Hello dear Readers, I’m back. I know I haven’t written much lately about the progress of illustrating my children’s book. Life has a way of throwing me off course, (like a new dog!) but here I am writing to you again. It’s good to be back at the drawing table. I actually made some progress!…

There’s a pink goddess outside my window  Her dark strong arms stretch up high into the sky  Blossoms adorn her many limbs Proud, gentle and pink  She does not hide her beauty For she knows it will soon fade The winds of change come  And her pink blossoms rain down Covering the ground with pink snow …

I’m back at it again, drawing pictures for my children’s story. This time with a lovable, watchful dog by my side. I’m surprised it feels easier to keep coming back to my illustrations with this dog around. It took a few days to adjust & develop a daily routine with her, but now our morning…

Hello Readers, I haven’t posted anything the last few Sundays. Life took an unexpected turn. My daughter came to visit for a week before her federal job is reinstated. I haven’t seen her in a year, so it was a welcome sudden change in plans. While she was here she said, “Mom, you need to…

Hello Readers, It’s been a busy week, not much time for illustrating my story. Taxes took much of my time this week, but now they’re finally done & ready for my CPA. I never like doing taxes, but once I start I enjoy the process of looking back over the past year and remembering what…

Hello Readers, As promised, I’m sharing my progress with illustrating my first children’s book. This past week I met with other artists at a local coffee shop. We gather once a week around a large rectangular table, sip tea or coffee, talk, and work on our own art projects. This time I worked on my…

I bought this large painting at Pier 1 in Los Angeles to connect me with the trees & forests I missed. It hung in my bedroom over my writing desk for many years. I loved it. Sadly, I couldn’t bring it to Oregon. No room left, so I gave it away, reluctantly. But when I…

Feb 14, 2025 – The day started sweet with a loving Valentine’s Day message from a far away old friend. I thanked her & then sent a text message to my adult daughter who lives in another state. I wished her a lovely day & told her I loved her. She replied with a ❤️…

Last year I wrote about taking a break from packing boxes for my big move to Oregon. I baked a wonderful sour cream coffee cake with cinnamon, ginger cardamom & orange zest thanks to Ruth Stroud’s family recipe learned from her mother, Flora Stroud. Now, a year later I’m taking a break again. Only this…