January 10, 2026 Books of 2025 and More Art

Hello and welcome so glad you stopped by for a visit. Brooks and Baker stopped by today as well. A lot of the snow is melting away. What a relief it can be really hard to walk in. Plus when it freezes at night then it’s just pure ice. I have had a great day enjoying my grandsons. They went bowling this week and even had a Sprite. You know they enjoyed that. Today at my house they had marshmallows and raisins. I had made suet cakes for my birds that come to visit my feeders. Along with the deers as well. 

Watching Papa Bruce and Dada get wood for the boiler. The gator is broke down so they were using the bobcat. 

Brooks 

Juice boxes that their cousins had left here at the house back at Thanksgiving. Thank you cousins we enjoyed them. 

Uncle Dusty 

A visit with Uncle Colby 

Bruce saw this picture of Cooper at his Marine training camp. We miss him so much. We will be seeing him soon. 

We had one of the meats Colby brought from his gift card. Maplewood meats the pork ribs are amazing!! Some of the best I ever had. We had the potatoes and some of my home canned beans and tomatoes. A staple here. It was a great meal. 

Yes can believe it the ice has melted now as we have had days in the upper 30s and rain. Good for the pond and all the trees. 

Ledger I love them so much, I am so thankful I have been able to be with them since they were born. Even though we lived 1,200 miles away Alexis always found a way to get them to our house in NC. Now that we live closer it’s not as hard. They are growing up so fast now and playing all the sports. They are just like their aunts and uncles and of course mom and dad gifted in the sports. Ledger is a little artist too. Riggs is the tv guy, lol. He even made profiles for my tv shows. We had never had them before. 

Early spring of 2025 when Riggs and Ledger were here. The hot tub isn’t working anymore. I know so sad. 😭 I have had it since early 2020 it’s been a great one for sure. A true blessing for my back. 

This past fall, they are always looking out this window. 

Hello beautiful people and welcome. Here we are at Saturday morning January 10, 2026, this was going to be the opening but I had a little visit from grandsons. Prompt 8 of 30 day sketchbook challenge. Squares 

Day 7 of the sketchbook challenge circle 

Day 4 Petals 

Day 2 Shell- colorful 

Day 1 grass 

Day 5 favorite foods 

Day 6 Something colorful 
 

Day 3 Stationary 

Here are some of the books I have read, I did a better job at keeping up with it this year on Goodreads. More accurately than ever before. I have read so many books but I don’t have all the ones I’ve read on the list. Occasionally I will see ones I have read and add them as I see them. Well better close for today. See you tomorrow morning. Thank you 😊 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/21713094?shelf=read&sort=date_updated&order=d

Much love, happiness and good vibes for a happy he’s weekend. 

Love you guys, 

Dawn Gallop 

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January 09, 2026 Showing Up for Your HeART ❤️

         Hello everyone and welcome. Last year at the end of the year I made a commitment to myself, to get back into my paintings. It had been since 2020 since I had painted consistently. I may have painted a few works of art in early 2020. After the move all my creative mediums were all packed away in boxes stored in a cold, damp storage garage with snow piled up to the lock on the door.  You know the old saying “if you haven’t used it in a year, you don’t need it” that is wrong! I have found in my 57 years of life once I get rid of something I need it again. I know this doesn’t work in every situation. My adult children are quick to throw things away. Perhaps they have seen their ADHD mom keep things only I can see a need for it. I understand that. 

        Once I was ready to begin again before winter arrived Bruce and I went to the storage unit. Bruce put everything on a table and I picked and chose what I wanted to take home. The paints had been stored in our basement. Cooper offered to bring them up for me. So last November I began painting again. What I have learned in a year. An extraordinary amount of teachings, knowledge and wisdom. Each experience a new aha moment. I spent most of my life painting and selling at craft shows or festivals, but with our long distance move and my two back surgeries painting had come a halt. This past year I have proved to myself all the JOY I have from painting. Learning I most happily to be in a community with like minded individuals whom understand why I kept that piece of cardboard. Just the whole atmosphere is fantastic. Leaning more art history than ever. Observing many new artists everyday. Being a maker of so many different ways and styles. This painting above was with Effy Wild on Willowing it is an inspiration from Modigliani. 

I resurrected old drawings from 2012 (this is one) I had made ATCs (artist trading cards) in a swap with this little witch. She hadn’t been painted in my sketch book. Now she is. 

