An award winning painter who paints in oil, en Plein aire. My purpose is to record life,on canvas, as it happens. To peacefully draw attention to changes to our beautiful world. All paintings are originals, no duplicates. Commissions welcomed.
E-mail: tilston188@yahoo.com
Artists who paints in oil en plein aire. Member of the three member Plein Aire Cottage Artists. Members: Mary Rose Holmes, Violetta Chandler and Helen Tilston
Lorol with her dog Sterling (Note Lorol's previous dog was named Hardy aka Lorol & Hardy)
Our " Strand Holidays Girl's Night Group" which started more than thirty years ago is a group of eight woman who all worked in a sales capacity at the now defunct Strand Holidays. We get together about three times a year and usually have one weekend away each year. This past weekend took us to Lorol's home in the country. Lorol is a great friend, an outstanding and generous host, whose home reflects her joy for life. Lorol's has been Editor of several travel and hospitality publications. She is an Event Planner and currently working in the entertainment industry. She is probably the funniest person I have ever met. She has the most unique and recognizable laugh. She has had a big influence on the lives of our group. She taught me to drive. Jennifer is a Buyer(contracts hotel rooms and ground handling) for a large tour operator and her destinations include Cuba, Panama, Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands. Toni represents hotels in North American and Europe. Patti works for a travel company that offers trips to such places as Antartica, Gallapagas, South America, China,Russia etc.. Lesley is an IT specialist with one of the oldest travel companies in existence.
We dined
Jennifer, Lorol, Lesley, Toni and Patti
We shopped
Jennifer, Toni, Patti, Lorol and Lesley
We went horseback riding (extreme horseback riding!)
Helen, Lesley and Jennifer
Angie our Wrangler, Jennifer, Lesley and Helen
We read, danced, sang and laughed some more.
My reading corner
View
If these walls could talk
We sang along with to Dean Martin
Bonnie who resides in Vancouver, Norma who lives in Palma de Mallorca and Nancy had conflicting plans and were unable to join us.
Hello Helen: Your enjoyment of this time spent with friends of long standing is infectious for the pleasure really does emanate from your writing and the happy pictures which you show. The group around the dining table looks to be so at one with one another that it is a joy to look at [and, of course, curious people that we are, we have enlarged all of the pictures! No flies on us!!].
Friends, we feel, are so valuable and it is wonderful here to see how these friendships have been forged and maintained over many years. The view from, and situation of, the house is superb but with a very poor sense of geography we are not at all certain where it is.
Hello Helen, That looks to have been a very happy weekend. I'm due to go on a gathering of old friends next weekend- They are such speial times! Jane x
What a lovely reunion. My dad (and until redently, my mum) have a lovely yearly reunion with friends from a course back in the mid '80s. It's wonderful to keep in touch with people who have influenced you.
Yes, we are "thick as thieves" and it is so great that after all those years we still have so much in common. It would be wonderful to have a video of the entire weekend, then again probably not, as we might all become wall flowers or grow up (no hope of that happening) We were at Campbellford, Ontario - approximately 100 miles east of Toronto on the Trent Severn River - Rice Lake is the view from behind the horses. Warkworth Ont is where we shopped. All in the same area. It is very picturesque country. Thanks again for your visit and interest. To a great week Helen
Hello Vintage Jane Yes, we are very blessed to have remained friends and actually we grew up together. We used travel to Jamaica in our single days as our company had a hotel there. Hope you have a great week Helen xx
I know you will have a wonderful time with your old friends next weekend. It is so good to laugh, dance and sing to all our favourite old songs. They are indeed very special times. Helen xx
That is so great that your parents had a yearly reunion of long time friends. The years pass so quickly and we all get caught up in our little lives and one must just make time for what is important. Wishing you fond friendships. Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and comment. It means so much to me. Helen xx
Yes,you are so right, we do not need lessons on how to celebrate. In other areas we need lessons (like your beautiful cats) Thanks for visiting and commenting. Helen xx
The extreme horseback riding was a slight exaggeration! Due to the hot weather we took it easy on the horses but still loved it. We hope to go back in winter and take a sleigh ride through the woods, as they have clydesdales. You are right, the fun is unceasing on these weekends. Thanks for commenting. Helen xx
Hello Julie Fedderson We couldn't fool you Julie with our extreme horseback riding avec helmets!! ha ha. It was so hot on Saturday and we actually took it fairly easy. Nonetheless it is so great to be riding through the forest. Thanks for stopping by and commenting I am extremely grateful! My best Helen xx
Oh Helen - sounds like a perfect weekend - got to love the boy in the top pic!! Thank you so much for your great comment and would love to see you again x
Yes, Sterling is a great dog, who put up with all our tricks. Can you imagine if dogs could talk? I know Frank would have some tails to tell also, ha ha Wishing you continued red letter days Helen xx
It looks like you had some glorious time with your friends! So many fun activities!!! You are so lucky to have such great friends! I would love to do something like that with my girlfriends once in a while...
