The arts – pamelascanepa

Weekend Coffee Share, Summer Travels

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I’m on vacation this week! Bixby is back home with my mother. He’s going to smell another dog on me when I get home, which is sure to be interesting! I’m on the back deck at Hannah”s house, and I’ve witnessed a sunrise in a new city ( working my way through a bucket list item). 🙂

My coffee today contains hazelnut milk, and is stronger than usual. We are walking every day there is not rain, so I’m using up the excess energy! Enjoy your beverage of choice and pull up a virtual chair on the back deck. The weather in Rochester, New York is pleasantly cool today with chances of rain.

The art in this place is amazing! It has a small town feel with an art school and several museums within walking distance of my friend’s apartment. It seems like a wonderful Arts community as well!

Another place of interest was Erie Canal. It made me think of Holland, a place I’ve never been. It was just nice to see it. We sat with a drink and took in the views and breeze. The next day, we had dinner thereoverlooking the water while a jazzy band played outdoors.

At Erie Canal, outside Lock 32 Brewery. Grapefruit Sessions was awesome!

My friend was so kind to invite me to stay here this summer, and her dog was also an excellent host and play buddy!

I really have enjoyed Hannah’s sweet dog, a big, affectionate mixed-breed. I do miss Bixby, though.

I made sure Hannah got a signed copy of Detours in Time!

There is not a whole lot of writing going on right now, but I am getting inspired! 28 days of Ellie, my current writing plan, paused at day 6, and I’ll return to it when I’m back. For now, there is a lot of walking, taking in new sights and laughter with an old friend. I believe anything that warms the heart can inspire a writer’s soul!

Thanks for visiting me for a weekend coffee share! I hope all is well in your corner of the world. Have a great weekend!

Soulful Sunday, #weeklysmile, 7/30

Image credit, Pixabay.com

Here’s a weekly smile based on gratitude:

I’m going to take a Soulful Sunday moment to reflect on the positives: the healing my family has encountered, the second chances, the support with my latest book, the friends I’ve made at work and church, and the long-time friends who still keep in touch. Let’s include my significant other, Kenny, who appreciates my art and respects my time, as he brightens the world with his own creations and remains steadfast through my many dramas. Those who say they “don’t like drama” are just denying their own. We’ve all got it, and it makes us stronger, as long as you’re not creating “the drama.” So I am thankful for that too, as well as the rain at my window and this dog curled at my feet whom I would not have brought home five years ago for fear of allergies and responsibility. My heart is becoming more capable with each possibility I let in. You’ve seen my patron animal here, (the flying squirrel) and you’ll see him again. Every time I’m walking the dog and he sees a squirrel, he chases after it until he’s stuck at the base of a tree, looking up at the squirrel high in its branches, wondering why he can’t just climb up to that high place as well. I imagine the squirrel felt the same when one of his kin just flew off the branch and glided. My dog can do something those squirrels can’t: he can mend a hurting heart and be the most loyal friend ever. Still, when I think of that flying squirrel, I think of the endless possibilities present in this universe, some that we haven’t even yet discovered. We all can soar, we just need to discover our own traits that will make that possible.

The natural/animal world is an endless source of smiles for me!

A Visit to Jax. Beaches… Echoes of My Neighborhood #photos

This morning I enjoyed a beach walk with my son. It is much too crowded on the weekends, so now is the time! The dunes are beautiful at our beach. There are signs telling people to ” stay off.” For good reason, I am sure.

Walking the beach is something we both like to do. He is quiet comp, but as we walk, I feel any stress melting away. I imagine that’s why he likes it so much. We broke my heat survival rule: must hit the beach before 9 a.m., but optimise of iced coffee got me through!

After walking, we stopped by Breezy Coffee Shop Cafe on 8th St. so I could get my iced coffee. It is a small, cozy cafe in a quaint two story house, located next to a surf/ clothing shop with this beautiful mural on one side. I love the Arts in Jacksonville!

Speaking of the Arts in Jacksonville, I got my copy of Folio Weekly at the coffee shop which features an article on a woman who has opened several businesses that support the Arts in Jacksonville. I included this photo because it says a lot about my town. The Folio reflects our town quite well every week, in fact!

I apologize for not taking a photo of my coffee. My phone was acting up in the coffee shop. The iced coffee was great, though, and an excellent reward after the walk. At least there is a breeze on the beach when you walk! It was nice to get out and away from the computer. I’ll have to do this next week, as well.

*Echoes of My Neighborhood is a weekly blog theme established by fellow blogger Jackie at acookingpotandtwistedtales.com. She has been somewhat of a blogging guru to me since I started on WordPress a little over a year ago. I recommend you visit her blog and her Echoes of My Neighborhood at https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/2017/07/20/hibernating-in-the-malls-echoes-of-my-neighbourhood/ !