TheTravelsketcher’s Tuesday


Thoughts for the season – Week two of Advent, seeking peace. “Peace on earth…” This was the angel’s message to the shepherds on the first Christmas Eve. It was the time of pax Romana, the 200 year period of relative peace thanks to the iron hand of Rome’s military. Yet there is much more to…

This week in The Pearl – actually La Conner


We did spend the weekend in The Pearl. The cold weather made the warmth of the Mediterranean sound so inviting. For Sunday lunch I took inspiration from the roulade I did for Thanksgiving. We had a lone chicken breast in the freezer so I used gruyere, and spinach for a filling and did another roulade…

TheTravelsketcher’s Tuesday – Finding peace


“Naturally, the more attention one gives to the deplorable conditions outside the less one is able to enjoy what peace and liberty he (she) possesses. Even if it be heaven we find ourselves in, we can render it suspect and dubious.” Henry Miller, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, 1957 My contemplation of…

This week in The Pearl – November 14, 2025


Another eclectic week. Friday evening we went to a birthday party with friends, and met a couple of new friends. Then Sunday we had a Christopherson family gathering here in The Pearl. Always good to get everyone together. A couple of weeks ago I posted about the Urban Sketchers Portland event at Directors Park where…

This week in The Pearl – November 7, 2025


Interesting week, more than once we have asked: “How did we ever find time to work?” We have been quite active, some fun, some not so fun, and really not a lot of art came out of it all. The small, 4×5.5 inch black sketchbook reminded me of a gray 5×8 inch Stillman & Birn…