Yes, it is so great to get away with girlfriends and I hope you manage to get a trip away with your friends. We had so much fun and such delicious meals. They all cook very well and put their best efforts forward. Thanks for stopping by. See you soon Helenxx
How wonderful to maintain your friendships with long visits like this one. It sounds perfect! There really is nothing better than time spent with long time friends with whom you have so many experiences...both past and present.
What a great VACATION!!!! HORSE BACK RIDING???????? Oh let me at it....my dream. Thank you dearest for your visit and kind words. DO COME BACK any time and read and be a guest....I so enjoy new readers! ENJOY THIS TIME of catching up on friends....I am catching up on much-needed SLEEP and creativity time!
So true Annie, we are truly blessed to be able to have these visits. Yes, you are so right when you say sharing experiences with friends both past and we continue to add memories and joy to the relationship. Thank you kindly for visiting and leaving a comment. PS regarding the title, when on horseback we did "pray" too! ha ha Helen xx M
We would love to have you along Anita for our extreme horseback riding (in our dreams!) So happy to hear you are taking some well deserved rest, that is what summer and holidays are for! Looking forward to returning to visit you soon. Helen xx
Well done to you all, Helen, for keeping such clearly valuable friendships up for thirty years - it sounds as though you had fun together in the early days and kept much still in common as you went your own ways. Absolutely laudable in these pacy days of moving on, drifting apart, and fake facebook friends.
You have condensed it so beautifully,Mise, when you compare a real life friendship to fake facebook friends. As you know, it takes work to maintain friendship, to be there for the joyous times which is so easy but also the sad times. Hope the white butterflies are prolific today Helen xx
Thank you for your uplifting words on my post today. I am just thinking of taking a week off from composing new posts, but I will be here!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS...that is what I love so about language...kindness.
Hi Helen, thank you for the lovely comment you left on my blog. It's wonderful to "meet" you and to discover your passion for "plein-air" painting and your delightful blog. I also love getting together with my girlfriends. I am lucky enough to have four sisters and each year we go away for a "sisters" weekend, usually to San Francisco since two of us live there. Looks like you had a blast with your friends. These kinds of experiences enrich our lives so much!
It was indeed a beautiful get together with long time friends and so much to reflect on. Who ever thought it possible to have friends for 30 years? Wishing you a joyous weekend Helenxx
How lovely to connect with you, yes I love to paint and in plein aire style. You are so blessed to have four sisters and how much fun you must have in your get togethers in beautiful San Francisco(it was the first US city I visited and it left a beautiful impression) When I first saw an American policeman I stared as he was armed and his car and uniform impressed me. He walked over and told me "I was under arrest" I balked and then he joked and said "for being too beautiful" So as the song said, I left my heart in San Francisco. I must return soon Helen xx
It was so much fun that when I think of some of the comments, I am still laughing and remembering. They are all such a joy to be with. Thanks for stopping by. Helen xx
It looks like you had a fabulous time with your friends! It is wonderful to have friends of such long standing. I can well imagine that every get-together is cherished.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! The weather could not be more perfect.
What delightful weather we are having, hope you are having a beautiful long weekend, sporting our great handbag. Yes, we or I should say I certainly treasure each time I see these special friends, they are wicked! Helen xx
Hi Helen, just catching up with you. What a fabulous time you all had. I love Dean Martin, and was singing along too! I commend you, as you really have to work hard to keep in touch with people over all those years. Many thanks for your lovely comments, I just love it when you visit me, with love, Linda x
I am happy you got to sing along with Dean Martin. It is happy music. It is so much fun to get together with my girl's group. When we first started we used just have spaghetti and meat balls and salad, as we were all on restricted budgets, with mortgages and children. We still get together in our homes, not restaurants, as we can be really loud! I love your blog you always write about interesting matters. Helen xx
hello! thanks for your visit. How beautiful that you will not lost contact with her friends is so hard to gather all. May you stay forever friends. hug.
)
Good friends, good times.
ReplyDeleteWhat it's all about. Looks like a fun group!
Wow! How incredibly fun is this?
ReplyDeleteHello Helen:
ReplyDeleteYour enjoyment of this time spent with friends of long standing is infectious for the pleasure really does emanate from your writing and the happy pictures which you show. The group around the dining table looks to be so at one with one another that it is a joy to look at [and, of course, curious people that we are, we have enlarged all of the pictures! No flies on us!!].
Friends, we feel, are so valuable and it is wonderful here to see how these friendships have been forged and maintained over many years. The view from, and situation of, the house is superb but with a very poor sense of geography we are not at all certain where it is.
Have a very happy week.
