#hollyhocks

Hollyhocks (1882) by John La Farge (American, 1835–1910).

Leaded glass window from the Frederick Lothrop Ames house in Boston.

Just to show you my Thursday early evening, when as part of Eddisbury Artists I gained privileged access to paint in a garden and farm in Cheshire - on private property very generously shared with us for a couple of hours by the family who call it home!

In the last picture you can see what I painted!

Thanks!

I mentioned yesterday that it had suddenly struck me with amazement — again — that I was living in such a beautiful place. And the same feeling struck me again today. It makes sense why I feel so grateful and so blessed; I live in a truly magical place. I was out working in the yard today — overdoing it as usual — and for a change, I stopped to rest on my pretty bench because I was too tired to…

"Fairy places, fairy things,

Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,

Tiny trees for tiny dames -

These must all be fairy names!"

There are a lot of topics I stay away from mostly because . . . well, because I don’t welcome backlash. I’m just too sensitive. But sometimes a topic keeps staring at me, which makes it impossible not to face it. For example, every time I opened my internet browser the past couple of days, I had Google reminding me about pride month (small letters are my subtle rebellion), which reminds me that…