Coriander in the Spice Rack

A lot of the world celebrates Pride during June. In Rochester, we extend our celebrating into July. I didn’t go full out Pride on this one, but I think you’ll recognize the rainbow spirit. I’m curious if anyone will be able to guess some of my inspirations. 

What does July hold for you? Canada Day was July 1. We have Independence Day here in the U.S. There’s Bastille Day in France on July 14. Tell me about your other celebrations! 

I’m taking Discrete Mathematics this month, and it’s been fun so far. That’s what my celebrating is all about. Math!  lol. 

I’m also concentrating on making things for a craft sale near the end of the month. What are you up to?

As always, if you’d like this resized or made for a different device, please ask!

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This is the 12th month of making these monthly artworks! *High Five to myself* I made a commitment to myself and to YOU to make these every month. I plan to keep going!

What does June hold for you? It holds the beginning of Summer for me. Here in Rochester, we have a Rose Garden full of gorgeous blooms. It means weekly mowing, maybe even twice a week. Garage Sale season. Sitting out on the back deck enjoying the sun.

In many places, it is PRIDE MONTH! We celebrate in July, so we have extra PRIDE in June AND July. As a rainbow fan, I don’t mind one bit.

Also the start of mosquitos. I do not like this. June bugs which turn to grubs. Also not a fan.

As always, if you’d like this resized or made for a different device, please ask!

Check out my Patreon post to download this art, and/or request a wallpaper resize for a different device.

May Day and Beltane is one of my favorite days of all, and Spring is my favorite time of year. I’m so glad to see daffodils out, and buds on trees. The dog comes inside and smells like fresh air. I love it.

Here in Rochester, we have the Lilac Festival in May. Highland Park hosts an amazing festival, and thousands of people come to see the beautiful blooms. There are food trucks, live music, high school choirs and bands performing, and sunshine. A true highlight of life here.

I have been busy with my first class in my new degree program. I am currently putting the finishing touches on my last two projects. I have a special present ready for myself once I’m finished. Getting to this place in my life has been a true project. My first month of 29, and completely lifechanging. More on this soon.

What is your favorite part of Spring where you live?

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I have been working ahead of schedule, so there’s no excuse for this being late. I am sorry! Time simply got away from me. Spring is my favorite time of year, even though my allergies start up. I will endure the sneezing for the beauty that unfolds.

During this particular year, I have been attending a Psalm study group, and we decided to learn about 6 different Lenten characters. I was in charge of finding music for each person, and it has been a riot! I have learned SO MUCH. This week was Mary, Jesus’ bio mom. Let me tell you, there was not a dry eye in the Zoom. We were all so moved. I’m still choked up!

Although I am religious and spiritual, I haven’t always considered myself a Jesus person. After experiencing the Black Lives Matter movement during the pandemic, I have an even better sense of who Jesus was, and what he was all about then, and what he should be about now. The stories are such interesting to consider in historical context, and in today’s world.

I think I find this to be true of any great leader throughout history, to be honest.

My art this month is pretty lighthearted, and all about waiting for those Spring and Summer flowers. And Easter candy. And bunnies. Oh, how I love Reece’s chocolate eggs!!! And dyeing eggs. Carved Ukrainian Easter Eggs. Scandinavian Easter Trees. Oh, how I love this time of year.

What’s your favorite Easter candy?

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March for me means several things. The end of February. The Ides of March. In like a lion, out like a lamb. More snow. St. Patrick’s Day. Irish fiddle tunes. The anniversary of my 12-step recovery. It will be 3 years. The season of Lent. Easter, depending.

This year, Easter is in April. I’m part of a group who is going to study a few people of the Lenten story. I’m researching songs and music that correlate with each person. Mary Magdalene has a lot of songs written about her. Do you have a character in the crucifixion story that you’ve always wondered about?

Back to fiddling and St. Patty’s day, do you have a favorite Irish tune?

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As soon as Christmas is over, my brain goes right to Valentine’s Day. So I’ve been looking forward to seeing this one on my computer every day of the month.

Do you have big Valentine’s Day plans? Anti-Valentine’s Day plans? My mom’s birthday is the day before, so I usually spend the week trying to share love with her. We have dark chocolate, fancy kombucha, and bison to enjoy so far.

