Villefavard Roses, 5″x7″ watercolor pencil. Sharyn Dimmick.
If I do not know it from my zen and Vipassana meditation, I should know it from my habit of seasonal eating: things change all the time and not always in ways that we expect — too much rain or sun disrupts crop production, or bees mysteriously die off and the crops are lightly pollinated. I had hoped to announce a big change today, one that would affect my life every single day, but the timetable for that has been changed. I am not trying to be mysterious or withholding, promising to tell you something and then not telling you, but since the planned change involved other people I am not at liberty to speak about what was going to happen, but has not. Plans are not going according to schedule and the schedule is not going according to plan.
Yesterday I sang at the Farmers’ Market in Berkeley. It was a bright, hot day and some new crops were in. I saw fresh apples! Pink Ladies and Pink Pearls. Blueberries and blackberries and strawberries are still abundant. Suncrest peaches and apricots and now Santa Rosa plums fill the bins at Frog Hollow Farm’s stand. I drank tomato juice and two bottles of water as I stood and sang. When I was done I ate a cup of caramel ice cream, and a raw Thai salad cone from the vegan stand. I wanted to buy peaches or maybe blackberries, but I needed to hurry to catch a bus and contented myself with picking up a basket of Sun gold cherry tomatoes and a pound and a half of fresh green beans: perhaps I will make a pasta of them or a pasta salad for the Fourth of July potluck and barbecue that I always go to.
Justine’s Kitchen. 5″ x 7″ Ink and Watercolor Pencil. Sharyn Dimmick.
In other news, I have been asked to assist Natalie Goldberg at her December retreat in Taos, New Mexico. This is a great honor, and the first time I have served at a long retreat. Many of my old writing pals are slated to be there. So, having just returned from France, I need to start saving air fare for New Mexico. I went back to “the day job” on Friday, singing in the BART station for tips.
France. This year it rained a lot, so I didn’t have as much chance to paint, sketch or swim as I did last year. Nevertheless, I have chosen images from my French sketchbook to illustrate this post. I hope you enjoy them.
thekalechronicles 
I did so enjoy your paintings, Sharyn!
Thank you, Marina. It’s always fun to do them. I’ll put another one or two up next time I write.
Beautiful roses! How exciting to go to New Mexico! I can’t wait to read about it.
Thank you,Susan — I guess my December blog post will be about New Mexico and whatever else happens!
Yeah – too bad you came to France at this time. The “summer” so far has been abysmal. We get the odd day or two of sun and then it’s overcast and raining again. I hope you were able to enjoy the countryside nevertheless though!
The countryside was quite green and beautiful, Charles. I saw many friends and met some new ones, got to study with my beloved teacher — I would go again, even in a downpour or monsoon,
So glad you were able to go to France and enjoy Sharyn. And congrats on being asked to participate in the retreat. Sounds like things are going okay for you and I’m glad.
Thank you, Betsy. Some things are going well, and for those things I am grateful. Thanks for stopping by.
beautiful paintings…and good luck on the new change coming up!
Hi, Sharyn,
You are a busy woman. …and so many fun things happening. I so enjoy the rain though it certainly has a tenancy to change one’s traveling plans.
I love summer fruit and it sounds like you also do. We often drive between Arnold and Albany, which affords us several produce stands in the valley and foothills along the way.
One of these days, I will get to hear you sing.
Warm regards,
Teri F.
Thanks, Teri,
I do love summer produce. And I love working with Natalie. Once the BART strike is settled I will be back at work there and I sing at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, too.
Thanks, Peri. It’s uncertain what will happen next, but that’s life, isn’t it, when you think about it?
Hi Sharyn, thanks for dropping by my blog. It’s nice to see that you are back on track and writing again on a regular basis for your blog. It’s quite therapeutic. I’m also glad you were able to get to France again, I doubt we’ll be going for a while at least as the landscape is changing for us too! Good luck with your writing course.
Thanks, Eva. I’ve been writing once a month for awhile — it’s hard to believe that I used to write twice a week and do two paintings a week, too, but my life was less busy then. I was lucky to get to go to France again and I worked hard to get there, saving the airfare out of my small income.
Sounds like you’ve been busy!
I was busy. Then I slowed down. Then I got busy again. Now things are slow with the BART workers on strike and nowhere to sing until the strike is settled: it’s a good time to practice though.
Exciting times afoot Sharyn! I adore Pink Lady apples too. I’m eating my fill at the moment. An apple a day… x
I haven’t bought any apples yet, Lauren, but there is always this coming weekend…
France and New Mexico in the same year… sounds like a life filled with grand journeys. I hope plans fall into place in a manner that is in line with your highest hopes.
Thank you, MacMurray. There is a lot of trouble going on just now that I can’t speak of publicly. France and New Mexico provide supportive environments to help me cope with the trouble. For that I am grateful.
I love to travel too, you must be thrilled to be going to New Mexico and especially after soggy france, though france in any weather is still france! I hope the trouble begins to settle down into biteable portions. The overwhelmedness is always the hardest bit. Letting the cards fall where they will in their own time before you can begin to gather them and sort them. Your farmers market sounds like a lovely enriching(not to mention taasty) place to wait. Have a lovely day.. c
I’ve never been to New Mexico and can’t wait to read about your journey and your passion for writing there! Good luck with your surprise!! xx
I am very sorry I have not been around but it is nice to be back 😀
I can’t wait to read of your trip to New Mexico!
Cheers
CCU
You truly are an amazing and inspiring woman Sharyn – you work so hard to make your dreams come true – so proud of you assisting Natalie Goldberg – wow, what an honour! I hope your mysterious changes turn out to be just alternative paths to desired ends…be here now…
I am in a very dark time, John, faced with a situation that I cannot control and one that I can make worse but do not see any way to make better. Meditation and reading and support are not doing it for me — I guess it is a big chunk of heavy karma. Not fun. But you are right, assisting Natalie is an honor and one I am glad to have — I can still manage to be glad of that.
Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you been running a blog for?
you make running a blog glance easy. The entire look of your site
is wonderful, let alone the content!
Thank you, Michelle. I can’t take credit for the layout — I just picked a theme I liked from WordPress. I’ve been writing the blog for a few years. I used to post twice a week and then I got busier and went to a monthly post.