April 6, 2026
Personal Reflections
How lucky are we to have experienced a sunny and warm Easter yesterday! Soaking it all in, I opened up the windows and let the fresh air rejuvenate me as I cooked our family’s Easter Feast.
A couple weeks ago, I attended an Ethiopian Flavors class at Bayview Thriftway. As my review described, Chef Eleni Woldeyes taught us to create a traditional Ethiopian Easter meal. Unlike anything I tasted before, I knew I had to recreate this for my family!
Meal prep and cooking combined, the adventure took me over three hours. The whole experience was quite lovely. I turned on the HBO Max show, “The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency” and took my time to savor the beauty of each ingredient. I realized for the first time just how visually pleasing vegetables are (even if not all them taste good…I’m talking about you corn).
Art with it’s many shapes and sizes surrounds us in our everyday lives. When we get busy, it is easy to forget to stop and admire all the loveliness of our earth.
I invite you to embrace the joy that comes from being in Mother Nature’s audience. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Next time you go to the store, stop and admire the produce. Better yet, go to the Farmers’ Market.
Make time for cooking. Cooking gives you a multisensory experience with fruits, vegetables, spices, and more. Or go to a restaurant that uses fresh and local food.
Go on a nature walk or hike. Grab your camera so you can keep a copy of this art with you everywhere you go.
Literally stop and smell the flowers, many are in bloom!
Watch nature documentaries. I recently watched National Geographic’s “Secret of the Bees” and it blew my mind! Even animals and bugs are artists in their own way, it’s incredible!
Play fetch with your dog, their smiles are one of the best pieces of art God created.
This Week in the Arts
Coming up this week, I will be publishing three pieces in my JOLT Column including:
A sneak peak at Masterworks Choral Ensemble’s “The Searching Soul” concert.
A conversation with Harpist Elizabeth Landis discussing Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s Season Finale Concert.
A “review” of the Washington Center’s “The Naked Magicians.”
It’s going to be a fun week!
To hear about these sooner, I invite you to subscribe to the JOLT News and/or follow me on Instagram and Facebook, then invite a friend to do the same! :)
If you read a story that inspires you, I invite you to share it with others and help spread the word about the incredible things happening in the Thurston County Arts Community.
Last week “In the Audience” at the JOLT News
I cherished writing last week’s articles, and am so inpired by the originality, talent, determination, and creativity of our local artists and artistic companies. The articles last week included:
A look at Theater Artists Olympia’s new space and upcoming production “Anna Considers Mars.”
A review of Bayview School of Cooking’s “Ethiopian Flavors” class.
A sneak peak at Browsers Bookshop’s Reading Retreat in Tokeland, WA.
Read my column to learn more about how you can experience these adventures for yourself.