.
- Mickey Hart
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837
Monday, 28 September 2026
From Traditional Wisdom: Proverbs for Everyday Life Created by Beth Richardson ©2020
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Saturday, 26 September 2026
Friday, 25 September 2026
The purpose of life is to experience things
for which you will later experience nostalgia.
- FedSpeak (Twitter account)
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837
Wednesday, 23 September 2026
People are not rational. They are rationalizing.
Once you understand this simple fact,
all the oddest human behavior will suddenly make way more sense.
- Billy Markus
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837
Monday, 21 September 2026
From Traditional Wisdom: Proverbs for Everyday Life Created by Beth Richardson ©2020
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Friday, 18 September 2026
September 18, 2026 Chautauqua
There have been
some changes and updates since my last Ponderings.
First: the deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the
October referendum has been changed to
Also, when you
receive your package, please make sure all the ballots and contents are
included. Contact Elections Alberta if there is anything missing.
Finally, the
packages use a standard self-declaration form so the first item on the form -
that you are declaring you are unable to vote in person - is not valid for this
referendum and can be crossed out.
Please note that
there could be future updates, so visit the Elections Alberta website for the
most up-to-date information available.
Would you like to sponsor an issue of the Chautauqua?
Option A: $500/issue or Option B: $250/issue. Maximum of two sponsors per
issue. Details on page A8.
Plus, I have many original artworks for sale ($50 - $100
each) at 4910 47
No charge to submit photos and/or news items: a donation
is strongly encouraged. I invite you to please donate a minimum of $24
in honour of the 24 years I’ve been in publication. Thank you for your support
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WKnQf1m-sNUMRF5KGkg-OZ-eGAvDPhKT/view?usp=sharing
Whether you've enjoyed reading The Chautauqua from the first issue 24 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 September 2026
The smallest unit of community is not the individual
but it’s the relationship.
- Rachael Rice
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837
Monday, 14 September 2026
From Traditional Wisdom: Proverbs for Everyday Life Created by Beth Richardson ©2020
email: thechautauqua@gmail.com
or phone: 403-352-3837 to purchase
Saturday, 12 September 2026
Friday, 11 September 2026
My Artist Voice #53 September 11, 2026
Welcome to my 53rd 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. If you no longer wish to receive, please reply with "Unsubscribe."
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.
Well, life has been a rollercoaster since my last letter! I had decided to stay with the press in Lethbridge because it was the best option based on the information I was given. So the second August paper was a trial run (so to speak) for the new shipping set up. Very long, very stressful story short, it was a gong show, and it was NOT the courier's fault - the guy who made the shipping label had my address incorrect so I had to track down my papers and get an address correction which took a whole day so I didn't get the papers when I should have, and I was late delivering them. I was NOT impressed.
Coincidentally, or serendipitously, the day I finally got the papers delivered to me, I received a phone call from a member of the Black Press management. I've known the gal for years as she used to be the publisher at the Red Deer Advocate. When she asked how things were going and if I was happy with the printing, I proceeded to tell her my numerous press woes from the past 2-3 years over a 1.5 hr call, and I shocked her.
Turns out I was supposed to be moved to the Vernon press for printing automatically when the Advocate was. I contacted Vernon the following week myself and got set up remarkably quickly and easily. A huge load of stress was suddenly eliminated from my life. And, I got my very reliable (grandfathered) shipping to my door back! I also discovered that the various reasons I was given, that made me decide to remain with Lethbridge, were all false! OY!
So, just when I was finally able to breathe a huge sigh of relief as the printing/delivery was very easy again, I was contacted by the press that I had 2 weeks to pay them in full (yes, unfortunately I was in arrears because I wasn't receiving payments in a timely manner due to Canada Post delivery delays) or they were cutting me off completely and I would no longer be able to print the paper. Sigh.... Through a lot of begging and pleading, I managed to get enough money to pay the press, and now I'm exploring other options for generating funding besides just advertising. Never a dull moment!
