Riding the Thermals

Today I have a few journal pages to share. Feeling pensive as I observe the lengthening shadows and shorter days presaging fall. Oh, I fight the passing of summer. I love the long, warm days so thoroughly.

It's funny how we feel autumn's approach under our skin. The light changes. The senses quicken. I always feel like starting new projects in the fall; enrolling in classes or embarking on journeys.

Last Sunday we picked the peaches off the Frost Peach tree and I made a double recipe of Peach Cobbler to take to a potluck picnic that was a reunion of our old Portland Tilth Group.

For around 10 years John and I attended monthly meetings at the Friends Meeting Hall along with dozens of other enthusiastic organic gardeners and CSA growers. We shared vegetarian potlucks from our gardens and information on growing food and flowers. We met the best people in the world there.

This honeysuckle growing in Liz's garden reminds me of the honeysuckle that grew up the wall in our old house in Orenco. Up the wall and through the wall and finally into our bathroom window on the second floor of the house with the big clawfoot bathtub and the weathered window sashes. John and I fell in love in that house and the memories now are sweetened by time into legend. It was a hard life there but a good one too.

Sweet summer; I plan to stretch time and keep you with me longer.

I did this encaustic titled "Postcard from Mama" based on an old postcard I collected from around 1910. As I worked on it I reflected on the story of my mother's cousin's mother who, on one snowy, bitterly cold winter night, walked in front of a train on her way home from work. "On purpose?" I remember asking. But nobody knew. Maybe the wind muffled the sound of the train. Or maybe she couldn't take it. They were coal miners in that town in southern Illinois and life was a struggle.

Lots of rain this week forced John to dig the onions early and set up the drying racks.

He brought in a beautiful harvest of onions. Our garage smells yummy. He's also harvesting beans, before the rain spoils them.

The image on the right side of the page above reads, "Might as well face it, you're addicted to blogs". ha ha. That's me alright.

One last reminder here. Elizabeth is taking sign-ups for Squam until August 29th and then the doors slam shut. Squam is going to be delicious; in two weeks I'll be there along with many of my blog heros that I've yet to meet. There are classes for writers, artists, craftspersons. In the piney woods of New Hampshire. I'm already thinking about what I'm going to pack (flannel!). I've made workbooks and handouts and goody packets for my students. I'm going to spoil some people (hee hee). I love to do that.

In fact I'm going shopping today for some of the treasure. So if you can join us you will have a wonderful adventure. I'm teaching 2 journaling classes and one class on painting expressive faces in mixed media.

That's the update from here for today. Art in the Pearl this weekend and then on to Squam. I'll keep you posted; Girl Reporter on the job!