Always Joyful

Everytime we practice savoring, we teach our brains to recognize goodness and remind ourselves that joy is worth returning to. D. Michele Perry

Today was a full and wonderful day and I savored every minute. The air was cool and the sun was warm and the birds were busy at the feeders. I spent the whole morning outside working on some garden projects and doing a few other outdoor chores.

Several days ago I dug out 3 boxwoods that were not thriving giving me more garden space. I'm moving plants around and reinventing the back end of my patio garden. 

I'm calling this the messy middle....and I've got a ways to go. I have to pace myself these days...but it always feels good to do hard physical work.

I'm mostly using plants I have...but I do have a couple new things that you can see there in the foreground. I wanted to add a little more purple coralbell...I love it so much and it seems to thrive in this garden. And I'm quite fond of the crevice alumroot there on the left. The perfect additions to this mostly texture garden.

Then I spent a few hours this afternoon at Janice and Jay's. It was Janice's birthday and they had an open house for friends and family. It's always festive and fun.....always colorful....and always joyful.

Savoring Summer

Savoring is an invitation to slow down and linger long over the lovely! Even in the face of the hard and ugly. Maybe especially there. D. Michele Perry

Michele posted her second Seeds of Joy Practice yesterday....and it's a word near and dear to my heart: SAVOR! 

Savoring helps rewire our brain's reward system to recognize and hold onto goodness, even when things are hard.

Paul and I set aside the hard stuff and savored a bit of summer today and headed to Fort Williams Park for lobster rolls and a dose of coast.

We savored the view and the walk along the water with the cool late summer breeze.

And we certainly savored the lobster rolls.

This was the view from our picnic table...

where we lingered long over the lovely.

As we savored this view along the walkway....I spied something interesting down on the rocky ledge. It's hard to see in this photo....but it really stood out in person.

Along one of the rock walls were carefully placed smaller rocks...including some heart rocks. 

If you go back and look at the other photo...you might see the line of white rocks in the middle of the photo.

It was a good day to slow down and savor a little summer and hold onto goodness.

Revisiting Boxes

There are several things on my mind to write about...but as a follow-up to yesterday's post I'm going to revisit just some of my origami box making over the years. 

I learned how to make them from Dave...Paul's dad...who used to make a Christmas box for everyone in the family from an old Christmas card. He would insert his funny money.....like a $2 bill, the U.S. State quarter series, or a Susan B. Anthony dollar. I saved my funny money for years...but then I started using it for treats and giving it away. Just last month I let Aras pick several coins from the jar. 

I tell that story about Dave's boxes in this post where I also shared where I nested a set of 20 boxes for a friend. 

These boxes were made from random papers...but I've made several nesting sets where there was a theme and/or the papers all coordinated. 

These nested Santa boxes were a present for Jane...and the last one contained a tiny santa hat. Jane used to make and collects Santas. (Not a great photo)

This was a fun post  about some nesting boxes I had given to my sister Marilyn who had gifted them back to me years later full of birthday treats.

These boxes were quite sentimental.....I wrote about them here: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2018/01/simple-little-boxes.html

While Margie was still living in Colorado after Dave had died....I wanted to contribute to Colorado family Christmas one year honoring both Dave and Margie.

Dave taught me how to make the boxes...and I made them out of Margie's coloring pages. There was one for everybody.

You can read about these sweet little nesting Christmas tree box sets my friend Anita made in this post. I helped with the idea...and she just ran with it for a family Christmas.

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/11/traditions.html

I could go on and on...but you get the idea. I've folded hundreds and hundreds of boxes over the years.

Any art you have...can be folded into a box. What a beautiful and personal way to give a gift.

There are lots of instructions online...and I'm happy to help with a search if someone is interested. Or I can post the steps that I use. I love revisiting my boxes...and Dave's original funny money Christmas boxes.

Inner Child

I've spent several days tapping into my inner child while shopping my stash and putting together some projects for Kelly's middle school art class. Most of the students she works with have autism, and all of them struggle in some way. Art is good therapy. 

One of the projects I got ready (and played with) for her are crayon rubbings. This one was done over a stencil on mixed media paper.

I carefully sliced the paper on the crayons with an exacto knife to easily remove it. I broke the crayons in 1/2 so more students would have access to colors. The rubbings are done using the side of the crayon. When you paint over these with watercolors...the crayons act as a resist.

Fall leaf rubbings are also an option.

This one was done on copy paper....so much easier than the thicker paper. The trick is keeping the leaf from slipping. It might be possible to tape down the stem.