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Word of the Year: Hobbit (Comfort / Cozy)
Celtic Year theme: Joy and Delight (fire, do what brings you joy weekly, how can you bring joy to others?)
[SUMMER/HARVEST]: Affirmation for Growth (earth, take the next step)
Lughnasadh: Prayers and Wishes (air, wish on a star)
Celebrations:
I wasn't able to see my Niece on her birthday, so she came over on Aug. 22nd for belated birthday celebrations. We made a no-bake raspberry pie (her request). We picked fruits and veggies from the garden - 3 cups of cherries, some rhubarb, 2 dozen raspberries (I was shocked she found more as I'd stripped the canes the last time I picked), miscellaneous herbs, peas, beans, sweet peppers, and dug some potatoes. I pitted the cherries, chopped the rhubarb and dealt with the dill as my niece dealt with the other herbs and cut up the peppers. She found a couple of recipes for a hot sauce to dip the raw veggies into so I let her mix them up for us. I made applesauce mini waffles for our lunch. After lunch, she showed me her new nail art tools and supplies, and she did my finger and toenails. We played Clue and I actually won one game! All in all, a fun day together and she went home at 4:30 PM.
I recently discovered that Clive Pharmasave has a local vendor corner in their store and I dropped off some of my decks and other items on Sept. 8th. If you are in the area, be sure to check them out.
I listened to the Aug. 12 - 16th WPCA finals in Rocky Mountain House - full of thrills and literal spills (2 drivers were bounced out of their wagons and both were okay!) and had a great end to the season. I watched the replays for the Aug. 12 - 16th CPCA finals in Onion Lake, SK Aug. 16 - Aug. 20th - they also had some thrilling races and finish to their season. It was a delight to be able to follow the full season for both associations again.
I finished watching season 8 of "When Calls the Heart" and started season 9. I watched some Hallmark movies on the Global app on my ipad and Josh Johnson's comedy sketches online for laughter and stress relief.
I watched more YouTube videos from Hannah of Real Vintage Doll House and am now in the very early 2025 videos - her content is very enjoyable as she covers a range of topics within the 1940's time period. I really like the videos where she attempts to make a vintage recipe as she claims she's not really a cook or baker so she is always so surprised when the dish turns out. As well, I like her videos highlighting a substitution that was used by homemakers in the 1940's due to shortages and rationing.
It's made me more aware of what's in this house that I can use in other ways. For instance, I have a ridiculous number of partial packages of napkins (mom used to buy lots as we used them at church teas and Guiding events) and I decided that I can use them instead of paper towel for the times I need a paper towel as I don't go through napkins, as napkins, that fast when it's just myself (most are bigger/thicker than I need so I cut them in half to use).
I published two more comic strips in the paper and posted them online. Both are repeats from previous years.
Recently Completed:
Since the last newsletter...
I finished my 47th cartoon comic booklet. You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1884867009147814
In Beth's Kitchen:
I just ended up pitting and freezing my cherries - I'll make them into pies another time.
Aug. 16th, I mixed up some cinnamon buns and added dried diced banana and the last cup of fresh raspberries. Then I tried a 2-Ingredient Bread recipe I found. Mine was actually 4 ingredients because I didn't have self-rising flour so had to add baking powder and salt. Also, I used a can of coconut milk as I didn't have whole milk. I don't usually put parchment paper in my loaf pans, but did this time as per the recipe as I wasn't sure what to expect. All in all, it was better than I expected. Though, if I make this again, I'll make as two smaller loaves instead of one big one.
I pitted and froze 8 cups of cherries Aug. 18th. Then I started prepping apples for juice - out of the first 10 lbs I dealt with, I was only able to save 8 apples as the rest were completely rotten. So disappointing! Thankfully there were only 3 rotten apples out of the next 5 lbs I cut up so I was able to fill the Dutch oven for a batch of juice.
