More than 3500 posts!

Journal Sketch
marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

Hi everyone,
I meant to say something when I reached 3500 posts, but there’s been so
much going on, so let’s celebrate now at 3509 posts! Why not?

Here’s another drawing from my journal that I hope you enjoy.
These drawings are really making me happy, and I know they’re
helping my art.

It’s Saturday night and movie night on the couch with Steven, the cats, 
and Sally the dog on the floor. So that’s it for today. 3500 is a good
sounding number. And I am so happy to have been part of this
community for 3500 posts.

Have a loving your life day!

Feeling down -- try this!

Journal Sketch
marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

I admit there have been things to get sad about lately.  And you
know that I like to write about 10 reasons to be happy, which was
one of the best exercises in the Positive Psychology class I taught for ten 
years.  But what about 25?  Yes.  I started this this morning. It 
could be simple -- like 25 things you see in the room you're sitting in that 
make you happy.  Or it could be anything -- ideas, people, you name it.
Here goes:

25 Reasons to be Happy

1.  I like this journal drawing I'm showing you today.

2. It is a beautiful day.

3. Steven and I had a few minutes on the back porch
    in the sun on his lunch break.

4. Our Fall Blooming Anemones are in bloom.

5. Our Nasturtiums are in bloom.

6. It's Friday! Yay!

7. Our Cosmos are in bloom.

8. I had a great sleep.

9. I'm working on a painting and it's coming together.

10.  I'm reading a good novel.

11. It's the weekend.

12. We go to the market, and see our favourite farmer tomorrow.

13. I had a great walk with the dog last night -- through the alleyway,
      and it was super quiet, and beautiful.

14. Steven finished his Zoom meeting and surprised me and 
      Sally, the dog, towards the end of our walk, and we got to
      walk together.

15. We loved the end of the TV series we've been watching.

16. We started watching a new series last night, and it looks good.

17. The birds are singing like crazy in the backyard.

18. I am having fun with the journal drawings. The constant
       practice seems to be teaching me a lot.

19. I sewed up the holes in one of Steven's cashmere sweaters
      last night, and that made him happy when he found it this
      morning.

20. We have bouquets of Anemones, and of Nasturtiums on our
       kitchen table.

21. I love listening to music while I paint -- our favourite radio
       station to stream is Ocean 100 from Prince Edward Island.

22. The light in the backyard is magnificent -- sunlight illuminating
      the hanging nasturtium plant, and the red geraniums in the
      porch planters.

23. I just ate a perfectly ripe, absolutely delicious peach.

24. I love your work, and your posts.

25. I had a wonderful walk with Steven in the late afternoon
      light.

Some highlights of the Encounter Show at the Heliconian on until October 4

Me with my painting 
Across the highway
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2016

Two paintings by Dougal Haggart are behind me.

See the images below:

Rare day in November
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 16 inches
Dougal Haggart © 2017

In Confidence
Ink and watercolour
on art board
 9 x12 inches
Dougal Haggart © 2023

When we got back from Nova Scotia, I got in touch with Amos
Boratto at the Heliconian Club, so I could come and get some 
photos of the show.  That day there was a lot of traffic on the street,
and Amos stayed outside watching our car for us, so we wouldn't get
ticketed.  We only had a few minutes in the exhibition.  So please enjoy
the few photos I captured. It's been a busy week, and my computer is giving
me trouble uploading the photos -- so this is it.

Duality
Pen and ink on paper
16.5 x 20 inches (framed)
Susan Power © 2015

Water Magic
Acrylic on particle board
30 x 48 inches
Naomi Tal © 2023

Genevieve 

Oil on wood
35 x 36 inches
Claire Bonenfant © 2017

The show is wonderful, and I wished I had more than a few minutes.
At the moment you need to make arrangements with the club to view it.
Here are a few highlights I saw.

Have an enjoying your life day.

In a mood for apples

Apples on a fancy dish
watercolour on Arches 

watercolour paper
with black marker

12 x 14 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

Tonight is promising the chill of autumn.  I am not ready.
I'd planned to write another longer post today, but it has been
a busy day with workers in the house, and limited time for
writing.  So here is a painting that I love of apples. Although I'm
not ready for cold weather, I love the harvest part of
fall, and the celebrations centering around the harvest
bounty.

Have a loving your life day.

Happy Birthday to my friend Raylea, and to baby James -- our youngest family member

Happiness

Acrylic on Birch panel

5 x 7 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014
(Raylea was the model for this.)

Today was a busy, and beautiful day. It is my good friend Raylea's
birthday. Happy Birthday Raylea. We had a nice visit outside with
the family's guests from B.C. And it is the first birthday for the
youngest in our family. Happy Birthday James.
I had a lovely walk with Steven after we both finished work.

So all in all Happy Tuesday!

Our thanks to our friends in Nova Scotia

The school house near

Wallace, Nova Scotia today

Photo: Greg Smiley © 2022

Blog: Barbara Muir © 2022

 A year ago on this day I posted this image of our school house,

which was hit by a tree in hurricane Fiona a year ago. My
husband and I are grateful to everyone who worked to save
the school house.

What used to be 3 acres of forest 
behind our school house.
All gone.
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2023

We got home from visiting Nova Scotia and our school house
a week ago on Sunday.  What no one could have described
so we would understand it, was the devastation around the
school house.  The three acres of tall, magnificent, century old
trees behind the school house were flattened in the hurricane.
We have never been able to see Wallace Bay from the school
house in the 20 plus years that we've owned the building. 

Our hearts go out to the people of Nova Scotia, who just
endured more destruction from Hurricane Lee, and who have
lived through forest fires and flooding. Nova Scotia is a
beautiful province.

Take care.

Happy Monthaversary

Irises celebrate
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2022

It's out Monthaversary -- something we celebrate every month --
sometimes just by acknowledging the day.  Today was the 
Monthaversary of our wedding day. It was an incredibly beautiful
day -- ideal temperature -- gorgeous.  We sat on our back porch
starting with our morning coffee, just loving the silence.  There
is a bank of very high, old trees behind us at the back of the 
neighbouring street's houses.  They are magnificent, and 
today all we could hear with our morning coffees was the
wind in the trees, and the birds flying in and out of the trees.
Idyllic.

Our entire day was a treat.  Lunch from the take out place
we love, more time on the porch with our two cats, and
the dog.  And now it's my turn to make dinner.

We do not have irises, because it's the wrong season, but they
feel like the perfect image for a perfect day.

Have a loving your life day.