may '26 favorites
Small things that made my May just a little bit better.
creating
Making art is a series of stops and starts. Once you have momentum, it has a cascading ripple effect. But once you stop, it can be like a dive into a bottomless pit. From there, resistance kicks in, paralyzing the most feeble of attempts. Or maybe that’s just me.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, feeling creatively stuck, in need of inspiration, or wanting to get in motion, watch here.
following
YouTube: Chris Loud is an abstract mixed media artist with lots of inspirational videos on his channel.
Pinterest: Catherine Rains boards are filled with ideas for collage and mixed media art.
Instagram: Emily Lex is an artist I have followed for years. Even though she creates cute and whimsical watercolors, which is a far cry from my own art, I do appreciate her style.
Color is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment.
—Claude Monet
inspiring (artist)
Olga Rozanova was born in 1886 into a noble family in Russia. As a young adult, she moved to Moscow to study art. In a short time, she became the driving force behind the nation’s first independent artist society. During her 20’s, Rozanova met and married a poet, and together they fused his poetry with her collages into handmade books. By 1916, she was pioneering abstract expressionism, which wouldn’t come into vogue for another 30 years.
Sadly, her life, along with her groundbreaking art career, was cut short as she caught diphtheria and died at age 32.
I did a study of her 1912 Self Portrait, oil on canvas, which is permanently housed in Ivanovo, Russia. Join my Membership over on YouTube to watch the painting process.
reading
Some books are deeply moving before you ever turn a page. I was gifted this book by my childhood best friend only months before she died. In her note, she characterized author Claire Keegan as “brilliant with her writing,” and she would not be wrong. Small Things Like These is aptly described as a story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy. If you like this book, you should also read Foster, which I recommended last year. I recently ordered Keegan’s 1999 debut book, Antarctica, and I’m interested to see how it compares.
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world. Worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet, or excite you.
—Anne Lamott
blooming
I was taken by surprise after cutting back my scraggly Euphorbia to discover an abundant swath of purple Scabiosa hidden behind all the chartreuse. I’m finding that the problem with falling behind on your gardening chores is not just the weeds, but the fact that you might miss out on the next round of splendor.
eating
Ina Garten’s Arugula Parmesan Salad is the simplest salad you will ever make. Six ingredients only, and that’s counting salt and pepper. Use a grater to shave large pieces of parmesan. And if you are lucky enough to have arugula growing in the garden, it takes this understated salad to the next level.
I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
—Maya Angelou
capturing common
I stumbled upon this view while walking Coco last Thursday. This familiar sight suddenly felt like a scene from a movie. Bamboo forest, serene pond, pagoda structure, the backdrop for a clandestine meeting between two Interpol agents exchanging furtive glances and secret notebooks. You can see it, right? Maybe there’s too much Jack Ryan or Slow Horses in me. Or maybe it’s just good to know my imagination is still intact, even if my memory isn’t.
arranging
This bouquet is still alive and looks almost exactly like this after 2 weeks. Unbelievable.
Thank you, Mackenzie!
A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.
—Chinese Proverb
celebrating
Our Liam turned 4 this month. In honor of his birthday, he agreed to go on a photoshoot with me despite having more important things to do, like check on the garden vegetables with grandpa. Since I had a pocketful of M&M’s, he thought maybe taking pictures wasn’t such a bad idea.
Walking from the backyard, he paused in front of our old rustic shed and asked for a photo. I swear I didn’t suggest it, although it did cross my mind. I believe this proves he and I are now in sync after the countless nature walks we’ve taken since he was a baby. Since day one, I was convinced he was doing higher math rather than absorbing the outdoor ed I was introducing him to, but maybe, just maybe, he was admiring the moss right along with me the whole time.
window washing
We have 40 windows in our house and 14 panes of glass on our deck. Washing windows is no joke. Years ago, we had a kindly window-washer guy who would show up and ask for a glass of water before spending two full days cleaning our windows. About 15 years ago, Rick decided he would take it on and bought long telescoping poles, special cleaner, and began climbing ladders with buckets to 3rd story windows. As the years unfold, I realize this is an untenable option.
Just when all hope was lost, we found a new friend, Machinka the Window Washer (not his real name). The antidote to our window washing woes—meticulous and efficient with unparalleled stamina. Who could ask for anything more?
As you can see, Rick is now living his best life with absolutely no nostalgia for the good old days.
You can’t do anything about the length of your life. But you can do something about its width and depth.
—Evan Esar
wine tasting
If you’ve been following along for any length of time, you know that Rick & I are in a wine group. Four couples that mostly knew nothing about wine or each other now find themselves searching for obscure varietals and sharing grandparenting tips.
Unlike the other blind tastings, we walked into this one hoping we wouldn’t win. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, but we were not fans of the Corvina at all. But to our surprise, the winning wine was very good and made me realize we simply chose poorly.
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’m curious, what’s on your list of favorites?
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