Did you Know ? that today [ 15th November ] is the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians

please visit the Open Doors website for more information...

What have you noticed as you walk ?

Earlier this year I saw this group of deeep blue flowers in a front garden... and just today, I caught sight of these beautiful bright pink flowers that give great joy appearing on a dull November day !

What have you seen recently ??

W>A>T for November 2025... the New Wivenhoe Art Trail will be at the end of this November: Friday 28th to Sunday 30th November 2025 10am - 5pm each day. for the map of participating artists go to their website : wivenhoearttrail.com and use the map to plan your visits...and find the numbered signs around Wivenhoe, marking the trail... ENJOY !!!

W.A.T ?? Yes its THIS Bank holiday weekend

Wivenhoe Art Trail is here now ! see the map of art venues around Wivenhoe : www.wivenhoearttrail.com Visit and enjoy !

Easter

Alleluia... Christ is Risen !

If you read St John's Gospel Ch 20, it begins with Mary Magdalene upset and discombobulated to have found the tomb where she had watched Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay the body of Jesus, after the crucifixion, empty on the Sunday morning... she ran to tell Peter and he ran to investigate, along with another disciple...you can imagine her weeping oputside the tomb [ read on in ch 20 ] and at first thinking the person outside in the garden who asks her why she is weeping must be the gardener... but eventually she realises her mistake when she must have been completely taken by surprise to hear Jesus' familiar voice calling her by name "Mary" and turns around "Rabbouni"... I have always found this account very moving, and so a few years ago I began painting...if you wish to see some of the other paintings in this series, please look at my website and click on the heading "Easter Stations" : www.janetdriver.co.uk Hoping you have a joyful Easter

ART TRAIL : MAY 2nd 2025

Don't miss it ! Right at the beginning of May this year ...look on their website for more details and map of the venues... Last year I really enjoyed walking into an artist's garden and looking at hr paintings set out under a marquee...paintings expressing her joy and delight in the natural world...there will be a wide range of art-work on display around Wivenhoe : Do come and enjoy :}

I have no control over the order these images come up onto the blog ! Unfortunate or fortuitous ?? Well, in fact although I had hoped my painting of the beautiful magnolia blossom shining in the morning sunshine against a dark hedge would ome first... even so, I really like the Banksy painting of the child wishing she could fly up and over these awful imprisoning walls built all over Israel... and the photo of the young child praying at the "Wailing Wall " in Jerusalem (found on the internet / apologies to the unknown photographer )... they both remind me of news stories I have read recently of children suffering trauma... and my own childhood trauma, making me realise how many years this memory lives on in our minds : for I am now an octogenarian and still not only remember, but sadly have been affected all these years by early childhood memories :{ Maybe its a good thing to have these images in the order they have arrived on this page ? After all, the signs of hope are clearly there... and constantly noticing the beauty all around us at springtime always reminds me of the amazingly creative world we live in... just look at the next magnolia tree you come across... what do you see ? its buds like candles against a dark hedge or deep blue sky ? Or its magnificent blossoms opening to the sunlight ? or something else ? I have just been reading in more detail about Goma, D R Congo, and I find reading the news from places like the Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and particularly of vulnerable children, very difficult... but then I constantly look for small signs of hope, remembering miraculous ways in which God has brought new life and hope to me... and being very thankful whenever I see daffodils, magnolia and cherry blossom... hold on to the joy and hope of springtime :} even when wanting to join that child crying at the wailing wall !

Springtime !

cold nights and frozen mornings have at last given way to warmth and sunshine... I even saw an artist sitting on a bench down by the river painting ! cherry blossom and magnolia trees beginning to show forth their flowers like nightlights against a dark hedge, or candlflames against a deep blue sky...what have you seen ?

during those few days of lovely sunshine last week I saw beautiful snowdrops and daffodils, as well as all the blossom on our almond tree down the bottom of the garden... but my greatest delight was the group of purple crocus near th front door... as they reminded me straight away of my son as a baby, just beginning to crawl and explore everything... and as soon as he say the grou[ of putple crocus in the middle of his grandparents lawn, of course he began crawling up towards them... only to stop in sudden amazement as he got near enough to notice their brilliant orange centres ! I shall never forget the look on his face : "Oh mummy LOOK...." such excitement awe and wonder ! I can hardly believe Iam now an octogenarian... and I hope I never loose that sense of awe and wonder at the beautiful creation we can enjoy all around us here in Wivenhoe... I hope you enjoy the wonder of Springtime this year too :)

Surprise

Yes... I know its long after Christmas, and Lent begins next week... But... I recently read a rport from Medecins Sans Frontieres that echoed a letter from the Church Mission Society where both organisations were surprised to find the chaos and humanitarian chrisis unfolding again in Sudan and Darfur is not being mentioned in the media at all and too many government cuts in aid recently have severely exacerbated the trauma being inflicted on so many people in this region of Africa... Hence this prayer painting... which I painted well over a decade ago during a similar crisis in Darfur and Sudan...

Our Amazing Doggiewog

Some of you have seen my daughter with her assistance dog since they have both recently come here to live with me...Her dog is very friendly, but when wearing her "assistance dog" outfit she is clearly working ! and needs to be left to get on with her job. Its been quite a revelation for me to see just how sensitive and helpful a dog like this can be... maybe one day I will beocme well trained enough to take her out for a walk too :}... but that is probably some long time in the future! [ dont they say its difficult to teach san old dog new tricks ? Well, I suppose as I'm now an octogenerian, that refers to me :{ OOps !! Oh dear...