"Spent the day..."

...sketchbook in hand...

at the 38th Annual Festival of the Arts

in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

The arts were definitely alive and well!

There were artisans galore...

wall to wall people milling about enjoying the day...

live musical performances...

wine tasting...

an indoor antique and book sale...

and food, food, and more food!

We found several artistic pieces for Christmas gifts

and

had the most delicious award winning barbeque sandwich

from "Sally's BBQ"

topped off with a paper cone

full of fresh, hot, honey roasted pecans.

MMM...mmm!

Saturday was simply a satisfying delightful day.

"The arts

are an even better barometer

of what is happening in our world

than the stock market or the debates in congress."
~Hendrik Willem Van Loon

"Let's Meet At.."

...at the annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival!

Oh my gosh...for a lifetime, it seemed,

it was an October tradition my family to gather in Sycamore

for the weekend of Pumpkin Festival.

(The link above has all kinds of interesting info, if you have time.)

The arts and crafts fair would be on Saturday and Sunday...

And the big parade

...attracting over 100,000 visitors...

would culminate the festival on Sunday.

Anyone

who had moved away from home

would be back in town for the celebration.

There were carved pumpkins on the courthouse lawn,

pumpkin pie eating contests, carnival rides, vendors along the streets...

fireworks, family reunions, sloppy joes, caramel apples,

10K runs, politicians campaigning, leaves crunching,

antique shows, excited school kids,

painted faces,

a "down home" flavor everywhere you went.

The crispness of Fall was is the air...and life was totally good!

I miss autumn celebrations in the midwest

and

warming up by crackling fires at night...

It was so comforting and fun for all of us to be together.

This post is dedicated to all friends, colleagues,

and former students,

who are in town this weekend for the celebration!

I will be thinking about you!

"The nice part about living in a small town

is that when you don't know what you're doing,

someone else does."

~Unknown

"An Old Fashioned..."

...Midwest garden hideaway...

Blumen Gardens...in lovely Sycamore, Illinois.

Primitive, rustic, quirky, and artistic treasures

fill an old brick warehouse

and an enchanting garden shop to the brim.

Winding stone, brick, and gravel pathways

weave through luscious seasonal plant and flower displays

making the gardens a perfect neighborhood retreat.

Quaint and unique areas of the garden

make ideal spots for a wedding or an evening reception,

plein air painting or yoga classes,

and a rich variety of all sorts other special activities.

Architectural remnants and antique garden artifacts

have been lovingly revamped and recycled and renewed...

and used as display items

making the atmosphere feel nostalgic and even a bit zen like.

Whenever I visit the gardens my heart becomes light

and my spirit seems to float.

Click here

to learn about the gardens or to take your own personal garden journey. :)

"The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses."

~Hanna Rion

"Berries and Leaves..."

...about to burst with splashes of autumnal glory.

These "gifts"

are brought to you courtesy of the one of the

"clump hawthorn" trees

in front of our house back in

Illinois. :)

"It's a Pygmy..."

...Pygmy Barberry, that is...

All dressed up in autumnal splendor!

And...For any of you curious readers out there...

to date...

there have been 53 blooms... and we're still counting...on the

Night Blooming Cereus! :)

"Nothing New Here?..."

... Just the "same old...same old"!

Doesn't matter where you live...yardwork is inevitable!

When we were back in Illinois

Scott and I worked one day
using a small hand saw and tree clippers,
to trim overgrown bushes and trees and hedges and the like...
bagging 14 jumbo recycling bags full of yard waste
and tying together 4 huge bundles of thicker limbs
to be carried off the next day by Waste Management.
And...
That didn't even include mowing the lawn, edging, pulling weeds,
"yadda, yadda, yadda...!"

It was just more or the "same old..same old..."

we have done every summer.

We knew yard work in Arizona was inevitable too,

and we also knew it was a different animal...entirely!

Everything growing in the desert has some sort of thorn or "bite" to it

and it is ferociously fearsome to tackle!
This morning , Domingo and his 2 man crew

worked for 2 hours using power "whackers" to tame

8 thorny bougainvillea bushes,

5 Mexican bird of paradise,

2 spiked Palo Verde trees,

and one Canary Island palm...

all gone "wild and woolly" since we were away.