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1. Becoming Old: Poems of Aging by Richard Greene
2. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
3. The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
4. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
5. Good Catholic Kids by Jymi Cliche
6. The Firebrand and the First Lady by Patricia Bell-Scott
7. The Intuitive Eating Workbook by Evelyn Tribole MS, RDN & Elyse Resch, MS, RDN (gave up 4/20/22)
8. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
9. Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn
10. Come as you are by Emily Nagoski
11. Unexpected Stories by Octavia Butler
12. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
13. The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
14. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
15. I will always write back by Caitlin Alifrenka
16. In the Lateness of the World by Carolyn Forche
17. Conflict is not abuse by Sarah Schulman
18. Let’s talk about hard things by Anna Sale
19. The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher L. Heuertz
20. The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna
21. Making a Living without a job by Barbara J. Winter
22. The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
23. Divine Rebels by Caroline Myss and Andrew Harvey
24. All Saints Hotel and Cocktail Lounge by Nathan Monk
25. Your Children Are Very Greatly in Danger by Justin Murphy
26. Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
27. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
28. The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
29. Hope by Marc Levy
30. The Code Breaker by Isaac Isaacson
31. Evicted by Matthew Desmond
32. Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
33. No Walls and the Recurring Dream by Ani DiFranco
34. Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
35. Money Making Mom by Crystal Paine
36. Bone Music by Christopher Rice
37. The Flux by Ferrett Steinmetz
38. Rain Girl by Gabi Kreslehner
39. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
40. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
41. The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
42. How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge by Clay Scroggins
43. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk
44. Becoming by Michelle Obama
45. Nonbinary. Memoirs of Gender and Identity
46. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
47. A Demon in my view by Ruth Rendell
48. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
49. 1776 by David McCullough
50. The Virgin of Prince Street by Sonja Livingston
51. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
52. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
53. A Season in Hell by Rimbaud
54. The Undesired by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
55. Killer Reunion by G.A. McKevett
56. The Day is Dark by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
57. Sami Blood
58. The Heart Keeper by Alex Dahl
59. Alfons Mucha 1860-1939 : master of art nouveau by Renate Ulmer
60. The little old lady who broke all the rules by Catherina Ingelman-Sundberg
61. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
62. More Myself by Alicia Keys
63. Beloved by Toni Morrison
64. American Dirt
65. The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
66. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
67. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
68. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
69. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
70. How to argue with a racist by Adam Rutherford

Happy New Year’s Eve, my friends!

I just got the news about Betty White. The upside – the Golden Girls are finally together again. The downside – Betty didn’t make it to 100. She was a treasure though. I’ll be in denial for a while. 

This year has had MANY great moments. On the other hand, it’s been filled with so many hardships. As Glennon Doyle has said, “We can do hard things.” The past two years have shown us this, if nothing else. We are capable of so much more than we know. We also need to prioritize ourselves in order to help others. This has never been so clear. 

Do you have any new intentions for 2022?

I am going to make art every day in 2022, and share it here. That’s my intention. That’s my action. I am also going back to school. I have to have a balance between creating and learning. I’m planning to launch on Twitch, and make some haiku videos this year, too. 

Check out my Patreon post to download this art, and/or request a wallpaper resize for a different device.

I’m both surprised it’s almost December, and excited for this particular holiday season. It’s nearly time for Sanka Lucia, the bringer of light, to bring strong coffee, saffron buns, and other Scandinavian treats. The night gets dark sooner, but before we know it, Spring will be around the corner. I try to extend this season as long as possible. 

What is your favorite part of this time of year?

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https://www.patreon.com/posts/57886660

I have a daily gratitude practice, so November is extra thankfulness. I have collected journal books for years and years. I have only ever fully completed ONE journal though, and I just finished it! It’s one from Dollar Tree, which I collaged a lot of different magazine cutouts into, and it has a bunch of 2020 New Yorker Covid-19 pictures. Which is interesting to look back on now. I have my first “bullet” type journal, which I’ve been using as a weekly brain dump, and to collate various bits of things I need to remember.

What are you thankful for?

Do you have journals? How do you use them?

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