Happy September! I’ve kept my promise and given my blog a summer break. Now summer is all but over—hard to believe but that’s what the calendar and the shrinking hours of daylight say—and it’s back to more regular posts here. I’ll try for weekly.
Though the summer was a quiet one due to continuing Covid restrictions, it did have a couple of highlights.
– July 7, 2021: The Word Awards 2021 Short List was published. I was thrilled to find Under the Cloud listed in the Historical Fiction category. Winners will be announced on September 25th
– Early August: Hubby and I took our annual road trip to visit family. Driving to Kelowna and from there to Dawson Creek, we went through many smoky patches, raising our awareness of the many wildfires raging in B.C.’s interior. Fortunately, we experienced smooth driving both coming and going (with fewer RVs on the road than ever). Of course we heaved sighs of relief to be home when we heard of the Pine Pass closure (a stretch of Highway 97 between MacKenzie and Chetwynd) the day after we arrived home, due to a new wildfire in that area.
On the home front we’ve been behaving ourselves, going for daily walks, eating our veggies, with only a Sunday night ice-cream binge to excite the bathroom scales. With the vaccines available, things are opening up a bit (or they were before the fourth wave of Covid hit). It’s wonderful to be back in church in person!
Summer reading included:
- Suncatchers by Jamie Langston Turner, a lovely but slow-moving story.
- “Starving” to Successful by Jason Horejs about artists and the art gallery business—very informative, practical, & helpful.
- Poldark (the first book in the series by Winston Graham, on which the TV series Poldark is based—a very sticky read… could hardly put it down.
I’ve kept my Etsy shop open throughout most of the summer and stocked with new cards. Believe it or not, I’m now working on Christmas!
Throughout the summer I have also added to my series of wild berry paintings. I started out with a painting of blackberries last summer. Since then I’ve created a few more. Here are some. All are for sale (unframed), except for the “Blackberry Time.” Email me if you’re interested.
“Blackberry Time” – SOLD 
“Saskatoon Berries” – Watercolor, 9×12 inches – $150.00 
“Wild Strawberries” – Watercolor, 9×12 inches, $150.00 
“Salmonberry” – Watercolor, 7×7 inches, $75.00 
“Oregon Grape” – Watercolor, 10×14 inches, $190.00
So, now it’s welcome Fall! I’m expecting the autumn will hold more of the same for me. I hope your summer was safe and healthy. Any exciting projects in the works for you?
Violet Nesdoly 