Thorny prickly yard debris was everywhere

piled 3-4 feet high in places

from front to back!
Palm fronds and branches and limbs

were lifted with pitchforks and thrown into
the back of a huge open "soon to be overflowing" trailer cart.

Like a myriad of snowflakes in a windstorm,

papery dried bougainvillea blossoms were spun everywhere in the air

given flight by blasts from two powerful yard blowers.

Nothing new here...

Yes, again, the "same old...same old"-just Arizona style.

Hmmm...

"Nothing new here..."

In proofing these words, now in the wee hours of this day,

I find my spirit unsettled.

I have spoken only of mundane things.

Trying to be witty and clever and light...

Chores, and routines, and piles of yard waste...

the "same old ...same old."

Not once thinking or speaking about a bigger picture.

My heart aches for those who are experiencing

numbing loss this year due to uncontrollable forces of nature.
Lives and spirits and property have been brutally bashed.

No one ever knows when strife will happen.

No day should ever be the "same old same old..."

Every day really counts...Lives must be lived with gratitude,
Blessings must be counted daily.
I pray that with faith and hope all will be able to

piece together the broken bits of their spirits

their hearts, their homes and their days...

"Yet Another..."

...sketchbook peek...

from my Midwest Travelin' Journal

of two favorite late summer Illinois garden flowers.

To me...

the Indian Blanket flower heralds the coming of autumn

with her bold graphic display...

while the delicate Hollyhock bloom whispers nostalgic stories

of sentimental bygone summer days.

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.9"

...ROAD TRIP TO the state of WISCONSIN

and to the

Beautiful Geneva Lakes Area!

And relax...ahhhh...we most certainly did...
right there on the shore
sitting comfortably basking in the sun...and sketching!

It was a gorgeous day...

everyone in sight seeming to be enjoying

the last lingering bits of summer.

It was so refreshing to sit by a body of fresh blue water...

cool breezes on our faces...

a pleasant change indeed from our desert home!

We hiked a bit along the lake...mainly near Williams Bay,

then sauntered through the town and shops

of Lake Geneva herself.

We stopped for an informal bite to eat ...simply delicious...

and sat outside

watching all the people either casually strolling by

or

cruising the streets in their vintage cars.

It was a glorious day...we took lots of pictures...

Of beautiful vintage lamps... and homes... and shops...

...Staying until almost dark.
After stopping at the Yerkes Observatory on Williams Bay at sunset
for a quick peek at its fantastic architecture
we made the star lit journey back to Illinois.
It would be just a few quick short days remaining
before we would head back to Arizona.

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind."
~Seneca
Yes...I agree...road trips really do rock! LOL :)

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.8"

A "SUMMER'S END" GARDEN OF JEWELS...
"Illinois Prairie style!"

...Perky ebony Black Eyed Susans...

...Chirping emeraldy crystal-winged Cicadas...

...Powdery pink-purple Cone Flowers,

And, last but not least...
a grouping of lily-like ivory white Hosta

...drawn during an all-day rain shower...

now nestling safe and dry in this artist's traveling sketchbook!

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.7"

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE...

"Main Entry: chore

Part of Speech: noun

Synonyms: assignment, duty, effort

errand, housework, job, scutwork, stint, task, work..."
-Thesaurus.com.

I guess it doesn't matter where you live,

or how you view the world,
or what you do for a living,
well...that is, unless you are a "gazillionaire"
The immediacy of "Chores" continually surfaces in our lives.

It's a curious little concept...

for it's just a matter of one's perspective

as to whether the chore is a positive or a negative task.

For us...actually, just Scott...on our Illinois trip...

it involved scraping,

sanding,
priming,
and painting

outdoor window sills, trim, and garage door panels...

readying the place for the onslaught of cold, wind, and snow.

For me...

there was no scraping or priming involved...

Just a bit of lead free "efforting" in my sketchbook

one Illinois summery sunny afternoon.

Looking back on the day...I think both our painting efforts

turned out just the way they should have....
living proof that...

it's true

the results of chores...

just like the results of life...

are determined by a simple matter of one's perspective.

Oooh, yea...

and when the going gets tedious

it doesn't hurt if you "whistle while you work" a bit!