This was a style I learned from Helen Wells oh my goodness you will just adore her. This was one of my favorites using only two-three markers. 

This was a class with Carla Sonheim yes you will love her too. 

This was one of my own creations. 

Her too one of my own works of art in watercolors. 

This too ( there is that cardboard I saved) 

This was in my class Elevate so much fun. 

Of course I make jewelry too 

This was one of my best paintings all year. I painted Brooks and Baker around 5 months old. 

 This was another drawing from 2012 I think this was a class I did with Tam at Willowing. I have been creating with her since 2012 for the first Life Book. I painted her this year she was only drawn in the sketchbook. In those days I wasn’t committed enough like I am today. As a mother and caregiver I always put everyone else first. Now that my life has changed painting has become what I am committed to and what I show up for everyday. Showing up is what you have to do. Days you only have 30 seconds then right a few words or doodles. It doesn’t have to be perfect just do something. I once took an in person class with Dina Wakely and her saying she taught me was done is better than perfect. So when my boys fold towels and they are not mom’s style I remind myself what Dina said. Just walk away and go paint. The towels will be taken (used) faster than it will matter in the long run. I have so much to tell you. Mostly about the books but I have a class this morning at 8:00 am and Cody is coming over with the twins. He helps Bruce with the wood. So I shall tell you more in the next post. Much love and respect to you all. Sending good vibes and positive energy for a great weekend. 

Take care, 

Dawn Gallop 🍄

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January 08, 2026 Moments of 2025 continues

Kim sends me pictures of the grands all the time and I am so very thankful. It brings me joy and brings back good memories for me at the same moment I see the expressive photos and the adventurous spirit of all the children in the pictures. 

I love to see Jr. as his daddy couldn’t always come with us. It’s such a gift when a hard working dad or mom can go to events. 

I made Frankie when I was in a class to make your own monster well I made Frankie which comes naturally to me these characters. I have so many I have painted over the years. He sits on my art desk. 

Frankie holds signs for showing up for my art 

Cooking some of my goodies I put up for the year. I think I was making chili. I even used freeze dried butternut squash in the chili. 

This year past year of 25 one of our best friends came to stay with us and while they were here Joel built me a Little Free Library 

The day we took Cooper to the Marine recruiting office where he headed to MEPS then on to San Diego. This was October 3. 

Aubrey and Bella. Amanda’s and Chads daughter. 

Brooks and Baker 

Peanut Fest Suffolk Virginia. I used to take all my children to the Suffolk festival. In 1997 I painted the huge peanuts that greeted you at one of the entrances. I did that thru the Suffolk Master Gardeners Association. They were asked if anyone could repaint the signs and I raised my hand. I took them home and painted them outside and then dropped them off. I have an old skool pics of them. See how many memories it brings me when the my adult children send me pictures. Thank you for sending me pictures. 

Skylar was Magic Mike for Halloween 

I went to a book store in Appleton with Colby one day (of course I wanted to go) he went to Buckle and some other places he likes to go to. Boot Barn. This was the Half Price Book Store. It was the same day we went to Alexis’s party. Colby is a shopper we aren’t. I do love a book. This author was there that day and I loved her story so I bought a signed copy. She is so sweet. 

Skylar’s volleyball team were very successful taking home championships 

Riggs and Ledger got battery powered scooters for Christmas 
 

Sketch book challenge Day 6 prompt is something colorful. I was watching the video and I was watching Bruce make breakfast. He makes the best eggs. I thought of them being colorful. I enjoyed the process watercolors are my favorites. This year I am planning on doing oil paintings. I only have a tiny amount of oil paints but you gotta start somewhere. 

Yesterday was a a wonderful day all the very busy it seemed When did a bunch more drawings and paintings. It was hazy all day because the snow is still here, but we had rain as well. Surely has been some bizarre weather. We have been watching the Crown on Netflix, which has been very good. I cried a lot last night from the show. Yes, I am very sensitive to that. I brought back memories of when Cody was in utero. He was born in 1997. Growing up, my aunt was always so fascinated with Queen. She had pictures of them like she had ordered from magazines or something, and she would bring them out every so often and show them to me. Tell me stories about them. I was in high school when Princess Diana and the Prince of Wales got married. I can remember like it was yesterday and after it was over I went outside to lay in the sun. 

Bruce vacuumed yesterday and got the rest of the Christmas stuff out of the house. 

Sending much love and positive vibes. 

Take care, 

Dawn Gallop 

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