A friend asked where I find my information on herbal legends and lore. I'be been collecting for decades, following my grandmother's example. Her journals are filled with articles, recipes, and notes. She was born in 1900 and there are pages dated from 1918 forward. Many of her notes are stained from use and the journals are falling apart, but they are priceless treasures to me!

She also gathered cards, booklets, etc, including give aways from stores. One of my favorites is a 50th anniversary edition from the Valley Rural Electric Co-op, Inc., celebrating President Franklin's Rural Electrification Order 7050. 

I started collecting longer ago than I care to admit, and have 3 ring binders and journals filled with hundreds of articles, notes, and sketches. And now the internet is brimming with information, though a lot of what I've collected isn't on line - yet! I'm continuing to sketch almost every day and so on it goes!

 

​Creating collages has been my main distraction during this pandemic. It has kept me productive and occupied. My youngest daughter fought the virus for over a month and thankfully, is now recovering. My oldest daughter was married a couple of days ago and I wasn't able to attend the wedding. Turning to gardening and art has been a comfort and therapy. 

The next step it so paint them. When I did my course on Enhancing Your Life with Herbs, I painted over 200. It's a six week course and I've delivered it four times, always taking in fresh cuttings to pass around the class so they could experience the fragrances, textures, color and at times, the flavors. Unfortunately, since our class will be on Zoom this year, we won't have that opportunity. Having the illustrations will be even more helpful this year. 

After I create the paintings, the next step is the tedious, but satisfying job of cutting them out. 

Painting the papers comes next. The papers can be used as backgrounds, or torn or cut to create images. Using the best quality paints ensures the colors are intense and vibrant!

Finally, all are combined to create my collages!

In February a dear friend's mother died. I created a comfort journal to help her process her loss and give her comfort while remembering her loved one. Since then I have made several more but this is my favorite - probably because her mother's favorite flower was the rose.  The comfort journal provides quotes, writing prompts, and a list of ideas for self care. I asked her a few questions about her mother so I could customize it - her favorite color, flower, song, etc. If you have a loved one who has lost someone dear to them and likes to journal, you might want to make a comfort journal for them. 

 The lights in the harbor in Baltimore are always spectacular, but the city really lights up when Light City Baltimore comes to town! It's an event I don't miss - one of my favorite city  spectaculars! This is the third year and every year the displays vary. 

This showed up as a memory on Facebook and prompted me to repost. I've had it out since January  and in these challenging times, it's kept me focussed and provided peace of mind. 

It's that time of year! This has been our of sight, out of mind since the move in July. My course prompted me to look for it and display it again. It's helpful to reflect on what I cherish, what I want to create in my life and business, what I want to surrender and release, and why I know these things are meant to be. Hope it prompts you to do a map of your amazing life! I love the ocean and roses. Create your map with things that are personal to you!
​

The heavy drapes in the sewing room have been replaced with sheers for the summer - a perfect back drop for playing with the gorgeous silk batik scarves from my neighbors, Hatai and Sue! 

Most of the scarves are geometric patterns but there are a few one-of-a-kind batiks featuring animals and landscapes. They are all such special treasures and I will be very thoughtful in how I use them in future projects. 

Documenting trips is a wonderful way to preserve memories! A dear friend is leaving for Greece tomorrow so I made three journals to inspire her to document her trip. The first is an over view of Greece including what to do before the trip,  a chronological list of the history, terms, a  page on Greek architecture, one on the gods and goddesses (Greek and Roman), a map and an envelope with a  booklet with photos. 

The second is a blank diary with a page of journal prompts, and the third includes suggestions for different Greek dishes to try, as well as pages to list favorite restaurants and to capture memories of memorable meals.

Two days ago I posted about violets, and since then I've been working on a project in honor of this delicate flower. She has such versatility, presence and power. Her impact is really rather remarkable considering she only blooms for a short time each year. This little herb of Venus has influenced history, brought beauty and romance into our lives, and inspired Shakespeare, among others.