(A nice cold Corona with lime works "magic" too!) LOL

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt. 6"

ALL AROUND THE HOUSE ARE...

...Spigots and Outlets and Vents...Oh MY!

...Hinges and Handles and Lamps...What JOY!

...A Front door, a Wreath and two Handles more,

...A yellow Weber Grill...right by the back door!

Now...
One day it rained from morning 'til night...
And being from the desert...this was a great sight!
Puddles, and spashes...bricks and toes soaking wet,
'Twas a great day for sketching...think of it always? You BET!

I hope you've enjoyed this artsey "house tour"
For when the drawing bug bites...there just is no cure!
A last fact to add...and...I do so with glee:
Is that the sketches above were all done "Lead Free! "

WooHoo! :)

"Midwest Travelin...Pt.5"

THESE DAYS OF OUR LIVES...

...In acknowledgement of

and,

in some cases celebration for,
our common experiences of...

...all the local festivals, and craftshows, and tractor exhibits,

...all the grandiose and inspirational international ceremonies,

...all the emotion filled national public gatherings,

(...regardless of what one's preferred political party affiliations...)

...and of all the universal unstoppable humbling forces of nature...

In acknowledgement of each of these ...
these experiences which shape and color our days
and build or destroy our worlds...

A simple artist's journal preserves the memory of them all!
Everyday Matters! :)

"Midwest Travelin'...Pt.4

VISITING OLLIE...

...And
...Sharing wonderful stories about the glorious "olden days",
...Reading mail and postcards from family members,
...Looking through photo albums and reminiscing,
...Tending to the tomato garden and the pretty summery flowers,
and
...Enjoying, daily, a delicious Steak & Shake chocolate shake!

M-M-M-M...Good, good times!
We Love you Ollie! :)

"Midwest Travelin..." Pt.3

Paradoxes...

"Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do. "

-Ricky Ricardo (I Love Lucy Show)

Now, You are probably wondering...How does all this dental stuff...

GO WITH THESE DANCING HOT DOGS!!!???
Stay with me...Explanation to follow...:)

Our recent trip to the midwest
was actually a trip "home"...
a bit of a "working vacation", if you will,
visiting the place(s) where we lived
before moving to Arizona four years ago.
Scott and I both have family in Illinois.
Scott's dad and his sister and her family live"out in the country"...
and
my brother Mark and his wife live north of Chicago along the lake.

So,
How do those two sketches above... go together???
Simple...
While visiting my brother Mark, who happens to also be our dentist!!! LOL
I completed the top sketch...lead free...waiting in one of his exam rooms.
The second sketch...
"SUPERDAWG" is a "must visit" place if one happens
(click here to see what I mean)
to be anyway near the northwest side of Chicago...
which we were...at sunset...right after our dental exams...:)
The place is world famous and a great "slice" of Chicago food culture.

Originally,
we planned to stay in Illinois for three weeks...
to visit family, take care of appointments, prepare our home for winter
and the like.
We were busy every single minute of every single day it seemed.
Extending our stay an additional week was indeed a brilliant decision.
My travel journal will take you along
to all the places we visited, appointments we kept,
and
through all those crazy chores and busy mundane daily stuff we did.
I hope you are enjoying my this visual diary of our "midwest travlin!"
She was a joy to fill! :)

Hope my "splainin" these paradoxical drawings helped! :)

"Midwest Travelin'...Part 1

First off...

This is my first and only illustrated travel journal...ever.

And, so as not to disappoint anyone,

it is NOT at all exotic...

nor is it filled with wondrous architectural monuments,

or glorious vistas.

It's pretty much a mundane visual diary...a record of

the things, the appointments, the chores, and the everyday matters

that keep us all busy day after day.

I really had a great time completing this journal.

I hope you will enjoy looking though its pages with me.

And so we begin... (click on images to enlarge)

August 12...departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor

en route to Chicago O'Hare

and on to the rich farm country of Dekalb County in northern Illinois.

The sky that morning was simply glorious...the sun was just rising

and everything was awash in corals and lavenders...

It was simply stunning.

Waiting at the gate is always an interesting experience.

Since our flight was delayed a bit I had plenty of time to sketch!

I put my actual baggage tags in my sketch book.

More installments of my journal will be posted daily...stay tuned! :)