Lake Ouachita - 37th Year

What a great bunch of folks!

I don't have a photo from every year, but this quick video shows most of them.

It's fun to see how the family grows and changes, how kids grow up and new kids come along.

I Like... (July 2026)

Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. Click on HER BLOG to see what positive things others like.   

I like bringing a bucket full of beautiful.
(I forgot to post June's harvests last month!)

I like sharing from my garden.

I like the sunflower that randomly grew right in the middle of my garden.
(I haven't planted any sunflowers in 5-6 years. 
I guess the seed patiently waited under a stepping stone until this year.)

I like seeing tomatoes turn red.  
They're by my kitchen window waiting their turn.
(If they completely ripen on the vine, the squirrels, deer, birds, and bugs help themselves.)

No matter how delicious, there's a limit to how many two people can eat fresh.

A few minutes in the blenders then a few hours of waiting for the tomato water (future soup base) to sink and the tomato paste (future chili, spaghetti sauce, salsa base) to rise to the top.

I like cucumbers fresh. But there's a limit to how many two people can eat.
I've got a pretty easy pickle recipe for the days when there are lots of extras.

I like teaching an art project to middle school kids at our church.
You'll have to trust me that they're smiling behind their paintings.

I like playing with my pretty colorful harvests!

I like reading really good books.
(I also like reading junk books... but... we'll not go there.)

Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

Click on HER BLOG to see what positive things others like..

Snow cone or ice cream cone? Ice cream! What flavors? I like to get chocolate almond or vanilla with Oreos or Heath bars mixed in.

When relaxing in summer, do you like a magazine? or novel? I pretty much have a novel going all the time.  I read on my Kindle or listen to audiobooks while I paint. What magazines do you like and what novels have you enjoyed this summer? (See above.)

What back-to-school supply would you like to have now as an adult?  Fresh new notebooks? markers? new crayons? fat pack of ruled paper? lunchbox? Tell us your favorite. I'm looking over this list and... well, I kind of have all of those things.  I LOVE school supplies.  I'll always have them. 

Did you look forward to starting school  (either elementary, junior high, senior high, or university?) Absolutely!  I loved it so much that I did it 47 times. (12 gradeschool through high school + 3 college + 32 as a teacher.)

Goldfish

When I say "goldfish," is this what you think of?

Or... 

...do you think of Goldfish... the snack that smiles back at you!

I do love a Goldfish snack cracker!

My Weekly-ish Challenge was "Fish." I went back and forth... so many options!

... a koi pond... ocean schools around coral reefs... sharks... dinner on a plate!

How about this one! That's me about 2-3. We had a lake on our land, and my grandpa would come up to set trot lines for catfish.  I don't think I was very happy about being right there with all those big fish!

Original Acrylic Painting on 12"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click Goldfish if you'd like to own this painting for your wall.

Strawberries in a Bowl III

 

You know what's missing from this picture?  

There needs to be another little bowl with a little pile of sugar!  

Lick... dip... bite... dip... bite... Mmmmmm...

If you love strawberries, enjoy a few extra for me.  

I discovered about 10 years ago that I've become allergic to strawberries.

⏳

Let's pause here for a moment of sadness.....

It's really sad... 

😞

So another moment of sadness...

⏳

This isn't the first time I've painted this bowl of strawberries.  The first time was about 11 years ago.  If you read THIS HAPPY POST, you'll see about the time I realized I was allergic... Maybe eating most of this huge pile of beautiful strawberries caused it!

The next time was just a few years ago with a group of seniors. You can tell FROM THIS POST when it was because everyone was wearing a mask. (How can that have been 3 years ago already!)

My friend Susan, a fellow life-long learner, has been wanting to give painting with oils a try, so we did the strawberry painting together.  It was her second oil painting.  I'd say "Success!"

Original Oil Painting on 7"x 9" Canvas Board

Hers, of course, is priceless.

However, mine will be available on Etsy. Click HERE if you'd like to purchase it.

Fireworks over the City

Each summer I get to spend some time doing art with the middle schoolers in our church during vacation Bible school week. What a great bunch of kids! I didn't let them show their faces in this photo so that I could share it, but you'll just have to trust me... they're smiling behind those canvases.

If you zoom in, you'll see what a great job each one of them did.

How did we accomplish these amazing works of art in just 4 short sessions.

Day 1 - sky... chip brush... light blue up to blue up to purple up to black

Day 2 - stars... toothpick... dip, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, repeat

Day 2 - fireworks... cardboard square & half toilet paper roll... dip, touch, turn, touch, turn, repeat

Day 3 - city... chalk to draw rectangles & triangles (stencil if wanted)... black

Day 4 - coffee stir sticks... lighted windows... dip, dab, dip, dab, repeat

They also did a little side project using the sheet that they did their practice fireworks on.

Original Acrylic Paintings on 16"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

Beau & Eloise

I hope that each painting I do tells a story.  I think this one does.  They love each other, don't you think?  What a good boy!! He's being patient, but he's smiling! Even though her hair covers it, I can tell that Eloise has smile on her face too.

