It’s been a full week.  I was called for jury duty, so I didn’t know whether I would have a day of sitting at the courthouse or a normal workday until 4:30 pm the previous day.  I got ahead on blog posts and worked over the weekend to be ready in case I was selected for a trial.  Well, I never even had to set foot in the courthouse.  My number was never called, and then I was released yesterday evening.  I wouldn’t have minded serving, but it’s a busy month, so I was relieved when I received the news.

We were also watching Rosa Jo while my parents were out of town, which meant I had extra chores to do.  She joined me on my morning walks, but she also likes an evening walk.  She is still a little skittish around Jeff, so she stuck close to me for the first few days.  He worked really hard to earn her trust by playing with her, offering treats, giving her belly rubs, and reassuring her verbally.  By the end of her stay, she was staying in a room with him, even after I left, and was excited to see him when he got home from work.  She also did great with the cats.  We weren’t concerned about her being aggressive with them, but we wanted to keep a close eye on the interactions.  We weren’t sure if Rose Jo might be aggressive if she were scared or spooked.  She became more relaxed and at home each day.

It was good for my heart to have her here with us.  I still miss Sebastian and enjoyed having a dog curled up at my feet and accompanying me on my walks.  We really are so fortunate that we ended up with such a gentle, smart dog for $25 from the county animal shelter.

Seeing her sunning by the door as Esmé sat on the stool to “watch the world” reminded me so much of Sebastian.

Here are my four things for this week: Life in the Garden, Wild Mountain Thyme, a gift that cannot be void, and a bustling studio.

what I’m reading

I’m still bouncing around between a few books, but I have started pulling my gardening books out for inspiration, information, and motivation.  So far, I’ve just been doing some weeding, pruning, tidying, fertilizing, and other maintenance jobs, but I am excited to start planting some perennials later this month.  I’m also going to fill some of the pots on the patio and porch.

One of my favorite gardening books I return to again and again is Bunny Williams Life in the Garden.  If you don’t have it in your library, and you like traditional gardens, you’ll want to pick up this beautiful book.

You can find some of my other favorite gardening books HERE.

In other gardening news, I’ve already taken a few spring cuttings from the garden to put them in my gardening notebook/herbarium.

And I’ve been styling still life vignettes for paintings with the viburnum blooms while they were at their best.

what I’m watching

Jeff and I watched Wild Mountain Thyme again over the weekend, and we were reminded what a great movie it is.  It’s quirky in the best way, sweet, funny, and has some deep themes and symbolism, and beautiful scenery and music.  It recently became available on Netflix, or you can rent/purchase it from Amazon Prime.

what I’m loving

I’m still reading through the biography on Van Gogh, and one of the quotes I bookmarked last week was by Hermanus Tersteeg, an art dealer and friend of the Van Gogh family.  When Vincent was still obsessed with rendering heavy black-and-white sketches of peasants, Tersteeg said about him, “Of one thing I am sure, you are no artist.”

I usually collect quotes that are hopeful and inspiring, but I really liked this one because, in hindsight, we know that Vincent Van Gogh was a world-changing, brilliant artist.  No one knows who Tersteeg is, but Van Gogh is one of the world’s most famous artists.  I collected the quote because it’s almost comical in its error, and it’s a reminder that even people who are knowledgeable in their field can be grossly mistaken.

The Creator is the one who made you creative, and no one can declare that gift null and void.

what I’m working on

Jeff and I worked together on Monday to pack up the inaugural mailing of Pup Club Prints.  Jeff told me to go work on writing or painting while he took care of stuffing envelopes, but I wanted to be a part of the process, at least for a little while, so I could make sure all of the components were worth reordering.  Sometimes envelopes can be just a little too small, or the seal stickers might have been a stupid idea.  I wanted to experience it firsthand in case I needed to make changes for future mailings.  I’m happy to report that everything worked really well!

If you were a founding member, May’s print is on the way!  I also tucked a handwritten note into one of them, notifying the winner of the original 8 x 10 oil painting commission.  It was totally at random, so you’ll have to open your print, and let me know if you received the note.  I’m planning on tucking other fun gifts and bonuses into future mailings, so join HERE ($10/month or $12 for International) if you want some happy mail!

I’ve also taken a short break from painting commissions so I could get a few pieces ready for my afternoon at the Lucketts Spring Market.  All the pieces I’m bringing will be framed and ready to hang, so I’ve been cleaning and oiling the frames, adding hardware, mounting the paintings, etc.  Anything that doesn’t sell at Lucketts will go in the next original art sale, which is scheduled for May 20, 2026.  I’ll be sharing more details about early access to the sale for subscribers, and will post previews of the pieces I’m brining to Lucketts and then those that will be in the online sale.

I’ve had some index card landscapes hanging around my studio, so I decided to mat them and bring them to Lucketts as well.

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Anyway, the studio has been bustling!

What have you been reading, watching, loving, and working on?