30 May 26

🌿 Newsletter No. 2

 



🌿 Hello, friends! 

It's summertime, and I have a newsletter filled with tips and thoughts to help you enjoy these sunny days. 

If you'd like an e-mail reminder when next month's newsletter is posted, please join my mailing list here or at Patreon.



🌿  quote of the month

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means waste of time." ~ John Lubbock, "Recreation," The Use of Life, 1894


🌿  poem of the month

"The earth is fair and beautiful, 
And there's enough of light 
To chase the shadows all away 
And leave our faces bright; 
We'll count our blessings every day, 
And rich in sweet content 
We'll scatter sunshine everywhere 
That sunbeams may be spent . . ."
No use to corner sunshine up 
When there's enough for all; 
We'll share the blessings of content 
Wherever shadows fall . . ."
~ Margaret Scott Hall, "Rich in Content," 1907



🌿  what I'm listening to



🌿  what I'm watching

  • Clarkson's Farm, Seasons 4 and 5 | watch on Prime Video
    • Jeremy Clarkson and his friends and family are back for another season of farming, shop keeping, and restauranteuring in the idyllic Cotswolds. I'm rewatching the last few episodes of the previous season to remind me of what's going on. Season 5 debuts on June 3 in the U.S.

  • Dutton Ranch, Season One | watch via Prime Video
    • This is the first season of a new sequel to Yellowstone
    • I usually describe the Yellowstone universe as "the modern day Dallas." This installment balances new villains with the heartfelt love between Beth, Rip, and their adopted son Carter. Annette Bening and Ed Harris join the cast.

🌿  youtube videos

Did you miss any of my videos posted in May 2026?

  • Watch This Before You Buy Another Planner | watch on YouTube 

  • Traveler's Notebook Journal Flip Through No. 3 (featuring a Standard size TN) | watch on YouTube

  • Completed 400 Page Moleskine Classic Expanded - Pros, Cons, Supplies, and Journal Flip | watch on YouTube


🌿  blog posts

Did you miss any of my blog posts from May 2026?

(yes, the blog was a bit slow!)



🌿  art book of the month

  • How to Journal Like an Artist: A Beginner’s Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal – The Easy Way to Learn to Doodle and Draw | available at Amazon


🌿  art supply of the month

  • Travelers Company #018 Undated Planner Insert | at Amazon
    • made in Japan
    • fits standard-sized traveler's notebooks
    • each insert lasts 26 weeks; you'll need two for a full year of planning
    • takes all my art supplies beautifully -- including watercolor!
    • this has been such a consistently good planner that I've just ordered my twelfth (12th!!!) one; here's a YouTube video featuring a review and showing how I set up my weekly layouts


🌿  studio snack of the month

  • Annie's Cheddar Bunnies | available at Amazon
    • Taste just like goldfish 
    • Organic, non GMO, no artificial flavors or colors, and no high fructose corn syrup
    • Made with real cheese

🌿  nature notes

On May 1, the first cottontail bunny of the year made an appearance in our backyard. I'm wondering if they were just scouting out the summer den, because they haven't returned since then. Hopefully we'll see a whole bunny family soon . . . even if it means putting patio plants up on stands so they can't reach.

The day after Mother's Day, I purchased a pretty bouquet of cut flowers from Kroger. They were marked down 75% and lasted a full two weeks with some flower food and a few rounds of fresh water. Now they're hanging upside down drying in my laundry room. It's always fun to see which blossoms hold their color and which fillers hold their shapes. 

The week of May 11, we visited the zoo and spent a lot of time with the "little kids." We have two new Amur (Siberian) tiger brothers named Lewis and Clark who are 22 months old. They love to splash in their pool and whitewater river. Nearby, baby elephants Rita Jean (10 months) and Oliver (7 months) are learning to play with their older half-sibling Frankie (almost five). Way over in the Australia and The Islands area, sweet orangutan Clementine (age 2 1/2) delights visitors by climbing waaaaaay up high, watching planes overhead, snacking on nutrition-packed cookies, and keeping track of her toys.

On May 18, the temperature hit 91 degrees. That's the earliest our area has hit 90 since 1991! The heat didn't last long, and from May 22 - 27, we had lots (and lots) of rain resulting in some flash flooding nearby. Right now, we're in the middle of something called an Omega Block which is leading to at least seven straight days of absolutely gorgeous springtime weather with sunny skies and high temperatures in the seventies. I'm savoring every bit of it!

Last week, my favorite car I've ever had developed an oil leak. Ugh. Nature viewing will be limited until we take her in for service, but I did walk around our community garden yesterday. It was fun to see so many plants just getting started, and someone filled one plot with gorgeous cosmos which are already climbing toward the sunshine and swaying in the gentle summer breezes. 



🌿  join the chat

Do you have any nature notes, recipes, or recommendations to share with us? Join the monthly chat in the comments section!


Happy springtime,
Ann


Ann is an artist and writer from Ohio. Support her work and access her printables at Patreon. Follow her on YouTube for fresh journal flips and reviews. Join her newsletter for e-mail updates.

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