New Hampshire, England, and Alberta!

Once a month, I believe, the First Baptist Church of New London clears floorspace on the second floor. Then they roll out their labyrinth. It really is purple, and it is available for anyone to come walk upon.

The design, painted on cloth, is a replica of the one at Chartres Cathedral in France. The path twists and turns, but you get to the center and out again without encountering any dead ends. Unexpected thoughts pop into your head when you walk a labyrinth. I recommend it to all. Some people find it spiritually enlightening.

I do not care for mazes though. Ever since we had to ask to be let out of the maze at Hampton Court in England. Funny enough, after I finished the labyrinth, I had a very hard time finding my way back out of the church building. It was too much like a maze.

And here is the church building that houses the labyrinth. I love the bell tower, with its Revere bell. I ran out of room for the weather vane atop the tower. This is the small, side door with the ramp for accessibility. I like this view for the differences in scale: the large white building, the small home across the street (in the same materials of painted wood), and Mount Sunapee in the distance with the ski slopes.

As a child, I often amused myself by playing with scale. For example, I remember lying in the grass with my eyes so close to the blades of grass that they could be imagined as jungle trees. And the ants were monstrously large beasts, carrying home food as big as a house. I was easily entertained!

Here is a fiber piece I made a few years ago, based on a labyrinth in Crete. It is wool, pulled through linen and about 14 inches square. It is meant to hang on a wall.

Ah, our April Fool’s Day storm (April 1). See the delicate evergreens weighed down with the heavy snow. This is the view from our kitchen window.

Hanging from the window frame are colorful glass ornaments. The grapes and the mushrooms are leaded, stained glass, bought on a trip to Meissen Germany in 2000. (We loved Meissen!) The round ones are made locally. They sure do brighten up the room on a winter’s day. Or snowy spring day.

I think I enjoy putting drawings online because the light shines through them, enlivening them. This blog is the best exhibit I ever had!

This is the view of Mount Kearsarge from Wilmot. We board our dog here sometimes. I was taken with the look of the picnic table, waiting patiently for a family meal once the weather eases.

The bare trees reminded me of tethered hot air balloons.

Another view of the hamlet of Elkins, near our house. One day I suddenly realized that this pile of sticks in the center is a beaver lodge. Their dam is at the far edge of the water. I would like to see the beavers swimming.

There is still snow. Next to the lodge are several grey granite boulders dropped there in the last glacier age.

The shrubs are starting to turn red and yellow as the winter progresses to spring.

Last week I was part of a small reunion of our University of New Hampshire dormitory, held in Greenland, NH. We sat around a table for hours and gabbed. It is good to reunite with people.

This was my view. After an hour or two, I got out my pencil and paper and drew it. I put in the color later.

We were near Portsmouth, near the ocean, so no snow! Just the greenish grass of the golf course. The water is Great Bay, and the mountain is a hill. I think I exaggerated the height because I liked the color of it. I don’t know what kind of trees are on the left with their curly branches. I would guess a kind of willow.

Spring Ledge Farm is our local garden center. We went this day because it was grey, cold and windy. I need color like vitamins. We went out back to see the newborn lambs, and the chickens.

Then I drew the flowers. Left to right: hyacinth, white Easter lilies, yellow Asian lilies, and red amaryllis. And a basket of potatoes.

Aha, a drawing of seeds in spring. Only one has sprouted so far. Under the seed box is a colorful sheet of wrapping paper. All this rests on a small table.

This drawing was done in 1983, in England. And the brightly painted table had just been made by our 7 year old daughter. (She is now a designer.) The colors of the table are accurate.

And here is our second daughter at the same time, 1983. She loved board games, puzzles, and rainbow colors. And still does.

Below are her children.

I made this drawing on our new iPad. Our two granddaughters hold hands, and look for springtime treasures to put into their bucket. They were 4 and 2 at the time.

I did this by looking at a photo which is now 4 years old. But I remember the day well. And the hats.

We will be seeing them soon at their home in Alberta, Canada, along with their little brother. Maybe I’ll have time to draw!