Artful Journey

 My January reads were all excellent and varied. A favorite author An Author I admire Informative and empathetic  Poetic nonfiction full of surprises Barnes and Noble 2020 book of the year A lovely book of poems that I read daily A very different book that made me think  Because I am still trying to pick my favorites of 2021, I am starting to categorize monthly. I may even ask Fiona to help me set up a spreadsheet.  January Favorite.    How to Love the World   This a beautiful compilation. I keep it in the kitchen and start my day by reading a poem a day. A treasure! And a little time for artistic quotes in watercolor and pen and ink. From a calligraphy zoom get together With a big thanks to CJ as Administrator 

A blogging friend was hosting a stamping challenge using 2 colors- black and red. I have been interested in participating in her challenges for a while and finally got one completed. Sticking to just 2 colors makes the card making process quick and easy.  One of my favorite treats when shopping in Wegman’s grocery store is to grab a golden milk latte. Grocery shopping in Wegman’s is a real treat and I don’t get there very often as I have a few shops much closer. I am also trying to keep my carbon footprint small, so I plan my errands with that in mind. Fortunately, I will be over in the Wegman’s area next week  and will pick up some specialty items, flowers and a golden milk from the cafe. In the meantime,  I am enjoying this camomile and turmeric tea. Turmeric is an Indian flowering plant in the ginger family and is said to have many health benefits. On my last trip to Costco, I saw that they are carrying the rhizomes (similar to ginger but smaller) in the fresh produce section. I am

 I have been looking at my books of 2021 and trying to pick my favorites. My reading choices are often made by looking at reviews, award winners, personal recommendations, a book written by a favorite author, a topic I find interesting or a book I have picked up when browsing the stacks. It’s no surprise then that I end up with so many I love and picking the top 21 has been a challenge. One book stands out as the clear favorite for number one. My favorite book of 2021 Also on the list I read Patrick Radden Keefe’s book Say Nothing for my library’s book club choice in March.  It was a phenomenal read and I immediately put my name on the wait list for Empire of Pain. This historical narrative   is a testament to the power of investigative journalism and winner of the Baillie Prize for non-fiction and the Goodreads Choice Award  for History and Biography.  Also in my top 21 of 21 and in observance of Black History Month, Caste  by Isabel Wilkerson, another Goodreads Choice Award for Histo

 We live in a house of tea lovers and Fiona and I love to try new teas. I am getting low on my favorite Tea and Trumpets Earl Grey Lavender. Eugene has put the kibosh on ordering new flavored tea until we go through some of our incredibly large stash. We have made a big dent in our loose tea. Fiona got a great tea caddy so we can organize our tea bags. We have only 4 punjana teabags left from the 440 we ordered this summer, so I have more on order…it really is a go to here! Cheers to that,  Elizabeth and friends I am working on mindfulness in all areas including eating and drinking. So as I drink my tea, I will feel the warmth of the cup, inhale the aroma, taste the flavor, and feel the sensation of swallowing. I have been listening to  Rachael Kable’s podcast , The Mindful Kind and have recently started to listen to the early ones again. They are only 10 minutes each with over 300 episodes clearly listed and described, there is something for everyone. I know that a good cup of tea and