My week went sideways so I didn't finish the apple juice until the morning of Aug. 20th. I ended up with 8 cups of juice.
Aug. 24th, I probably should have just stayed in bed, but instead I was in the kitchen very early. First, I picked the last of the rhubarb and cut it up. With the rhubarb my Niece and I picked when she was here, I had exactly the right amount for a pie! I had pastry already made - from the cherry pie attempt - so figured the pie would go together quickly. Ha! It was worse than the cherry pie attempt. Sigh......Maybe a smaller pie plate? I did try cooking the pie in the electric frying pan to say I did - it cooked, but I need to do some tweaking so the whole pie cooks! Finished cooking it in the oven. Again, the filling was too runny (sigh) and the pastry left a bit to be desired, but it tasted wonderful!
I also went through the remaining 15 lbs of apples. Ended up with just over 5 lbs of usable apples as the rest were completely rotten all the way through (even the ones without a visible outside blemish). So disappointing, but on the plus side I didn't have to find crisper space for the apples, and they're all dealt with. I made 6 cups of applesauce from the usable apples.
Sept. 1st I decided to try a 2-Ingredient Biscuit recipe - again, mine being 4 ingredients as I didn't have self-rising flour. Well, the biscuits tasted good, but they didn't rise and end up more like pancakes! OY! So I need to figure out what I did wrong before I try making more.
As I had quite a few LARGE ripe tomatoes, I made 7 cups of tomato soup Sept. 4th. I start by blending up the tomatoes (peel, seeds, and all) and then add other items (ie onions, peppers, etc), before I simmer it all with miscellaneous spices. No two batches of soup are ever the same. Five jars went into the freezer and I ate the other two on cold rainy days.
A lot of my baking and cooking is based on what I have on hand as I rarely buy special ingredients just to make a recipe. After assessing my kitchen, I decided to try making a basic no-knead peasant bread on Sept. 7th, as I had lots of flour and yeast. I have made yeast bread since Mom passed away, but that was in the bread maker so I could decide if I wanted to keep said bread maker - I ended up selling it, So, like pastry, it's been eons and ages since I made yeast bread without a bread maker. Thankfully the recipe was quick and easy. And there is something so homey (Hobbit like!) about the smell of yeast bread baking.
I ended up mixing up another loaf of peasant bread on Sept. 8th. Now that I had a better idea what to expect, I decided to bake this one in a smaller pan and that worked better. It's a perfect sized loaf for 1 person.
I decided to make one more loaf of the peasant bread on Sept. 9th. While the dough was rising for the 2nd time, I went out and pulled some carrots and dug some potatoes. I ended up outside a wee bit longer than expected so the dough really rose up. But, when it was cooking, it ended up overflowing the loaf pan so I had a bit of mess! The only way I could get it out of the pan was to take the top crust off completely. Really, there are days I swear I'm not supposed to enter the kitchen. While not a "perfect" loaf, and smaller than planned in the end without the top crust, I popped it in the freezer so I have bread if I ever need/want it and don't feel like making any.
Yard & Garden:
We received another 1/4 inch of rain Aug. 13th and then 1/8th inch on Aug. 14th. My farmer friend was back on the 14th, and this time he was able to set the mole trap.
Aug. 15th I went out and picked the last of the raspberries - 24 berries! Hopefully next year's crop is better. Cherries were starting to split because we had had so much rain, and even after picking another 8 cups, there were still lots on the tree. I picked the rest of the apples and got another 10 lbs, so that was about 30 lbs total. I pulled all of the onions and found 5 that looked like they were okay - on closer inspection, I only ended up with 3 very small onions, and I had planted 1.5 bags of onion sets. VERY disappointing.
I gave myself a scare, and I felt like throwing up, because I ended up stepping on a dead creature when I was picking the peas (shudder) - the mole? I didn't look closely enough, I just headed right into the house!
