Women Who inspire Me: Mary Engelbreit

The first card I remember purchasing.

 Today is my first installment of "Women Who Inspire Me." Mary Engelbreit has been a part of my life since the early 80's. She is my favorite artist and illustrator. I think I first discovered ME in a Hallmark store in Kennewick and the Ocotopus Garden, an eclectic card shop in Richland. 

Mary's greeting cards are bright, colorful, whimsical, and she almost always uses a quote. She also loves polka-dots! She wanted to be an artist since she was a child and was so excited when she learned people were artists for a living. Her first goal was to illustrate children's books, but the agents that looked at her work encouraged her to do greeting cards. The rest is history.

My all-time favorite

She has created cards, calendars, t-shirts, wall hangings, stationary, fabric, books, and for eleven years did a magazine. I loved her Home Companion magazine. She did fulfill her dream and has illustrated a whole collection of children's books. 

Her magazine always had beautiful covers.

I am always interested in a artist's process. This is how she creates a piece of art:

"I’ve often been asked how I actually create my illustrations, so let me explain. I complete each drawing on a single piece of paper, first in pencil, then in pen and ink. I then color in with marker and shade with colored pencil. Each drawing takes me about two to three days to complete, sometimes a little longer for calendar or book images."

I love her illustrations about gardening. They speak to me!

Now, along with her cards and other products I can follow her on social media. I can comment on her Instagram account and tell her personally how much I love her art every day. Every year I have her wall calendar above my desk, I have her cards tucked away to send out to friends and family ( ( I was so excited to discover Current carries her products). My all-time favorite product of ME's is her daily desk calendar with a quote and illustration for each day of the year.

Who inspired her? Jessie Wilcox Smith and Johnny Gruell ( the creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy). but her biggest inspiration was  Joan Walsh Anglund. She inspires me because she had a dream, stuck with it, and has spent her adult life doing what she loves. She draws every day. 

a page from the desk calendar

Summer Play List

Because of  the wildfire smoke I am staying inside today. While working around the house, writing, and reading I have been listening to summer playlists on Amazon Music. I don't know about you, but when I hear certain summer songs they take me right back to a place, an event, a person, or a memory.

It is difficult to narrow down a list to ten. Maybe I will do a few summer play lists in the next few months. What songs would be on your summer play list? Here are mind in no particular order. I did add a video for the last one because it reminded me of summers in my youth.

" A Summer Song" Chad and Jeremy

" See You in September" The Happenings

" Summer Breeze" Seals and Croft

"Walking on Sunshine" Katrina and the Waves

"Windy" The Association

"Saturday in the Park" Chicago

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" Beach Boys

"We've Only Just Begun" Carpenters

"The Power of Love" Huey Lewis and the News

"Lazy Day" by Spanky and Our Gang

I Wish I Could

Even at this age there are still things I sit back and say, "Oh, I wish I could do that." Does this ever happen to you?

I wish I could open a jar.  Are jars on tighter, or am I weaker? What is the deal? No matter how many tricks I do, there are times I think I am going to just have to break the jar to get the contents out. What the heck?

I wish I could hammer in a nail. This is pathetic. No matter the hammer, the size of the nail, the wall I am putting the nail in... I drop the nail, I hit my thumb, and then give up. I should have taken Shop in Junior High. Oh, I forgot. Girls couldn't.

I wish I could grill . I love grilled food. I have watched at least 135 episodes of BBQ and grilling shows on Food Network and read cookbooks on grilling, and I still just don't do it well. I guess practice makes perfect. Anyone ready for charred, dry chicken?

I wish I could make homemade bread. I love to bake sweet items, but I have never mastered bread. I have used a bread machine and was able to make presentable bread with it. Mom loved to make bread and once again, I have cookbooks telling me step by step what to do. I guess I just need to do it, and do it, and do it.

I wish I could endure heat. When I was younger I could walk along the beach in the hot sun. I could lay out on the dock all afternoon. I loved hot sun. Not anymore. Heat in the hot part of the day makes me feel a bit sick. That is good though. I wear sunscreen, I wear a hat, I try to be safe in the sun and watch getting overheaded. That is why I garden in the evening. 

I wish I could make autumn come quicker. I have learned to enjoy summer this year, but I am ready for sweaters, cooler evenings, fires in the fireplace, and leaves turning. 

Love for Lilies

A true sign that summer is in full swing is when lilies begin blooming around my yard. As long as you plan ahead lilies are one of the easiest plants to grow in your garden. You have to plan ahead because they need to be planted in the fall. 

