October 2023 in the Garden: Nothing Gold Can Stay

When I checked first thing this morning, the temperature was 31 (30 degrees lower than when I woke up yesterday).

gardenAnne ButeraOctober 28, 2023garden, seasons, autumn, autumn garden, autumn in the garden Comments

October 2022 In the Garden and the End of the Growing Season

In October you never know what you’re going to get and the hooks by my back door reflect just how changeable it’s been this month.

gardenAnne ButeraOctober 15, 2022garden, October Garden, Autumn garden, autumn, gardening, dahlias, tomatoes, sungold tomatoes, late blooming flowers, end of the growing season, end of summer Comments

Why I Don't Clean Up the Garden in the Autumn

Colorful leaves crunching underfoot. Pumpkins arranged on the front steps. Gently falling snow.

Embracing Stillness: Lessons Learned Waiting at the Vet

This year I’ve gone to more vet appointments than I can count. I guess I could count them, flip back through calendar pages and tally up appointments for tests and surgery and treatments and more tests.

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

Honoring Seasons, Transitions and Change

Last week the weather shifted dramatically from summer to full-on autumn. Suddenly the days were cold. Dark. Wet. I layered on sweaters and hats and scarves. We turned on the furnace and brewed pot after pot of hot tea.

I felt lethargic, melancholy. It was hard to get out of bed in the morning. I made soup and baked bread. I wrote Joy Lists. But nothing seemed to help. I was uninspired and discouraged in my art, too. All I wanted to do was snuggle beneath my quilts and crocheted blankets to wait for the sun to come out again.

Joy List Monday

It's been ages since I've done a Joy List Monday post (I've never done one in this space), but this morning I am overflowing with joy and wanted to share it with you (and encourage you to discover some joy at the start of a week, too).

joy, garden, Joy List Monday, artAnne ButeraSeptember 10, 2018Joy Lists, joy, joy list monday, garden, september, seasons, tea towel calendars, The Essential Herbal Magazine, autumn, summer, savoring each day, slowing down, savoringComment

Summer Love Songs and Savoring Each Day

It's the last day of August. I can't quite believe it. Throughout the month I've been noticing the beginnings of fall. It seems early this year.

Summer's my season and although autumn can be beautiful its arrival always makes me a bit melancholy.

notes from the studio