growing things

I think I may enjoy growing things indoors as much as I do outdoors. After all, in the house I don't need to fend off biting insects or withstand oppressive heat or humidity.

I created terraria in glass globes some time back, with itty bitty succulents. They lasted for a while but I didn't care for them properly, I suppose. On the other hand, I have successfully kept my moss ball (which is actually algae) alive and happy, and moss gardens are a thing, so I repopulated my terraria with greens sourced through Etsy.

Teeny tiny little bubbles of soothing contentment and calm. Along with a vintage-looking green glass atomizer and Tod and Ted, my yoga skeletons with air plant heads.

the beauty of the world around me

summer is coming to a close, at least according to the calendar, and i will be vastly content when we have more days of cooler weather. sitting in my hanging chair on the back deck, watching and listening to the sounds of nature all around me, is truly soothing for me.

 

watercolor

i came across a youtube channel some months ago of an artist whose calm, gentle voice and soothing manner put me in a state of mind very much like bob ross did with his tv shows.

i'd been enjoying decorating my journal with stickers and washi tape and wanted to try something new. mostly i just played with the brushstrokes and directions and color blending, mimicking the soft effects that i've seen on inspirational quotes online.

then i felt brave enough to try to create some flowers. and more flowers. and then greens and plants and even a few pots and bowls and vases. i went to etsy and selected some new paints and fine-tipped brushes.

some days i don't paint at all, other days i find myself drawn to the dining room table with an image in my head. what comes out on the paper is never quite what i planned, but i am able to find something i like in every piece i create - a petal, a leaf, a gradation of color.

and i'm actually enjoying myself. it soothes me.

a return of sorts

it's been...a while since i last wrote here. a lot has changed. the pandemic really took a toll on my enthusiasm for recording just about anything. my mental health deteriorated and whatever energy i had was spent within and for my immediate family.

but i'm back. it feels strange and different and almost new. and - dare i say it - exciting?

so what you, dear reader, may want to catch up on is that artemis graduated homeschool and moved to boston for the carpentry program at north bennet street school. more about that later, but suffice it to say that he is pursuing his dream and i could not be more pleased or proud of him.

ander is homeschooling rather than moving to public high school with his classmates. covid conditions have once again surged with the delta variant, and we can do so much better for him homeschooling than public school can provide, especially under these circumstances.

steve is continuing to work from home (fortunately he has a job that allows him to do so), but i am no longer working for or at monroe street studio. and i think i'm finally okay with that. 

i'm starting a new chapter in my life story. 

also, my word of intention this year? soothe