I was outside for a bit Aug. 16th and pulled some carrots from the large garden planter - largest was the size of my pinkie finger!
We received another 1/4 inch of rain on Aug. 17th. Later in the morning, I went out and picked another 8 cups of cherries off the tree.
After lunch my farmer friend returned and removed the dead critter from my garden. Thank goodness! I can handle a lot of difficult tasks in life, but dead critters are completely beyond me. He said it definitely was a dead mole, so I hope it was THE mole terrorizing my garden, and that he didn't have any friends with him. Farmer took his mole trap, and told me to contact him if I see any future mole activity. Hopefully the sonic spike has been in the ground long enough to deter any future critters.
Aug. 26th I went out and spent 1.5 hrs (approximately) pruning trees and shrubs in the yard - the biggest job was pruning the Nanking cherry and I probably should have taken more off but called what I did good enough for this year.
I spent an hour outside on Aug. 27th. I picked the last handful of peas and the last 2 cups of cherries. I also spent more time pruning the Nanking cherry as I realized (after looking at it from my bedroom window) there were more branches that needed to come off.
Later that afternoon, my neighbour mowed my lawn - between the weather and trying to keep the paper functioning, the grass got away from me again.
My Niece came over the morning of Aug. 28th and loaded the branches into the truck. She drove us to the dump and unloaded the branches too.
Sept. 3rd we received 1/2 inch of rain. I really wish there was some way I could save all the water in my full rain barrels for next year!
Sept. 4th I picked a very small handful of peas. Some unexpected later growing plants were starting to produce!
Sept. 8th we received another 1/8th inch of rain.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Since my last Letter, I completed two 1,000 piece puzzles - Niece helped put the final pieces in the first one when she was here.
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
As part of my Hobbit year, I make sure that I let go of (or put away, or finish) at least one physical item per day, and delete at least one computer file (or old email, or tab closed) per day. Some of my bigger highlights so far...
- more items sorted and to my Sister
- more items to the school - I had offered boxes of old handmade Christmas decorations and they were thrilled because theirs had all been stolen last Nov!
- items given to friends who had a need for the items
- more items used up from the freezer and cupboards as I subbed ingredients in recipes for what I have on hand
- more open tabs on my computer looked at and closed
My niece was here Aug. 24th and helped me move two big wooden swinging lawnchairs out of the garage and to the front of the yard where my sale is set up. We also put some other items from the garage in the yard sale.
When she was here on Aug. 28th, we pulled more items out of the garage and added them to the yard sale.
I was able to open the sales a few days the end of Aug. and over the Sept. long weekend, and I sold some items! Hopefully I can sell a lot more before the snow flies!
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):
Karen Abend's annual (free) Sketchbook Revival online retreat. With the outside work, I'm currently stalled on the journal(s).
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: working on my larger (for me) rug.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: It's been 6 months (!) that I've been doing 10 minutes of the health bounce, four times per day. I haven't missed a day at all! While I don't see anything "obvious," my body shape must be changing a bit as my clothes do fit slightly differently. Also, I notice my energy is a bit off on the days I'm not able to do my first 3 sets before lunch time.
"Mystery activity” I’m still doing this DAILY!! August marked 2 years and I haven't missed a day!
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- Era of the Dreamers journal - almost daily as I've been recording my outside activities in the garden.
- personal smashbook for DAILY journal writing as part of my connection to Spirit, my Guides, and my inner Wisdom.
- mini collages - at the stage where I have a whole bunch more bits and pieces that need sorted before I complete more.
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - on hold
- UFO crochet project (not food) - on hold
- my next small hooked rug
- I have my 13 inch round canvas that I started in Lou's program last year (that I got kicked out of) and I'm trying to decide what to cover it with.
Featured Products for Sale:
This is a great time to get back into routines, so I have 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 and stocking stuffers. 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, and at Pharmasave, Main Street, Clive.
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
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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!
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