Leaf

Standing Leaf at Preble Park in Green Bay

The Power of a Handwritten Letter

From Across the Miles

It’s been a long time since I sat down and wrote someone a letter on a regular basis. I used to when we lived in Maryland and Montana-especially when I was cooking up in the mountains and going to college.

But the last few years, since moving back to Wisconsin and being closer to my family, I stopped writing and relied on email and Facebook/twitter to correspond.

That was until this month.  I’ve been participating in “A Month of Letters”.  I had forgotten how wonderful it was to receive a handwritten note and how good writing someone else made me feel.

I ordered my first fountain pen and have been going a little crazy searching for fun/unique stationary and notecards. I’ve been writing three notes a day at times. I blame it on the fountain pen.

Even as February draws to a close, I intend to keep writing and sending out letters. I’m really enjoying it and am so grateful for this little nudge to reconnect with friends, old and new and family once again.

 

Neighbors

Poking up
peering out
between jagged slabs of stone
blades of grass
out of place, overgrown.
unruly weeds
take over the once kempt yard.
darkened windows
lifeless house
I wonder,
what happened?
where did they go?

Catching Up

Inky's Twig by Brandee Baltzell

It’s been a crazy few weeks again. I’m a little behind on reading your blogs and for that I apologize. My mother fell on ice and tore two ligaments in her knee so I’ve been looking after her as she mends. She has surgery next week and I’ll be running her forth and back to the doctor and to her meetings as need be. I’m still here and I promise to catch up as I can.

I am participating in A Month of Letters which is a challenge to write and mail a letter a day for the month of February. I hope you’ll check it out and maybe join in. Emails just aren’t the same as getting a good old fashioned letter.

Winter has been very mild so far. We don’t have much if any snow on the ground which has made it impossible to snowshoe or go sledding. I’m bummed and I admit, if this is how Winter is going to be then I would rather Spring arrive early. You may display your faces of shock now. Yes, I know.

I added a page to my blog called “Peeling Bark” with subpages beneath it labeled #1 and #2 (so far). They are password protected. They are my Ambien writings – writings I did when I was under the influence of Ambien. Once in a while when I can’t sleep I will take an Ambien. Sometimes I fight the sleep and I end up in front of my computer writing some very strange stories and thoughts. I don’t have a lot of them but I am posting about one a week for the next few weeks from my files. There are only about five or so total and they are from a few years ago. They are quite bizarre and I’m not totally comfortable making them public. If you want to read it, let me know and I will give you the password. Read them with the understanding that they are very “out there” and quite silly.

This beautiful drawing at the top of the post is courtesy of my friend Brandee over at Brandeewine, the very same Brandee who drew “Queen of the Squirrels”.

She sent it to me with the sweetest note. I wish you could see her handwriting. It is most beautiful and I must admit that I am jealous. I wish my penmanship could be as glorious. Thank you, Brandee!

So there you have it. I think I’m all caught up. I hope everyone is doing well and not getting the Winter blahs. It will be Spring soon enough!

A Splash of Color Is Good for the Soul

A Splash of Color is Good for the Soul

I forgot how much I enjoy drawing. It’s just for me. I’m not an artist. But there’s something so relaxing about it. When my mind is too full and I need to reset myself, drawing with my four-year-old does the trick.

I also realized that I never did work through the book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”. I bought the book a few years ago, did one of the assignments – where I had to draw my hand and then I stopped.

So this weekend, I pulled the book off the shelf then went to the store and bought a box of hexagon colored pencils. They are nice and fat and there are twenty colors. Aren’t they pretty?

We could all use a little splash of color in our lives I think!

Again, I have to tell you that it is because of my friends Brandee and Matt that I’m picking up a pencil and drawing. They inspire me as do all my wonderful blogging friends I’ve made. Each and every single one of them has inspired me in so many ways. I thank each of you and hope you know how much I appreciate it!

I won’t be doing a one a day drawing or anything like that. Just when the mood strikes. Maybe one a week. I’d like to perfect my trees. I love drawing trees, landscapes and tulips.

I figured buying these colored pencils was a good start. Now, to do the work!