One possible project with the rubbings might be an origami box. I have the white paper all cut for the tops for the rubbings. (or some other decorating)

And recycled calendars all cut for the bottoms.

The white paper is mixed media paper...so could be decorated anyway using any media. 

This top was rubbed with red....orange and yellow crayons and watercolor washed with blue. It has a batik like feel and I love how the paint beads up and dries on the crayon. 

Kelly stopped in today after school to get a quick tutorial on the projects...and grab all the supplies. I enjoy every minute with her.

My inner child had fun doing all of this...and I'm just getting started. 

Refojo!

Dotty bounced back a little joy in her comment on yesterday's post. She was curious about the word discombobulated so looked up the origin....and it's worth going back to read her full comment. Basically the word comes from a trend in the 1820s and 1830s of creating funny, elaborate-sounding words to express simple ideas. 

I loved everything about her comment....and spent some of my day trying to come up with my own elaborate-sounding word. It was harder than I thought.

Refojoputterosity: The ability to refocus my joy while setting aside life's worries and frustrations to putter in my studio. The short version could be refojo! That's what I did last night.

My computer is working today....so I can avoid dealing with it another day or two...or three. Maybe it just needed to refojo a bit too.

So last night with my extra time I played around with something I've wanted to try for a while now....using baby powder on the gelli plate as a resist. 

It works really well...and smells really good too! The prints are full of texture...and are almost a bit grungy. Some of the powder stays on the plate and can be used for several prints. 

Most of these prints...by the way...are double sided. 

And just in case you're curious...this is how I photograph my papers.  (And it gives me a chance to celebrate all the colorful glass in my dining room window.)

I start by folding the bottom one and anchoring it under the salt and pepper shakers. Then I tuck all the others under one at a time. 

These papers sat there all day long...reminding me to refojo...as often as I need to.

Discombobulated

I've been having trouble with my computer today....so I'm feeling a bit discombobulated. It's 10+ years old....and I have been in denial about the fact that I might have to replace it.

I'm writing this post on Margie's computer....but I have no access to my photos or all the other resources I tap into when I'm writing a post.  Margie's computer is actually Connie's old computer...so it is pretty old too.

So I'm going to unplug....shut down my computer....and set aside my discombobulation for tonight and go do something in the studio. I know I'll find some joy there.

I'll deal with this tomorrow. 

Hope

We must hold on to hope, even though hope feels lost. We must hold on to love, even though love feels inadequate. We must hold on to community, even when our fear makes us want to hide. We must hold on to nonviolence, even when our opponents fuel the opposite. We much hold on to a positive vision of the future, even if we fear there is only bleakness ahead. We must hold on to helping others, even when we feel depleted. 

Most of all, we must hold on to decency, even though hate feel ascendant.

Jessica Cravin, Chop Wood, Carry Water

I intended to get into the studio today...but I spent most of the day outside. That's where I needed to be. I started a garden garden overhaul at the back end of my patio garden....I may share more as I make a bit more progress. 

I also took a trip to Winslow farm to stock up on produce...and that's always a treat this time of year. The shop was chocked full of veggies and all things fall. Do you see that yellow gourd in the bottom right corner? It came home with me...but I had to set it down to take the photo.

It was all about the stem.

It completed a little fall moment by out front door.

All this color makes me happy and helps me hold on to hope.

It's always all about the stems!

I'm on the last little chunk of my puzzle....and I saved all the pumpkin parts for last. 

For this Americana artist...it's all about the stems too! 

Nod to Fall

I was looking through my watercolor journal today....and this is the spread that caught my attention. It feels a bit like summer...but also has a nod to fall.....and I'm quite fond of the unexpected combination of fabric and watercolor.

And my little gourd caught my eye as I headed out for my after dinner walk.

Still a lot of summer going on....with a little nod to fall. 

Joy is not a denial of our circumstances or the hard things we are facing; it is a strategic response that gives us the power to keep going through them. 

D. Michele Perry

(I have corrected the misspelling of Michele's name in yesterday's post.)

Ponytail

I've said it before...and I'll say it again:

it's all about the stem!

Patty called it a pumpkin ponytail! 

I'm going to enjoy my little gourd on our patio fence.

As a follow-up to yesterday's post.....D. Michele Perry describes her September Million Seeds series in this this article. It helped set the stage for me.

These quotes stood out:

Joy doesn't trickle down from above. It rises up from within. 

Joy is an act of resistance to everything that would diminish the worth of our humanity or impede our ability to flourish together.