When my friend asked me to paint this, she sent me three photos and asked that I not tell her or show her anything in advance. She'd bring her granddaughter over to see where we paint each Thursday afternoon and surprise her with the painting.  

I didn't realize that the granddaughter didn't even know the painting was being done.  So, it was a complete surprise.  She walked up the stairs to my studio and spied it immediately.  "This looks like... wait... this is...how?... What is this?.. This is Beau & me!"

I have to say that it's such a satisfying thing for an artist to see such a reaction.

From my friend:

My youngest granddaughter, Eloise, came for a visit from Los Angeles.   As an early 17th birthday gift for her, I commissioned Helen to paint a memory of Beau's 1st birthday!  He's a California golden boy she shares with her mom, Tracy!  Thank you again, Helen, for a wonderful memory painting! 

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas 

[SOLD]

497... 498... 499... and.....

499!!!
I've sold 499 paintings!
I'd love for YOU to be #500!!!
Let me know if one of these needs to be yours!

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/WordWeaverArt

Daughter Nature

It is so rare that I paint "from my head" or from my imagination. I always, well, I guess almost always, have a reference photo. I have to admit that I did not have high hopes for how it would turn out... but look!  It worked, and I love her!

My Weekly-ish Challenge this time was from the box. (Every third time, we go to the cards for our challenge.)

Subject Card: Fashion

Color Card: Lemon Lime

Wild Card: Draw Another Color Card And Use The Back

Ha ha! Pretty sure I nailed it!

And, isn't she lovely walking through her blooming spring trees with her fashionable leafy dress on!

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Canvas Board
Click Daughter Nature if you'd like to purchase this pretty little painting.

I Like... (June 2026)

Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

Click on HER BLOG to see what positive things others like.  

I like getting to watch the cycles of nature.  Every year when it starts getting hot, 
these huge turtles come from the ponds onto flat open areas and lay their eggs.

  

I like making (and eating) kraut of my sister's cabbage.

I like our own back porch. 
It's as peaceful and calmly entertaining as any bed and breakfast we could go to.

Do you need any house plants? 

They need to be divided, and I'm happy to share.

I like making zucchini bread.
 And, I think I went six decades without ever trying it. Why? It's terrific!
But, honestly... "bread"??? More like zucchini cake, right!

I like our forest friends... but a bobcat!!!
And, a bobcat this comfortable as to come right up on the deck! Nope!
This is from our neighbor who shares our driveway.

 This coyote was sniffing around our coops that same night.
Maybe... maybe I liked it better when I didn't know what was going on after dark.

I like getting to know these 5 little chicks. 
Their momma is beginning to give them some freedom.

I like day lilies.
Actually I like all the flowers in this row.
They come back each year and don't require any attention from me.

I like my five sweet little chicks. 
They're starting to act more hen-like. 
I'll be trying to come up with names for them soon.

I like spending a few days with my lovely sisters
at Welcome Home Retreat.

LeeAnne's  conversation starter topics this month:

Describe a particularly memorable July 4th celebration. When my kids were about 9 & 12, we took a vacation to South Dakota (the Badlands, the Needles, Chief Crazy Horse Monument, & Mount Rushmore). We stayed in a cute little cabin in Custer State Park. We were excited about going to Mount Rushmore on the 4th because we'd seen that they shoot fireworks from the tops of the presidents' heads. We got there and got a great parking spot near the park entrance! There were so few people there! We could hardly believe our luck! Until we realized that the fireworks display happens on July 3rd. [Sigh] Oh, well...

How do you make potato salad? What do you put in it? Cook the potatoes until they're not hard, but not yet soft. Drain. Cit into cubes. Fold in Miracle Whip (enough to cover the potatoes) and  mustard (a squirt or two to make it turn a light yellow. Next add sweet relish (a big spoonful or two) and a cut up boiled egg. Sprinkle with onion salt and pepper. One more stir. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover. Refrigerate.

What do you think makes a good picnic lunch? Stop to pick up sandwiches or chicken. Or make sandwiches, fruit, cookies, chips, fresh veggies. Sit on the ground or picnic tables? I pick table. The older I get, the less appealing sitting on the ground seems..

Did you or do you keep a diary? I can answer that in 6 simple words I mean... In 6 complete and enjoyable blogposts. What kind of things did you put in yours?    You'll just have to click (6 times) to read and find out.

Diaries & Journals Part 1

Diaries & Journals Part 2

Diaries & Journals Part 3

Diaries & Journals Part 4

Diaries $ Journals Part 5

Diaries & Journals Part 6

A vivid memory of a family vacation you'll always remember... when you were young, or after you grew up, either. What made it stand out and memorable? People, place, activity, etc. I've been blessed to get to travel to many places... I can't choose one, so I'll say that I love national parks.  I'm so grateful that our country protects its national parks so we can visit amazing, beautiful, unique places.