My 4th anniversary Letter! Where did the time go?
I would like to wish all the mothers and mother-figures a very Happy Mother's Day this weekend.
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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?)
[SPRING/PLANT/SEEDS]: Give into Passion (fire, let yourself go and follow your bliss, replenish yourself with joy and passion)
Bealtaine: Tears of Joy and Sadness (water, everything will work out okay)
Celebrations:
It's now 8 months later, and the greenery from the Telus bouquet is STILL in the vase on the table! I'm not sure if it will last another month as it is starting to show signs that it might be wilting.
I bid on 3 artworks in Lacombe's Performing Arts Centre's "Piece by Piece" silent auction in April, and I was (surprisingly) successful in acquiring two of them! The painting on the left really appealed to me, and the hooked rug art piece on the right was done by my neighbour at the end of the block. This is now the 2nd hooked rug art piece of hers I own. Both artworks are 12 x 12 inches.
During my paper deliveries on Apr. 15th I saw a lovely sundress in the Bashaw Thrift Store that I couldn't resist! Quickly tried it on and it fit!
I had a lovely day on my birthday, May 1st. Despite any rumours floating around, I'm still not even close to turning 60!
Sis gave me a $25 gift card to the local restaurant for my birthday! Lovely gift!
Niece gave me a bottle of white acrylic paint (repayment for a tube from my stash I'd given her for a school project) and a set of watercolours - she'd never seen watercolour in tubes before. Very exciting!
I visited the Bashaw Art Show on May 3rd - lovely art and quite the variety of styles and mediums this year. I had some wonderful visits with others attending (I was even asked if I had any of my art on display! Nope!) and I said hi to my favourite artists. Unfortunately, the artists were busy chatting with others so I didn't get to catch up as I'd hoped, but I can do that another time, as I do see them off and on when I deliver papers in Bashaw.
I watched Hallmark movies on the Global app on my ipad and Josh Johnson's comedy sketches online for laughter and stress relief.
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 completed 24 covered coathangers to the end of April. I've been completing an average of 1/day. I sell the covered hangers for $2 each.
I completed more mini collages on 4.5x6 mixed media paper. The last one on the third row (chef) was my 200th mini collage!!! Guess that makes me an artist who does collage????
I finished my 44th cartoon comic booklet. You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/beth.richardson.10/videos/2025973631637173
A good friend was surprised to hear that I had never watched the TV series "Yellowstone" and highly recommended it. I finished watching season 1 of the Yellowstone prequel "1923" Apr. 12th, and finished watching season 2 on Apr. 26th. That is everything watched that is available to date. Of the three series, regular + 2 prequels, "1923" was my favourite! And not just because Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren were the main characters, though that was certainly a huge part of it.
In Beth's Kitchen:
Back when my niece was a preschooler, and I was very limited in what I could eat while we tried to figure out what was making me sick, I used to make 2-Ingredient Banana Pancakes all the time (1 banana = 1/2 cup for every 2 eggs). Apr. 11th I decided to try making the pancakes with my homemade applesauce instead of banana. They worked! And are almost better than the banana ones! I will definitely be making these again!
Apr. 14th, I made half a loaf of bread into French toast.
Apr. 18th, I mixed up some Tuscan nut "meat" burgers - I used a mix of walnuts, pecans, and sunflowers, and for the cheeses, I used cottage cheese and grated cheddar cheese, as that's what I had on hand. I made them bigger than I have in the past, and ended up with 7 patties.
Later in the afternoon, I made a chocolate cake (with cherries on the bottom). I was going to make it for my birthday cake, but decided to just make it and come up with a Plan B for my birthday. I also planned to ice the cake and decided I didn't need to.
Update: I let them dry out and that crisped them up before I broke them into pieces for crackers. I might be tempted to make again for the crackers, not the flatbread.
I noticed some of the apples in the crisper were going rotten (grrr) - I haven't touched the apples since I put them in the crispers last fall! As Apr. 24th was a very cold, windy, snowy day, I decided it was a good day to deal with the apples. There ended up being 1/2 a pail of rotten ones (less than I expected when I started!). I made 3.5 cups of applesauce, and then decided to make life easier for myself and prepped all the rest of the apples for juice.
Apr. 26th (day #4 of snow!) I finished off the apple juice - didn't add any sugar to this batch - and ended up with just shy of 12 full cups of juice.
Yard & Garden
My neighbour who gave me the plants last spring had some more items to give away, so I popped over Apr. 27th and was given some tomato cages, some larger plant pots, an old heavy wheelbarrow without a wheel (the plan is to turn it into a garden planter - fingers crossed), and an aloe vera plant.
Last year I was given a seed starting kit for my birthday and I didn't use it because I had my plan for the garden all in place at the time I received it. I pulled it out this year, and started the seeds on May 1st (full moon!). I planted pattypan squash, scallions, nasturtiums, cantaloupe, watermelon, and parsley. Fingers crossed! I also decided to try planting radish inside (in the plant pot on left) as it hasn't worked outside for the past 2 years. Fingers crossed.
