Genuine preppy Madras ( named from Madras, India) is made of multiple squares of plaid that are not color fast. The fabric will bleed (color dye). In high school, 1960s, my favorite skirt was a reversible denim to Madras. A white blouse and Madras shorts outfit is my fashion definition of summer.
Finding Madras in a thrift store has been very difficult. This year, I bought a fantastic pair of Madras shorts. Thrilled I be.
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| Madras Shorts |
The fall rituals that I like to follow, this year are pressed flat by the depression episode I am struggling to manage.
As the deal with it best I can goes, turning a negative into a positive works. Thus, the autumn pumpkin hunt for a country roadside stand also includes: Just buy a pumpkin! So I have. I may also buy from a roadside stand, if I have the energy to do that.
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| Pie Pumpkin #1 2025 |
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| Moon at 95% Waxing Gibbous Behind the clouds 9:58 PM EDT 5 September 2025 |
In a philosophy class, early 1990s, the instructor is explaining the time line of life in philosophically, step by step out into the universe. The end thought, the end question left to us is what is there beyond, beyond life, the universe?
The air in the room is dead silence until a voice in the far back corner provides the answer:
“New Jersey”
More than any age decade of experience, I feel that our teenage years carry the strongest vibe of being our home-land. Other stages may be as nostalgic, as well loved but not in the same way as our transition out of childhood into adulthood. Ten years is a long time.
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| Wind Watercolor sketch |
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| Climbing Roses |
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| A Watercolor Sketch |
Charm
Quick sketches have a charm that a painting does not have. As we draw a location, we are there feeling the environment. Even if we are plein air painting, as we process all of it onto the canvas, the charm element is gone.
Capture the charm
Sketch
Reviewing August is a sad glance back at summer, and hot weather, as the autumn equinox three weeks away on 22 September draws near.
Asking if we accomplished what we wanted to do can be part of September’s foundation. Building on the past has me revising my goals.
In blogging, the debut of my YouTube channel vlog at the end of September is a terrifying thought. Thus far I have only one video section to edit. I have a lot of pre-writing done but none written down.
To my surprise, the most difficult part turns out to be the writing. Granted, I can sit down and talk for hours and not be boring (if I do say so myself). I can write 20 pages of fiction a day, handwrite.
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| Time to plant mums |
Where is the terror coming from? Easy. Fear of how people will react. I want everyone to be nice, compassionate as most everyone does. We know that is not realistic.
Solution. Focus on the good people. Revel in the fortune to have a platform to entertain folks, help them smile, touch their hearts. Be yourself sharing thoughts and things that are positive and on some levels, inspiring.
Another month of summery weather might turn out to be September. Wishful thinking, methinks, helps ease in accepting the reality of fall is at our door here in New England.
Glazed baked carrots have been on my mind more than potato salad has. Soup will fill my thoughts any day now. After that, baking bread and cinnamon rolls.
Robust flavors and aromas are an element of autumn. Sadly, losing weight doesn’t benefit. Thus, I’m not having apple cider donuts until the first frost (as my contribution to my healthy living)
Have a Healthy & Cozy Weekend!
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| Goldenrod |
Picture it. You see an interesting sky but you’re all buckled up ready to get back on the road and don’t want to get out of your vehicle. So you put your cell phone out the window, point up towards the sky and take photographs from various angles.
This is how I did with the in back of me shots.
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| Math notes on back of the abstract |
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| Abstract detail |
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| Finished Watercolor Drawing |
Summer doesn’t feel like summer without two lane country roads, bordered by cornfields, to travel down.
Route 17 is such a road. The 40.409 miles (65.032km) stretches from Route 100 in Waitsfield to west and ending in Addison at the border of Upstate NewYork by Lake Champlain. The scenery from out of the Green Mountains to the flat land of the Champlain Valley is spectacular. There is a vibe if traveling through a part of New England’s geological history.
