August 2022 in the Garden

In June when I wrote to my Joy Letter subscribers I said that June was my favorite month. Right now, though, I’m thinking August might be.

Challenge Yourself This Week: Pay Attention to Beauty and Write Daily Joy Lists

When’s the last time you noticed something that made you pause to look, to think, to wonder? A little moment seemingly outside of time?

joy, life, magicAnne ButeraOctober 8, 2021Joy Lists, writing joy lists, daily challenge, slowing down, paying attention, noticing beauty, wonder Comments

25 Summer Delights Bringing Me Joy Right Now

The days are flying past faster and faster. I can’t believe June has already come and gone. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m trying to slow down and enjoy summer’s magic and yet, time still flies.

joy, life, magicAnne ButeraJuly 2, 2021Joy Lists, summer days, summer joys, summer joy list, pay attention be astonished tell about it, paying attention, joy, how to slow down, slowing down, being present Comments

Resonate with Summer's Rhythm: How to Slow Down and Enjoy the Magic

Two weeks ago nights were in the 30s and there was danger of frost. Summer weather quickly arrived and today heat index values could reach 105.

Enjoying Autumn

This week has been beautiful. Bright sunshine. The bluest skies.

There’s no mistaking that autumn is here, but it’s my favorite kind of autumn. And my garden is still blooming.

Beauty is Important

I am filled with a swirl of thoughts and feelings. Maybe you are, too.

These days. They’re hard. This year has been hard. It continues to be hard.

Getting Out of the Box

The other day my cousin Sarah* shared a post on Instagram which was a part of a longer piece she shared on her blog. In it she wrote “stepping out of the box I decided I was going to do something to treat me.” Although her words were about the importance of doing something for yourself, what kept running through my head was idea of stepping out of the box.

gratitude, joy, magic, creativity, lifeAnne ButeraOctober 11, 2019mindfulness, mindfulness practice, beauty, beauty is not insignificant, being open to change, being flexible, being present, cats, rescue cats, black and white cats, greyhounds, retired racing greyhounds, animals help us be present, Magical Mindfulness, Jools Sinclair, Sarah Venema, studio, art practice, art studio, gratitude practice, gratitude, transformative power of gratitude, joy, Joy Lists, art by Anne Butera, anne butera, nasturtiums, dahlias, spiderwebs, gardening, gardens, cooking, fall, autumn, autumn in the garden, making soup, making bread, making art, sketchbooks, nature, healing power of nature, magic in nature, observing nature, beauty in nature, stepping out of the bos, stepping out of the box, getting out of the box, boxes we create for ourselves, schedules, routines, liitations, breaking free from limitations, self care, self-imposed limitations, creativity is self care, treating yourself Comments

summer's wild abandon

I wrote that phrase in my journal this week to describe my garden, but I think it’s a good phrase to describe what I want life to be right now.

soaking it up

I sit in the garden and watch the robins taking turns on the nest in the birch tree. The nest is perched in a crotch of branches high above my patio. It doesn’t look very secure, but I’ve watched it hold tight when its windy. One robin swoops to the branch and the other plunges away. A few minutes later they switch. And switch again.

The Joy of Whirly Birds! (Maple Seeds)

All week long I’ve been painting whirly birds.* That’s what I used to call maple seeds when I was young.

At this time of year when the seeds come helicoptering to the ground it’s hard not to feel a surge of childlike joy. I walk around with my eyes to the ground trying to find the most interesting ones.

Magic in the Garden, Part 2: Black Swallowtails

Back in July I spotted some black swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley in my garden. I was thrilled to see them. I think butterflies are some of the most magical creatures in the garden.

These caterpillars were pretty small and I didn't recognize them at first. Their early phase doesn't look at all like their later ones*.

garden, magic, joyAnne ButeraAugust 24, 2018magic in nature, magic, nature, beauty in nature, butterflies, caterpillars, black swallowtail butterflies, black swallowtail caterpillars, garden, gardening, gardening for wildlife, attracting wildlife, attracting butterflies Comments

Magic in the Garden, Part 1

I am constantly amazed by the magic that occurs just outside my back door. I step into the garden with a sense of childlike wonder. There's no need to conjure giant strawberries. We just need to look.

A tiny seed that grows into a plant that will feed you all summer long. The way a flower unfurls to reveal a spiral of petals. The intricate weaving of a spider's web.

joy, garden, magicAnne ButeraAugust 17, 2018gardening, garden, nature, magic, magic in nature, beauty in nature, begonias, caterpillars Comments

notes from the studio