So although I'm not painting as much as I used to, I still need to go up to my studio and paint from time to time. I miss it and whenever I'm in my studio, which I really enjoy, kind of like my ivory tower, I am surrounded by the sights and smells of being an artist. So I loved the opportunity to not only paint but also donate to a worthy cause - fund raising for a local food bank. 

It has been a couple of months since I sat down in my studio to paint which is why I am really looking forward to this project. A friend who has a gallery that he now shares with two other artists is having a fund raising event for the food bank in the town of Meredith, NH. In the summer this is a vacation destination since the town shares a piece of Lake Winnipesaukee. I've only recently been exploring some of the downtown - I mostly go there to visit my friend's gallery. The main street runs parallel to the major road that takes you by the lake. My husband and I recently ate lunch at a winery in town that had a most interesting lunch menu. 

Often at night, especially when I just can't sleep, I hear, sometimes in the distance and other times close by, the howl and yelp of a coyote or a band of coyotes. I'm always happy to be in my house, along with my two small Pomeranians. 

Every year cars and buses loaded with tourists make their way to the state where I live. We have come to realize that Columbus Day weekend is NOT the time to go leaf-peeping. Instead we go either before that weekend or just after when the foliage in our area is still just beginning to show with some of it at peak color. It is a beautiful time of year and I never tire of the colors that surround my home and my neighborhood. 

Ah yes, finally, my favorite season is here. With the heat we had this summer, I didn't think it would ever arrive. But now I'm looking forward to cooler days and nights, sweaters and extra blankets (my favorite is the weighted blanket - if you haven't tried it you don't know what you're missing!), and back to cooking some of my favorite meals. Homemade spaghetti sauce is always a winner. Based on my mom's recipe, which she got so many years ago from and my aunt's Italian neighbor, it remains one of my favorites of all time.