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Happy Summer

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It’s hotter than July here in Memphis, even though it’s only June.

I’ve been having some health problems (nothing new) and also some trouble with my power wheelchair. My apartment got painted. I had to have my porch ramp replace. So, in addition to everything else going on in the world, I’ve felt a bit reclusive.

I’ve started strolling around the neighborhood though and always enjoy. I thought I’d share what you can see if you walk around in the summer in the city — I prefer late in the day, but mornings are cooler, too. Drink water, use sunscreen, and wear a hat if necessary.

My apartment before
My apartment after
Zinnia in the weeds
Passion Flower
Purslane
Mini Canna Lily
Day Lily
Pink Hydrangea
Plant that grows plates 🙂
Cosmos
Hibiscus after a rain shower
Lilies
Crocosmia
Marigolds
Balloon Flowers
Our Lady of the Porch
Thirsty Robin nestling
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A new neighbor named Sweetie, a Muscovy Duck with a crooked wing

Hope everyone has a great summer. Taking a walk may help restore your sense of wonder.

~~~

Thanks for reading my blog. Feel free to share it, if you’d like.

Prints of this painting are here: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/167848965?ref=studio-promote

This blog is brought to you by the generosity of people who support me on Patreon , buy my art, and who support me in so many different ways.

If you’d like to make a one time donation, you can do so at paypal

Cards and prints of some of my art is available on Redbubble – also T-shirts and stickers and other unique items. When you click an image on Redbubble, in the lower right hand corner you’ll find a link to all the various products that these are printed on. If you have any trouble finding what you’re looking for, let me know. joyzmailbox@gmail.com

You can subscribe to this blog by email in the link below this post.

Lessons Learned

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A new poem, an old painting:

Lessons Learned
By Joy Murray

I wanted to teach them all about the wonders of the world
How a billion is a number so big
You can’t count it
How the universe is expanding and 
New stars are being born
How in a square inch of earth
There exists an entire universe of plants, bugs, and microscopic life

An invisible germ could make you sick
A small pill could bring back health
In one lifetime a person transforms over and over again
As if they walked through portals that changed them in ways none of us could imagine
And yet we still can communicate, play, and love each other

I had so many stories, rhymes, and songs
To share with them

Then one day they walked through a portal
Into adulthood
And every lesson I taught was muted
Scrambled by codes I can’t quite understand

We call to each other
Across a great distance of age and time
But nothing I have to teach them
Can span the gap
That expands naturally
Even in our universe of love

Understanding by Joy Murray, acrylic on canvas, 2019

~~~

Thanks for reading my blog. Feel free to share it, if you’d like.

Prints of this painting are here: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/167848965?ref=studio-promote

This blog is brought to you by the generosity of people who support me on Patreon , buy my art, and who support me in so many different ways.

If you’d like to make a one time donation, you can do so at paypal

Cards and prints of some of my art is available on Redbubble – also T-shirts and stickers and other unique items. When you click an image on Redbubble, in the lower right hand corner you’ll find a link to all the various products that these are printed on. If you have any trouble finding what you’re looking for, let me know. joyzmailbox@gmail.com

You can subscribe to this blog by email in the link below this post

Gwenn Seemel and Sonder

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Great blog post by Gwenn Seemel who is not on facebook or any social media, so subscribe to her blog if you want more of this brilliant artist’s paintings and insights. Click the link to her post on Solastalgia, too, for a new word that will help us define some of our fear of modern life.

https://gwennseemel.com/blog/2025/0225-shimoda/

Shimoda by Gwenn Seemel

After the Snow Melted

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The snow finally melted and I was able to get out of the house on my own. Thanks to friends who helped de-ice my ramp. I went for a stroll in the 58 degree, sunny weather. Then I came home and painted this tree.

The Tree No One Sees but Me by Joy Murray, 7×8″, acrylic on paper

I hope you get a chance today to get a break to appreciate what nature and your imagination offer today.

~~~

Thanks for reading my blog. Feel free to share it, if you’d like.

Prints of this painting are here: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/167848965?ref=studio-promote

This blog is brought to you by the generosity of people who support me on Patreon , buy my art, and who support me in so many different ways.

If you’d like to make a one time donation, you can do so at paypal

Cards and prints of some of my art is available on Redbubble – also T-shirts and stickers and other unique items. When you click an image on Redbubble, in the lower right hand corner you’ll find a link to all the various products that these are printed on. If you have any trouble finding what you’re looking for, let me know. joyzmailbox@gmail.com

You can subscribe to this blog by email in the link below this post