Yesterday I found out that a special item I sold on ebay, a collection of vintage cards I had cherished for many years and sold to a very excited buyer was stolen directly from a USPS blue mailbox. I won't go into the details but it's a new pattern here in my area. While I can certainly file an insurance claim the cards can't be replaced and now there is a very disappointed buyer (and seller!). I have been hitting roadblocks in my re-entry into my line of business, one of which I shared here, that are part of this bizarre and discouraging world that I don't recognize compared to four years ago.

I enjoy blogging and more so those of you who have taken the time to comment or message me privately. However I no longer enjoy putting myself out there for hundreds of lurkers. The world is getting weirder by the day. Because of that I will be taking a break and it's possible I will return on a subscription basis only similar to Patreon. I've been ad-free for over four years, I don't shill products other than my own creations so I can remain indie and speak my mind. Continuing to pay annual blog fees and sharing my time, effort and heart to offer free hate or love reads to the public is unsustainable for me. I'm just burned out on blogging right now.

I'll still be posting pics, stories and little blurbs on Instagram. If you want to be alerted when I return here you can subscribe. Thank you to those who have been with me all this time, even my earlier blogs, and have continued to support and encourage me! Also thank you to new readers who have left kind comments! The world needs more people like you. You are important and make a difference.

Despite strong winds and rain with many power outages this week many of the leaves hung onto my trees. I have no words for this beauty in my backyard right now. Can you come up with any?

Continue reading "Peak Splendor" →

Four years ago Wayne and I wanted to attend a service at an Epsicopal chapel in a tony area but we were told we were not welcome because they were not open to the public. Services were for the "locals" only. It's not a good feeling to be turned away from a church that has an "All Welcome" sign in the front. One doesn't expect a church to be run like a country club, but to be clear we no longer were interested in attending services there. Even so there is a kind of outrage and sadness at the mentality and hypocrisy.

I just had a somewhat similar experience only this was at the level of state government. Maine has a "Maine Made" program with the mission to "build recognition for Maine products, their producers, and Maine industries." As a Maine business in good standing for twenty years (and I pay the state $85 annually just so I can be in business), I wanted to apply to once again have a business profile on their website now that I have my new line of Christmas luminaries. I had been a member for over a decade until I took a break from making cards and crafts four years ago. Now they are more exclusive and only accept people whose products have been in existence for three years with a few thousand minimum in sales of that product the year prior. The program director told me that when I reached a point where I had to "quit my day job" was when I could contact them to apply.

Continue reading "Not All Are Welcome. Jesus Loves You." →

I'm so excited to announce the launch of my new handmade line of nostalgic Christmas card luminaries and website ChristmasLuminaries.com! I know it's not even Halloween but I've been working on this in secret and need to get the word out! Each luminary is an enlightened window into a peaceful scene created through the eyes and heart of an artist of the time! Illuminations of Christmas Past™ are my creations with two product lines: luminaries made with true vintage cards I have repurposed and a retro line of reproductions of vintage images printed onto fine art cards. I do all of the production from start to finish right here in my home studio. The images and cards are from the Hillstock Collection, which is a part of my company, Hillstock, LLC. Creating these luminaries brings me a lot of joy. My goal is to offer a little time capsule magic for you to place on your mantel, shelf or bedside table this holiday season.

Continue reading "Introducing My Handmade Christmas Card Luminaries & Shop!" →

I adore Harriet Beecher Stowe's use of squirrels and chipmunks to convey the ills of elitist classism and what it means to be a commoner vs an entitled lofty "genius" with airs. Stowe's lampooning is cutting and brilliant; she distills complex issues of entitlement and value into a charming children's tale. I'm sharing it with you here since it's ageless, timeless and celebrates a special fictional chipmunk named Tip. The following is an excerpt from "The Nutcrackers of Nutcracker Lodge" contained within "Queer Little Folks" published in 1897. I'm totally a Tip and not a Featherhead! You'll know what I mean after you read this enjoyable excerpt:

Continue reading "Harriet Beecher Stowe, Social Class and Chipmunks" →

There are stunning displays of decay all around! I found inspiration in God's beauty I witnessed this morning :

Continue reading "Autumnal Decay on Display" →

This is the most beautiful time of year to be in Maine!

Continue reading "Fall Foliage Fun in Pictures" →

I have too many bananas that ripened at once so I decided we're going to have banana fritters for dinner. This simple, thrifty, gluten-free recipe was inspired by Ms. Ann Knight's 1930s version in The Fellowship Cook Book by Members and Friends of The Second Congregational Church in Norway, Maine. These fritters are mini pancakes with a creamy texture and taste best when hot from the skillet. They have no refined sugars other than the optional dusting of powdered sugar for presentation simply because they don't need any!

Continue reading "Vintage Maine Recipe: Banana Fritters" →

Yesterday I gave up on my belief that I can make a positive difference with respect to wildlife after one of my chipmunk pals ingested poison on a neighboring property.

I want to be an "influencer" but not in the arena of nonsense like "buy this wrinkle filler" or "click here to get a discount on my favorite $400 t-shirt, I'm so obsessed!" I don't make any money from this. I simply want to spark an interest in wildlife. I want people to fall in love with their own backyard, so to speak. I do this because those living, breathing intelligent mammals who experience pain, fear and suffering deserve our respect and kindness. They're the underdogs and I will always be in their corner. It's been that way my entire life. The insect poster child of pollinators, the Monarch butterfly, is essential to our survival. Their population has declined more than 80%!

Someone I know who bought my book Wishy the Bookworm Chipmunk fell in love with him. He would bring it up every time I saw him and tell me it brings him a lot of joy. I asked if Wishy inspired him to see the chipmunks in his yard differently? His entire countenance changed into something somewhat demonic as he said: "Oh, you don't don't want to know about the things I do to them!" Seriously. I walked away.

Continue reading "Give them an inch and they'll take it!" →