Monday, June 8, 2026

Art, Words, & Enchanted Potion Bottles*@*

                         "Twilight" Acrylic painting on wood canvas board 
 
"Twilight" & "Storymaster" are the front and back of an 11"x14" arched wood canvas board. The lines really took me on a whirlwind adventure for these paintings! 

"Twilight" (above) began in June 2025 and I finished the painting in September & "Storymaster" (below) began in December 2025 and was completed in March 2026. 

                     "Storymaster" Acrylic painting on wood canvas board 

Here are some behind the scenes moments from the creation of the artwork~ (I used many more than just those two brushes. 😂)

Storymaster


Listen up! Eye on you. Knowing nothing much to do. 

In the middle, story space, casting looks upon your face. 

Gods and monsters, human stares, traipsing into devilish snares. 

None so ever shall be found; one is two, eternally bound. 

Mythos players shake their tines; blood and bone flesh out lines. 

Feasting stories pierce your core; you are master of all lore.

Create. 



Caution to the readerthis story found you. 

 

You think you seek the story, but the story seeks you. That is where it starts and ends. The story, that is. You, of course, go on. You don’t need the story, but you want one. You crave all sorts of them. Your eyes devour stories, your ears prick up to listen. Stories wrap you around their sticky, non- existent fingers. And despite your endless feast upon them, it is the stories that consume you. To remember yourself as Storymaster, you must know a story for what it is. But in order to do that, you must first recall how things came to pass~~~ Find out when you are in the BEGINNING


ENCHANTED POTION BOTTLES
( & ethereal mood lighting)


"Eye of the Storm"


"Prism Spell"

"Laughing Leaves"


Conjuring Lines

Conjuring lines casting colors in the prism of our MIND
Stories here, stories there, but none that you shall find
To break the spell that binds you, open up your eyes
Patterns found in nature show truth behind all lies 

Aether

Softer than water, Aether flows
Abundantly~
By wind & bone~
Locked inside a box of stone~
Softer than water, Aether flows

Original art, words & soundscape audio "Conjure" by Jess Haight

Monday, April 27, 2026

Views From the Pond: January, February, and March 2026

 

Looking back at the last three months- it is amazing how fast time goes. It was a long and cold winter here, with more super chilly days than I remember having in a long time. While snow is beautiful, I am definitely happy that spring is in the air, and flowers are starting to bloom. 

Although I saw deer, fox, possums, rabbits, and many kinds of birds- I took mostly mental snapshots.

 Hope you enjoy looking back with me!


January 2026

Hello 2026! 


What a blue!


Night views of the moon. 




A winter wonderland.


The pond on my way to work.


So many stars!




Love the way the snow looks right after a storm. So peaceful!






February 2026

The sun peeking out as I leave for work. 




So much snow- about 2 feet!


This snow was a lot to shovel!


So happy to see a little bit of grass!





Not my pond- but the colors as I rode with my husband to run an 
errand were just stunning! Love the reflections in the puddle and
the road! So special to see colors like this in the sky.


March 2026

Happy to have a delay and enjoy this beautiful morning time.




Love seeing the land below the snow and the bright blue sky. Spring is coming!


The brook is full after so much snow!


Lord and Lady Quackerly are back!




Nighttime visitor- hopefully eating some ticks! They look full (or pregnant).


Love the reflections- always a little different than before.



 




The last night of March with a face in the clouds! Goodbye March!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Nice to reflect on the days that have gone by so far in 2026. Here's hoping for a spring filled with beauty, kindness, and moments of appreciation.

~S








Monday, April 13, 2026

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday # MMGM Book Review: Revenge of Queen Rose by Valinora Troy

 

At the end of The Lucky Diamond, it seemed like the five siblings had helped restore calm to the land of the Diamonds. The second book of the series, Revenge of Queen Rose begins with Susan and Vicky being captured, and there is an attack on the Diamonds which traps them inside. With so much happening, twins Alan and Cathy set off to find their sisters and free the Diamonds. It is hard to know what to do without the help of their friend, Lucky, but they follow their guts and contact Charlie. He agrees to help them, and they embark on a journey filled with danger, new characters, and a venomous snake that is trying to attack them. While Alan and Cathy are fighting for their lives, Susan and Vicky are trying to escape imprisonment and the beings who are holding them against their will. Are the Diamonds trapped forever? Is there anyone who can break the magic spell? Will the siblings be safely reunited? You will have to read this superb sequel to find out!

I was lucky enough to listen to Revenge of Queen Rose on audio, and I really enjoyed the way the narrator brought the characters to life. The story was fast and exciting, with lots of tension and surprises. I like the way new characters were woven into the story, and it wasn't always easy to decide who Alan and Cathy should trust. There are also characters from book one that show up and we find out more about them and their kingdom. I love that all the characters and pieces tie together in the end. The way the author describes the action really made the story easy to picture. It was interesting learning more about the magical gifts that the children have and seeing how they used them.  I would recommend this book to anyone in third grade and up that enjoys fantasy books and lots of adventure. I always prefer reading a series in order, and while it is possible to read this book without reading The Lucky Diamond, I think reading the books in order will make the fantasy world clearer to the reader. I look forward to reading more about these spunky siblings and their adventures. 

Has anyone else read Revenge of Queen Rose? Or have you read another book by Valinora Troy? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L 


For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.