Unprecedented times call for unreasonable joy. And I have a daring believe that can change everything.

https://wonder.dmicheleperry.com/p/a-million-seeds-of-joy

Putting Pause into Practice

Janice sent me a link to a Substack column called The Wonder Habit by D. Michele Perry. I was quite taken with today's post and have signed up for the free version and will be looking back at free articles as I have time.

Her most recent post was titled A Million Seeds of Joy, 01 AWE, There's AWE in the pause....even on a day like this. It was written yesterday after the two horrific shootings in our country. 

During these difficult and dark days....Michele chooses to be part of the conversation that helps plant seeds of wholeness....that will contribute to building an ecosystem of joy in our lives.  

And ecosystem of joy! Yes! 

During September she will share 10 practices that help sow these seeds...and today she began with AWE. Awe lives in intentional microscopic moments we find in our everyday world. It can be found when we pause long enough to let a small detail change our perspective.

The post can be found here: https://wonder.dmicheleperry.com/p/a-million-seeds-of-joy-01-awe

Putting pause into practice:

Our seven son flower tree right next to the patio is starting to bloom....and I am in awe of these sweet almost spring-like blossoms that present themselves in September when most things are winding down.

And I'm always in awe when bright pink turtlehead blooms that also emerge during these late summer days. 

And I paused long enough....to get a little gift land on another bloom.

There's AWE in the pause, Michele reminds us. 

I have talked about awe...and taking time to pause over and over on this blog...but I can get revved up when I read about it from someone else's perspective. They always frame it up just a little differently.

I'm looking forward to reading her next 9 seeds of Joy. Maybe you will too.  

Thanks for planting the seed Janice! 

One more putting pause into practice: As I was walking down Old Birch yesterday....I was so taken with this row of pines. 

I've seen them dozens and dozens of times...but there was something about the morning light and the long shadows that made me pause and really look.

Then I couldn't help myself look again on the way back. My photos help me revisit moments of awe and joy in my day....and sometimes I see something new. There's awe in the pause!

All The Colors

 We should all know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. Maya Angelou

This wabi-sabi leaf caught my eye this morning. It has all the colors.....and every color is beautiful and rich.

I want to live in a world where people of all colors feel safe and valued. 

Prussian Blue

Every day I wonder what has happened to our country. 

It makes me sad, angry and worried,

I think it's time to attend another rally.

But making stuff helps me balance it with some joy.  

I had my first gelli printing session with some of my wire vine. It's been a while since I've printed anything...and it generally takes me a few rounds to get into my groove. 

Since I was using acrylic paint I could have chosen ANY color. But I chose Prussian blue...just like the cyanotypes. That made me chuckle.

Some of these may get another layer...and I will certainly try them in another color.

But I'm happy with them so far. They're kind of watercolory and have a lot of texture.

Most of the magic happens on the ghost prints with the leaf impressions that were left on the plate after the first pull. Once that paint was dry...I applied white paint to one and dark to another to pick up the print. I love all the little details...a few leaf folds came through beautifully on the white one. 

And speaking of blue....Clarke knitted me this beautiful scarf. I really didn't plan my outfit for this post...but I guess I wrapped myself in Prussian blue today!

The pattern is just beautiful! Thank you Clarke! I love it!

Color and Quiet

on fall days i am both energetic and wistful, giddy with bright color and also quietly tucking in a bit. Dotty Seiter, from her poem Blind Contour Drawing: Self-Portrait 

It's just a one line from a larger poem from her blogpost today....and I highly recommend reading the whole thing. So much of it resonated with me and I read it several times throughout the day. https://dottyseiter.com/2025/09/08/taking-a-good-look-at-things/

I especially loved the way she described her home: my house is a long-eared spaniel that rises unfailingly to greet me, tail wagging enthusiastically and chin lifted at a tilt for a scritch behind its right ear. 

That's how my home feels to me!

I bought this wire vine because I loved it AND I wanted to print with it...both cyanotypes and gelli printing. It was relatively small when I got it....but it has really taken off. 

I have it in this fabulous pot that my sister Becky gave me...boy do I miss her!

My first round of sun printing didn't go that well because the vines were true to their namesake and quite wiry and rigid. When you make sun prints the plant needs good contact with the paper so the sun can't get underneath. The vines needed to be pressed....so in a book they went. And I forgot all about them.

But I came across them a few days ago....and have started to play. I pressed several vines...but this one was the star. 

  

Here are two that that I've watercolored....I think they are

 both giddy with just a little color...and quietly tucked in a bit.