Coffee Break with the Chief Barista

For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of my self as lacking creativity. Interestingly, most of the things I have done in my life involve creativity. With a few creative successes under my belt, I gained a little confidence in that arena. However, I remain apprehensive about drawing and painting.

Pamela Wickard and Joan Marie, two friends of mine who are artists, provided me with encouragement to give it a try. So I did.

You might be thinking that I started with a sheet of paper and some colored pencils and Crayola watercolors—not even close. I went to the hardware store and, for seven dollars, bought a sheet of something sort of like wood, had it cut into smaller pieces, and began a painting that is 36" wide by 42" tall. I found a painting on the internet that I like and traced it onto my board. That was two months ago, and I’m nearly finished. And it’s pretty good for my first crack at it!

Fear is such a waste of time, and it almost always involves something that we do not thoroughly understand. I made the decision a long time ago that if I can identify the fear within myself, I can get rid of it. For whatever reason my fears developed, they no longer serve me, now.

On another note, August is a memorable month for me. I’ve never received as many kind emails from readers as I did in August. Thank you for your comments and well wishes.

I also received several articles, submitted by our readers, that we’ve featured this month—a story in honor of Grandparents’ Day and a humorous story about internet purse shopping. I am delighted to share these stories with you, our readers.

And for those of you who have been inquiring about our next photography competition, turn to page 9. The deadline for photo submissions is November 1. I’m looking forward to all the great photos.

    Marian