vacation

BRAND NEW this summer is the ‘7×7 Summer Sunshine Sizzling Sketchbook Special’.
Here’s number seven in the series of 49′ers: Aspen On The Rocks. That’s an original 7” x 7” watercolor painting – 49 square inches of original art for $49 (plus tax and $10 for shipping).
To make it yours, just send me an email with ‘I’ll Take It’ in the subject line. The first reader to call dibs on each of the nine pieces (one a week) takes it away. Thanks to all the ‘dibbers’ from recent weeks. Good luck this time around!
This is your chance to pick up an original piece of art at a sizzling summer rate. Enjoy … and may the early bird snag the sketch!
BTW – if another early bird beats you to it, and you’d like your own reproduction OR you’d prefer a print in a larger size, here’s the link to make that happen: Aspen On The Rocks. While you’re there, be sure to read the backstory about the image in the Description section of the listing.
You can always check out this and other images on my Fine Art Pauseworks Studio Gallery Website.

Reflection: Does your upcoming summer vacation carry a ‘same as last year’ flavor? This might be a time to change it up a bit. Start by asking yourself this question: “What do I need most?” See what shows up in your answer.

Might you need:

• Serious solo down time with next to no demands?
• The emotional lift of reconnecting with favored friends or family?
• Spiritual renewal through a serious dose of time outdoors?
• The excitement and adventure of seeing new places and meeting new faces?
• The mental challenge of learning something new?
• Catch-up time taking care of fix-its and tasks around home?
• Couple time with a hint of romance?
• Time to dejunk and and reorganize those out-of-control spaces in your life?

Could be one or some of these or something else entirely. Of course, if you’re not on your own, family vacations usually end up being a compromise of sorts. You may have a mix of extroverts and introverts – some longing for big time socials and others for ‘me’ time. You might be a ‘major road trip’ fan partnered with a ‘hang out in one place’ person. Family traditions might dictate a visit ‘home’ at the center of every vacation – no exceptions.

So, how to get around differing – and changing – needs or preferences? (more…)

Reflection: Have you ever tried to force the world (i.e – everything and everyone else) in your direction? That is, to plan, organize, coordinate, or coerce towards particular outcomes that you have in mind. Not infrequently, ‘the world’ has other ideas.

Over the years, I’ve learned that frustrating myself is not really a preferred state, and that there is an alternate approach called, ‘Let Go & Let Flow’. I was reminded how sweet an experience that can be on this summer’s Rocky Mountain adventure with my youngest daughter, Lindsay.

Back in April, we set the intention for a mother-daughter get away. We arranged three things: time on our calendars, childcare for her young son, and a cabin at Paradise Bungalows. As for the rest, we let it go and let it flow.

We had an awesome adventure as the world unfolded around us in the most serendipitous ways:

• My oldest daughter and her husband returned from their summer vacation the day before we traveled through Calgary, providing a place to overnight and a chance to get caught up on their news.
• West coast brother and sister in law were in Calgary for a wedding, and able to spring themselves from the festivities long enough to share a coffee and a visit while we were in town.
• On our first day at Lake Louise, the sun shone on our hike up to Agnes Lake and during our rest at the Tea House at the top. Just moments after we returned to our cabin, the skies burst and the rain thundered down. By then we were in the mood for a hot soak and a nap accompanied by the soothing sounds of rain pounding on the roof (and, thankfully, not on our heads).
• The Baker Creek Bistro re-opened the week of our visit and offered the most spectacular smoked trout pasta – and a bonus black bear sighting en route to dinner.
• Despite the busyness of the August season in the Rockies, parking spots magically appeared every single time we needed one – without fail.

And so it went.

I can take no credit whatsoever for any of these lucky circumstances. All the planning in the world wouldn’t have guaranteed those outcomes. But resting in the possibilities of the moment and being willing to go with the flow made for an easy enjoyable journey. (more…)

Reflection: We’re back from my 60^th Birthday Voyage. Our adventures took us from an overwater bungalow in Tahiti, to a South Seas cruise through French Polynesia, across the high seas to stops on four Hawaiian islands, then across the rest of the Pacific to spend a few days in San Francisco and the Napa Valley. It ended with a birthday party back here in our garden in Saskatoon.

It was a relaxing journey (ten days completely at sea will do that) with a few adventurous forays including: kayaking up the Faaroa River in Raiatea, snorkeling with the sharks and stingrays in Moorea, and diving to the sea floor in an Atlantis submarine off Kona.

I enjoyed the time away, AND I’m happy to be in your company once again. I hope that the month of May has treated you all very well.

The arrow of appreciation flies both ways. It’s a lesson in gratitude that revealed itself twice during our recent travels.

#1: During our stop on Oahu, a local hula dance troop, consisting mostly of youngsters (perhaps 6-10 years of age) danced and entertained on board ship. If you’ve ever been at a grade school concert, you know how charming those young’uns can be. This group was all that and more.

Of course, they got a standing ovation from the crowd at the end of their program. But they didn’t let things end there. As their troop leader commented on how much they appreciated the opportunity to perform for us, these young dancers moved through the lounge shaking hands with members of the audience, offering their personal thanks for being given the opportunity to share what they love to do. (more…)

I’ve just spent the last few days of September enjoying the start of the fall season here in Vermont and New Hampshire.