How wonderful to have such good friends. You will all have precious memories of your weekends together. M x
ReplyDeleteHello Helen, That looks to have been a very happy weekend. I'm due to go on a gathering of old friends next weekend- They are such speial times! Jane x
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely reunion. My dad (and until redently, my mum) have a lovely yearly reunion with friends from a course back in the mid '80s. It's wonderful to keep in touch with people who have influenced you.
ReplyDeleteYou ladies know how to celebrate each other's friendship...lovely!
ReplyDeleteGirls weekends are the best! Glad you had so much fun with your friends. The extreme horseback riding sounds like a great time :)
ReplyDeleteHello Bryce Daniels
ReplyDeleteYes Bryce I agree with you wholeheartedly friends and fun are so essential. They are such great friends
Helen x
Hello Suze
ReplyDeleteYes, Suze it was a wild time and I am still giggling today when I remember some of the nonsense.
Helen x
Hello Jane and Lance Hattatt
ReplyDeleteYes, we are "thick as thieves" and it is so great that after all those years we still have so much in common.
It would be wonderful to have a video of the entire weekend, then again probably not, as we might all become wall flowers or grow up (no hope of that happening)
We were at Campbellford, Ontario - approximately 100 miles east of Toronto on the Trent Severn River - Rice Lake is the view from behind the horses. Warkworth Ont is where we shopped. All in the same area. It is very picturesque country.
Thanks again for your visit and interest. To a great week
Helen
Hello Vintage Jane
ReplyDeleteYes, we are very blessed to have remained friends and actually we grew up together. We used travel to Jamaica in our single days as our company had a hotel there.
Hope you have a great week
Helen xx
Jane The Booklady, Hello
ReplyDeleteI know you will have a wonderful time with your old friends next weekend. It is so good to laugh, dance and sing to all our favourite old songs.
They are indeed very special times.
Helen xx
Hello Floss
ReplyDeleteThat is so great that your parents had a yearly reunion of long time friends. The years pass so quickly and we all get caught up in our little lives and one must just make time for what is important. Wishing you fond friendships.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and comment.
It means so much to me.
Helen xx
Mrs. Little Jeans, Hello
ReplyDeleteYes,you are so right, we do not need lessons on how to celebrate. In other areas we need lessons (like your beautiful cats)
Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Helen xx
The "extreme horseback riding" complete with helmets made me giggle. This looks like a great time and a great group of friends.
ReplyDeleteHello Carolyn at Sweet Chaos
ReplyDeleteThe extreme horseback riding was a slight exaggeration! Due to the hot weather we took it easy on the horses but still loved it. We hope to go back in winter and
take a sleigh ride through the woods, as they have clydesdales.
You are right, the fun is unceasing on these weekends.
Thanks for commenting.
Helen xx
Hello Julie Fedderson
ReplyDeleteWe couldn't fool you Julie with our extreme horseback riding avec helmets!! ha ha. It was so hot on Saturday and we actually took it fairly easy. Nonetheless it is so great to be riding through the forest.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting I am extremely grateful!
My best
Helen xx
Oh Helen - sounds like a perfect weekend - got to love the boy in the top pic!! Thank you so much for your great comment and would love to see you again x
ReplyDeletehttp://fashionandfrank.blogspot.com/
Hello Fashion & Frank
ReplyDeleteYes, Sterling is a great dog, who put up with all our tricks. Can you imagine if dogs could talk? I know Frank would have some tails to tell also, ha ha
Wishing you continued red letter days
Helen xx
It looks like you had some glorious time with your friends! So many fun activities!!! You are so lucky to have such great friends! I would love to do something like that with my girlfriends once in a while...
ReplyDeleteHello Irina
ReplyDeleteYes, it is so great to get away with girlfriends and I hope you manage to get a trip away with your friends.
We had so much fun and such delicious meals. They all cook very well and put their best efforts forward.
Thanks for stopping by. See you soon
Helenxx
How wonderful to maintain your friendships with long visits like this one. It sounds perfect! There really is nothing better than time spent with long time friends with whom you have so many experiences...both past and present.
ReplyDeleteLove the post title by the way!
xo annie
That sounds like a special time! Nothing better than time spent with friends! ♥ And friends that you can laugh AND dance with are the best kind! ♥
ReplyDeleteHelen dear,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great VACATION!!!! HORSE BACK RIDING???????? Oh let me at it....my dream. Thank you dearest for your visit and kind words. DO COME BACK any time and read and be a guest....I so enjoy new readers! ENJOY THIS TIME of catching up on friends....I am catching up on much-needed SLEEP and creativity time!
