Fostering a new renaissance through creativity, authenticity, spirituality, and art
Polly Castor 
I’m in this charming New Pond Farm Art Show. You can see the whole invitation at the bottom, and if you are local, I encourage you to come see the show in person and buy something, as proceeds go fund New Pond Farm’s wonderful non-profit educational mission. My painting in the show is the … Read more
Your Children Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. … Read more
This recipe couldn’t be more easy. The result is very custardy in texture, and the leftovers taste just as good it does fresh from the oven. Leek and Gruyere Quiche 4-6 leeks, chopped, white part only 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 large eggs 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch … Read more
This book was a pleasant surprise. I found it on the library’s new book shelf, and didn’t expect to like it as well as I did. It is the second in a series and you may wish to begin with the first, titled Paris to Die For, which turns out to be well liked too. … Read more
I did this pastel last weekend. It is 11” x 14” and titled Summer Shade with Lyla. I took care of baby Lyla one morning a week last summer and this is where we hung out. I loved this view of New Pond Farm, so when I was invited to paint something for their up-coming … Read more
My husband, an avid organic gardener, took me today to the third annual Heirloom Seed Festival. We heard some good music, talked to some wonderful people, and came away with lots of tomato plants, some sweet peppers, and flower seeds. We had a great time!
A while back I rejoiced with demolition photos, celebrating that our local library would finally be finished. Well here it is! Saved from the old library is the great chair our daughter is sitting in below: I used to sit in it and read to her when she was in the itty bitty one beside … Read more
As we head into a long holiday weekend, I thought it would be a good time to share some great sources for free ebooks. Project Gutenberg has 42,000 free ebooks available for download that were previously published by professional publishers but have expired copyrights. Manybooks.net has 29,000 free ebooks for Kindle, Nook and iPad. Feedbooks.com … Read more
This is a very easy and useful dish to have in your back pocket because it is both quick and delicious. We are partial to the shrimp from Argentina sold by Trader Joe’s as they have much better flavor and texture than other varieties. Thyme and Garlic Roasted Shrimp 2 tablespoons olive oil 10-12 … Read more
I have been enjoying this artwork by Italian artist Sonia Agosti. I love the vigorous swipes of paint and the immediacy of the color. I feel something is clearly communicated here that words are insufficient for. There is an intensity in her that I resonate with, and looking at these paintings makes me want to … Read more
Genesis 1 or Genesis 2 Where did it begin This idea called you? In Genesis 1, Or Genesis 2? Which one of these concepts Will prove to be true? If you know what is what, Do you know who is who? In Genesis 1 in the 26th verse There’s a man with never a taint’ … Read more
Our homeschooling group has held a Kid’s Forum presentation group every month of the school year for the last twelve years that we have routinely participated in, as we have been an active part of this group since the beginning. The most recent eleven years we’ve met at a church hall a block from my … Read more
I’ve collected these quotes about children and education from Facebook friends…
Enjoy!
Seeing the sunset on the harbor recently in Annapolis reminded me of this oil painting I did in Maine last fall that never made it onto the blog. Here it is, in detail above and the complete 12” x 16” work below.
I wrote an article about graduation titled Graduation – A Time of Renewal that was printed today in the Christian Science Monitor. You can read it online here, or below: Graduation – A Time of Renewal Looking out over the expansive green sward punctuated with chairs for both the graduates and proud parents, a hymn … Read more
I had never visited Syracuse University before, so I was glad to get a chance to see where our daughter will be going to school. She starts July first in a one year intensive Masters program in Public Administration at the Maxwell School for Citizenship and Pubic Affairs here, which is the top ranked school … Read more