While husband, Dave, took an Artisan Bread Baking at Home class at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, VT, I rambled the highways and byways with camera and sketchbook at hand.

This is a fabulous time of year to be in New England.

The fall colors are spectacular, and driving down any road is a treat – pure and simple.

I’ve posted a couple of images here for your enjoyment.

You’ll find a more complete set of pics and paintings on my Facebook page. See the Vermont Venturing album.

Following our time in the Cotswolds and London, we spent a week in the south of France and another week in Paris. Here are a sampling of sketches from our journeys in France.

This window balcony was one of many on the buildings directly across the street (Rue Bernadine) from our room in the Abbatial Saint Germain in Paris. I love the flower pots on the window sills and balconies throughout the city.

It was fun to watch an older lady in her curlers and housecoat tending her geraniums each morning – watering with care, but pulling off dead leaves and blossoms and tossing them into the street below.

This is the entrance to Chez Pauline, the suite that was our main home for our week in Provence. This is one of many gites available for rent at Mas St Antoine in Rognonas near Avignon.

The gardens are beautiful and always changing – tended with care by the Kiwi owner-managers, Kerryn and Kerrin. You can see more comments about our stay and about the Mas itself on my Trip Advisor review.

This sketch was done on a sunny morning in Paris. We perched in the shade of one of Paris’ secret parks on Ile de la Cite:  Square de Vert-Galant.

This is looking down the Seine towards Pont Des Arts and the Institute of France. Houseboats are anchored along the edge, and the River Cruise Boats (les bateaux) ply their way up and down the waterway from morning through night.

In April of this year, I took a painting class from watercolor artist, Judi Whitton, in the Cotswolds area of England. The weather was outstanding – one of the warmest pre-Easter weeks on record for that part of the world. And the scenery is superb. Every time you turned around – an interesting vista, an engaging building, a painting in the making. Here are several of the images that I captured on my visit.

The first image is Brook House in South Cerney – the village where the class was held. This home was just next door to the town hall which was home base for us for the week. Most every house in the Cotswolds has a name – not just a number. What a cool way of honoring the geography and those who came before. Must drive pizza delivery guys crazy!

The second image is from the Cisely Hill neighborhood in Cirencester.

The vine crawling up and across the front of this home is a wisteria.

We were just a shade too early to see it in full bloom.

Although we got a taste of what that might be like as the wisteria on the house across on the sunny side of the street was spectacular.

Picture purple and lilac blossoms draped generously across the cotswold stone.

The third image was painted on a sunny Sunday afternoon in London.

This building is on the edge of Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park.

We had just strolled the open air art market on Bayswater Road, admiring the paintings on offer, chatting with the artists, and picking up a couple of sweet petite watercolor treasures to bring home with us.

A faithful Pause Blog reader commented yesterday that she hadn’t seen much of my painting in recent Pause Blog postings.

And I realized that, although I have often posted sketches to my Facebook Photo Albums, I really haven’t shared that much through the blog lately.

So, for those of you who are interested in what’s happening on the Pauseworks Art Front, I’m going to attempt to rectify that.

Today, I’m posting a couple of sketches from our recent lakeside get-away to Waskesiu.

Over the next few days, I’ll post a few sketches from our spring travels to England and France.

Hope you enjoy them all!

REFLECTION & ACTION: Over the years, most of our family vacations have included an emotional meltdown by one member or another at some point during the trip. Our most “memorable” vacations have featured multiple meltdowns, triggered by lapses in communication or thwarted expectations.

One vacation meltdown occurred over something my traveling partner couldn’t control. Really, what are the chances he would consciously choose to have a killer cold coupled with zero enthusiasm on our only day on the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos?

Nevertheless, there I was-stuck in a snit-actively making a rough day worse. The speaker in me tried to talk it out. The writer in me grabbed my journal and scratched out my frustrations on paper. Neither approach tempered my bad humor.

It was only a change in my frame of reference that turned my mood around. (more…)

REFLECTION: On our last morning in Paris, I step out on the narrow balcony of our hotel room for one last time to see what’s happening in the street. Directly across the way, an elderly lady in her nightgown tends her window box geraniums. Several floors below a nun heads down the street, hands extended in front of her, holding what appears to be a blackberry. On closer inspection, I see she has two thumbs firmly fixed on the open pages of her prayer book. She traces the words as she walks. Not a blackberry prayer at all – something else entirely!

A few moments later we’re riding the airport shuttle winding our way through the city to Charles de Gaulle. Near the Sorbonne, someone has placed a bright red traffic cone on the top of a statue turning an elegant aristocrat into a redheaded witch. I laugh out loud. A few blocks later, homeless man sits up in his makeshift bed on the street. With his left arm he flaps his trousers in the air (perhaps his version of doing the laundry). With a grimace and wild motions of his right arm, he wafts away the odor left in their wake. My heart pings.

At every turn, there are sights to take in and moments to note. I’m struck by how much easier it seems to stay tuned when you’ve stepped outside your everyday routine.

A day later, on my first morning back in Saskatoon, I find myself wide awake at 3:30 in the morning (near noon in Paris). (more…)