Fondly, Anita
Hello Annie
ReplyDeleteSo true Annie, we are truly blessed to be able to have these visits. Yes, you are so right when you say sharing experiences with friends both past and we continue to add memories and joy to the relationship. Thank you kindly for visiting and leaving a comment. PS regarding the title, when on horseback we did "pray" too! ha ha
Helen xx
M
Hello Lavender Dreamer
ReplyDeleteYou said it, friends one can laugh and dance with. That is the best remedy for what ails one!
Always a joy to hear from you
Helen xx
Castles Crowns and Cottages
ReplyDeleteDearest Anita
We would love to have you along Anita for our extreme horseback riding (in our dreams!) So happy to hear you are taking some well deserved rest, that is what summer and holidays are for! Looking forward to returning to visit you soon.
Helen xx
Well done to you all, Helen, for keeping such clearly valuable friendships up for thirty years - it sounds as though you had fun together in the early days and kept much still in common as you went your own ways. Absolutely laudable in these pacy days of moving on, drifting apart, and fake facebook friends.
ReplyDeleteA Mise
ReplyDeleteYou have condensed it so beautifully,Mise, when you compare a real life friendship to fake facebook friends. As you know, it takes work to maintain friendship, to be there for the joyous times which is so easy but also the sad times.
Hope the white butterflies are prolific today
Helen xx
What a fun time it looks to have been! Giggling and nonsense=longer lives...for sure! :-)
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Rose Stanton
ReplyDeleteA very good point Elizabeth Rose regarding giggling and nonsense and here's wishing you a long life full of joy and goodness.
Helenxx
Dear Helen,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute to your friends. Your weekend sounds and looks delightful. You have been so busy!
You all look very happy on the photo's. I am sure you made some new good memories :-)!
Happy weekend & lieve groet, Madelief x
Precious HElen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your uplifting words on my post today. I am just thinking of taking a week off from composing new posts, but I will be here!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS...that is what I love so about language...kindness.
CHEERS TO YOU TOO!!! Anita
Hi Helen, thank you for the lovely comment you left on my blog. It's wonderful to "meet" you and to discover your passion for "plein-air" painting and your delightful blog. I also love getting together with my girlfriends. I am lucky enough to have four sisters and each year we go away for a "sisters" weekend, usually to San Francisco since two of us live there. Looks like you had a blast with your friends. These kinds of experiences enrich our lives so much!
ReplyDeleteHello Madelief
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed a beautiful get together with long time friends and so much to reflect on. Who ever thought it possible to have friends for 30 years?
Wishing you a joyous weekend
Helenxx
Castles Crowns & Cottages
ReplyDeleteMy dearest Anita
I just love how you speak, think and express yourself. You sum it up when you say "what you love most about language is KINDNESS"
May all your days be full of kindness
Helen xx
Sunday Taylor
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to connect with you, yes I love to paint and in plein aire style.
You are so blessed to have four sisters and how much fun you must have in your get togethers in beautiful San Francisco(it was the first US city I visited and it left a beautiful impression) When I first saw an American policeman I stared as he was armed and his car and uniform impressed me. He walked over and told me "I was under arrest" I balked and then he joked and said "for being too beautiful" So as the song said, I left my heart in San Francisco.
I must return soon
Helen xx
Happy times, it is always such fun to catch up with a group of friends like this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful meet up you had!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your always kind comments!
Happy weekend!
Lindy Lou Mac In Italy
ReplyDeleteIt was so much fun that when I think of some of the comments, I am still laughing and remembering. They are all such a joy to be with.
Thanks for stopping by.
Helen xx
Michaela
ReplyDeleteHow sweet of you to visit my blog - we shall talk soon.
Helen xx
It looks like you had a fabulous time with your friends! It is wonderful to have friends of such long standing. I can well imagine that every get-together is cherished.
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a wonderful weekend! The weather could not be more perfect.
Good Evening Louise
ReplyDeleteWhat delightful weather we are having, hope you are having a beautiful long weekend, sporting our great handbag.
Yes, we or I should say I certainly treasure each time I see these special friends, they are wicked!
Helen xx
Hi Helen, just catching up with you. What a fabulous time you all had. I love Dean Martin, and was singing along too! I commend you, as you really have to work hard to keep in touch with people over all those years. Many thanks for your lovely comments, I just love it when you visit me, with love, Linda x
ReplyDeleteHello Linda
ReplyDeleteI am happy you got to sing along with Dean Martin. It is happy music.
It is so much fun to get together with my girl's group. When we first started we used just have spaghetti and meat balls and salad, as we were all on restricted budgets, with mortgages and children. We still get together in our homes, not restaurants, as we can be really loud!
I love your blog you always write about interesting matters.
Helen xx
hello! thanks for your visit.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful that you will not lost contact with her friends is so hard to gather all.
May you stay forever friends.
hug.
What fun you all had !Horseback riding looked fabulous I love Dean Martin too xx Ava
ReplyDelete