Just find a plant catalog right now and pick the ones you like. Find a place to plant them remembering they will come back every year. Order them now so they will come in the fall. You can plant them before the ground gets hard after a frost. You can also go to garden centers or nurseries in the fall and purchase the bulbs.

Lilies are so hardy. That is why I love them. They come up , bloom, spread, come up the next year and start all over again. After the blooms are spent the leaves still provide interest in the garden. If you have a space to plant them and can afford to purchase them ( they are not cheap), go for it. Did you know there are over ninety species of lilies?  The images I posted show some of my favorites that are blooming right now at my house.

Where I'm From

 

In 1993 George Ella Lyon created a poem that captured memories of growing up, home, and family called "Where I'm From".  She said in an interview it is " to the voices in all of us that long to be heard." Her poem as been copy changed for many occasions and used as a way to remember home. 

At my husband Everett's Celebration of Life recently I wanted to write his "Where I'm From" poem to capture memories of his childhood, his early adult life, and his life as a father. My brother-in-law Paul read it for me at the service. Enjoy:

Where I’m From 

In Memory of my husband Everett

By Christy Woolum

I am from an old cabin

from warm stew by the wood stove.

I am from a sled that carried me down to town

In the cold, icy winter.

I am from the Chewuch River,

Hunting to provide for my mother,

And pack mules, rodeos, and songs around the campfire.

I am from apple warehouses and orchards,

From Red Delicious, McIntosh, and Winesap.

I’m from cutting down trees and running a bulldozer.

I’m from The Lord is My Shepherd, 

Singing gospel songs

And reciting Bible verses from my heart.

From Oroville to Round Lake,

Dried deer meat and Hamburger Helper.

From fingers stained with huckleberry juice

And a station wagon full of kids.

I am from “ Do I need to cut a switch?”

And “Shhh… I am watching the news.”

I am from riding horses, hunting with my family,

Cowboy boots and a tall, white cowboy hat.

I am from Scotland where I yearn to visit,

The World’s Fair, camping trips, and swimming in the lake.

The drawer in the blue dresser is

Piled with all the cards and notes from the family I love.

A collection of words I go back and read.

Underneath is a pile of black and white photos.

I remember my childrens’ faces when I pray,

Before I go to sleep at night.

Summertime Living

 "Rejoice as summer should... chase away sorrows by living." – Melissa Marr

Summer has not always been my favorite season. Some years we were plagued by wildfire smoke making it impossible to go outside. Other years during hot spells we were put on water restrictions and had to try to keep our gardens alive. Some summers there were events that happened that I wanted to forget. Depression would creep up and it was easier to curl up in a cool,dark room and forget the world around me.

This year I am embracing summertime and doing simple things to make the summer memorable. I am fortunate to be retired so time is my friend. I am rejoicing by living. Here is my summertime living list:

Making a root beer float. There isn't an A&W close to me, but one day I saw that root beer at the store and tried to remember the last time I had even drank a float. It was summer in a glass. Cold, sweet, refreshing. 

Picking a bouquet of flowers. I am fortunate to have flowers in my own garden to pick. When I didn't have a garden I would go out in the woods and pick wildflowers, go to a flower stand, or stop at Farmer's Market for fresh flowers. The scent of a bouquet brings summer right into the house.

Enjoying an afternoon naps. When the temperatures hit over a hundred degrees for days on end, I would come inside, darken the bedroom and enjoy a blissful afternoon nap. This gave me the energy to garden later into the evening when the weather cooled a bit.

Discovering outdoor lights. Knowing I would be spending more time outside as the sun went down each day, I decided I wanted to fill the backyard with lights. I love that time when dusk turns to dark and slowly the lights begin to brighten the yard. Some even change colors!

Finding Riley spots. I am always on the hunt for new places to take Riley for his daily run. We have driven up dirt roads, tried to get closer to water, and found cool spots when the temperature was hot. Riley doesn't care if he is in the high school parking lot or in a meadow up past Wardner. He gets to go in the car, jump out and run, run, run. 

Loving Family Dinners.  Our family dinners are still an important part of our week. Recently we have prepared all cold food, sat inside to stay cool, but are still enjoying catching up, sharing stories, and hearing about family plans.

Catching up on reading. Because of other events in my life, reading books has taken a back burner in the last year. Of course I have still read books, but not as many as I am used to reading. It is nice to be back to reading. I have some catching up to do.

Capturing images. The best way for me to remember the simple things I am enjoying this summer is to photograph the moments, the flowers, the sunsets,  Riley, delicious food, and family and friends.