I stopped at my neighbours on the way home from the Bashaw Art Show to update her on the state of the items she'd given me last month, and she gave me some poppy seeds - in exchange for the poppy seeds I'd given her - for a very unique variety!
May 4th I had 3 radish plants poking through the dirt!!!!!
I started more seeds inside on May 5th (fingers crossed) - carrots & peas as an experiment. After lunch, I went out and pulled a bunch of my plant pots out of the garage so the dirt can warm up. Some also need more dirt added before I plant anything in them. I pulled a LOT of quack grass out of the backyard perennial bed - I'd toyed with letting it go to grass last year as no flowers grew, but decided to try again. I planted some miscellaneous unknown flower seeds and some of the poppy seeds from my neighbour in the bed (fingers crossed). I weeded my smaller strawberry patch and discovered only 1 surviving strawberry plant! I hope it lives this year and produces. I planted some Egyptian Walking Onion along the edge of the bed. When I was given some a couple of years ago, I was told it was garlic chives, but this year, the gal told me she discovered it's ACTUALLY Egyptian Walking Onion! Still in the same family as the chives so works for me. I also weeded the west side of my grape vines and planted more Egyptian Walking Onion there - I had planted a bunch there last year but only 1 plant came up this year. All in all, I was outside 1.25 hours.
Despite feeling the aches and pains from the previous day, I went out and spent an hour weeding my 2nd strawberry bed - my strawberries don't seem to have wintered very well so I hope I do get fruit this year. Fingers crossed.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Since my last Letter, I completed a 500 piece puzzle.
UFO (UnFinished Object) Update:
As part of my Hobbit year, I'm going through the Inner Circle Let It Go, Let It Flow program again. 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
- used foodstuffs from the freezer and pantry
- more items added to the yard/craft sales and I opened up May 2nd for the first sale of the season
I finished reading the book from my neighbour, "Paper Garden: Mrs. Delany begins her life's work at 72" by Molly Peacock, and WOW! Just WOW! Mrs. Delany is credited with creating collage as an art form in the late 1700's, though it isn't collage as we know it today. Over the span of 10 years, Mrs. Delany created 985 "paper mosaicks." I'm definitely keeping this book because Mrs. Delany was a very fascinating person, and her life/creative expression covered a whole range. Plus, it's a good reminder that you can start something new at any age.
I also read another book from the box in the basement - a 1960 translation of 1943 lectures on the history of the I Ching! (Yes, I do have very eclectic reading tastes). Overall, not that interesting a book (massive repetition) but it was neat to learn about the evolution of the I Ching as the leadership of China evolved. This book went into my yard sale.
The next book I read from the basement box was "Sam Steele: Lion of the Frontier" by Robert Stewart. I didn't know he did NWMP patrols around Buffalo Lake in the area I live. I didn't know he was in the Yukon during the Klondike gold rush and established the international border (among other accomplishments). I sort of knew he was involved in the Boer War, but not to the extent he was. I didn't know he's the reason the Canadians were the fierce fighters they were in WWI (despite higher ups political infighting and trying to get rid of him). He should have had so many promotions through his lengthy career, but was always passed up because he was a Tory supporter. Alas the Brits honoured him more than the Canadian politicians, though rank and file loved him. I knew he was a very famous Canadian/Albertan, but I didn't realize all he did for the country. Part of me wants to hang onto this book, but I know I don't really need it. That said, I'll hang onto it "just for now" and make a decision after I've read some more of the basement books.
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. Besides the journal making session, I watched 5 other sessions on different page styles you can create in a sketchbook/journal - I chose those sessions because I knew the presenters were fun and their sessions would be lighthearted. I was not in the mood for "serious" or "deep" art, but rather fun, joyful lighthearted art.
I made a bit more progress on the journal(s) but they aren't completed yet! Thankfully, I have the instructions so I can take as long or as short a time as I need to make them.
Deanne Fitzpatrick's (paid) Playful Joyful Rug Hooking beginner course: I am working on the small rug I started way back in Nov! I also have ideas percolating for the next 2 small rugs I want to start once I finish the current one.
Physical Activity:
Rebounder: I've been doing 10 minutes of the health bounce, four times per day for 2 months now. Still not noticing anything obvious with my health/body, but my legs aren't as sore when I get off, and my posture might (?) be improving.
"Mystery activity” I’m still doing this DAILY!! For 2026, I'm just enjoying the activity and not worry about reaching a specific time duration or level of proficiency.
Works in progress:
Currently, I'm working on...
- Era of the Dreamers journal
- personal smashbook for DAILY journal writing as part of my connection to Spirit and my Guides
- mini collages - at the stage where I have a whole bunch more bits and pieces that need sorted
- painting (18-20?) ceramic Easter egg people from Gramma's craft kits (acrylics) - on hold
- UFO crochet project (not food)
- 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.
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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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!
