Hallmark season and Jam!

Yup – we’ve fallen under the spell and into the annual tradition of tuning into the plethora of holiday movies on the, not one, but TWO, Hallmark Channels that we get at our house. The plots are fairly similar, but the characters and stories make each one a little different. Yesterday, after a rainy day of watching several in a row, my husband declared we should just put up the Christmas tree! Haha! No, I’m savoring these last days of a colorful Fall. I’ve cleaned up the gardens but left most of the perennial flowers still standing – they provide good food and shelter for birds and critters over the winter months.

This week’s painting takes me to one of our favorite places. With all the projects of the summer and busy family activities, we didn’t get up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this year. We love driving through northcentral Wisconsin through the Porcupine Mountains and on up the Keeweenaw Peninsula to Copper Harbor. Along the way, we always stop at the sweet Jampot Shop near Eagle Harbor. Located on the shores of Lake Superior and operated by Byzantine monks of the St. John Order at the Poor Rock Abbey, the Jampot offers handmade jams, jellies and bakery items. If you’re fortunate, you’ll be greeted by Father Basil at the counter. He probably won’t have time to visit – there’s usually a line running right out the front door and down the steps! Supported soley by monies generated by the Jampot, this group of monks are also dedicated gardeners and cultivate wonderful rose gardens in the midst of this harsh northern climate. The Jampot,  9”x 11” watercolor painting, captures this wonderful little shop in a quiet moment on a lovely summer day.

October Color

It’s so nice to live in a place that has four seasons. Fall is surely a favorite – my husband Paul and I were married in a small church in the heart of the Upper St. Croix River valley in late September so it’s a special time of the year for us. And I love the changing colors in the woods, cooler temps (no humidity or bugs!) and that it’s time to bake apple pies! It’s a tradition at our house to bake apple pies and then deliver them to our grown kid’s homes. The fun begins with picking apples at the nearby orchard and at the small farm located along the road to our house. I love mixing varieties and most pies include apples with fabulous names such as Haralson, Haralred, Connell Red, Fireside, Regent, Sweet Tango, Honey Crisp and an unknown wonderfully crisp variety from our friend Earl’s trees. This year, the pie delivery task took us from Blake Lake to Stillwater to Apple Valley to Minnetonka and then into the heart of St. Paul where one of our families was attending a play. We left a warm pie on the front seat of their truck! I’m hoping you have special traditions at your house this time of year, too!

This week’s painting brings me back to sheep! Greener Pastures, a 9” x 12” watercolor painting, celebrates cooler temps and the wonderful free-grazing sheep of Ireland following their leader to greener grass.