Living into Darkness and Finding Light

 The book is in print! 

If you get a copy ...and read it... would you please consider leaving a review on Amazon? I am told that more reviews help others to find the book.  

I am excited to share with you the announcement of the publication of George’s essays in today’s Talbot Spy. https://talbotspy.org/coming-to-the-end-the-journey-of-george-and-jo-merrill/

 

The following is the press release which is going out. 

 

Experience the Journey of Life Before Death with a New Collection of Essays

“Living into Darkness and Finding Light”, by George Merrill available now

 

EASTON, MD (November 27, 2022) – Living into Darkness and Finding Light, a new book of essays by the late George Merrill, well-known author for the Talbot Spy, is now available.

 

Living into Darkness and Finding Light is a collection of essays written by George after he received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Each essay reflects on the last year of his life, and he invites the reader to join him on a reflective, spiritual journey through his last year of ‘living into dying.’ Share the pain, darkness, fear, curiosity, strength, and love, with George and his wife, Jo Merrill, as they navigate this journey together. With them, discover inner resources, and a sense of the divine mystery as they find the light and walk toward what is to come.

“George’s decision to write about his experience of living into his death was his gift to both of us. Our breakfast conversations had always been our ‘special time,’ but they took on a greater significance after his terminal diagnosis. Our discussions of life and death were about us at that moment,” states Jo Merrill, George’s wife. “For several months before his death, he and I talked about compiling his essays into book form and he asked that I provide sketches for each essay, It would be a final 'us’ thing.”

 

George R. Merrill was an Episcopal priest and pastoral counselor. After retiring from his professional life, he moved to Maryland’s Eastern Shore and began his writing career. A life-long searcher, he felt that the essays he wrote in the final year of his life reflected his true calling. An award-winning essayist, his writings were published in regional and national magazines, as well as in The Talbot Spy, a local online newspaper. He also published his first book, The Bay of the Mother of God, a collection of essays about the Chesapeake Bay. 

 

Jo Merrill is an award-winning watercolor and pastel artist. Her sketches have been published in a national journal and can be found in the book Thoughts from my Bench. She currently lives on Broad Creek in St. Michaels, MD. To see more of her work, visit her blog at jomerrillart.blogspot.com.

 

The book is available online at Amazon.com  Living into Darkness and Finding Light

 

Watercolor on Yupo paper

 I got out my watercolor paints for the first time in a long time. Time to get back to painting - playing - experimenting.

I began just dropping color across the top of the wet yupo paper. I sprayed it, held it up, and watched the paint run. More color and more spray. When I turned it upside down, I saw this.

So, what do you see? Maybe the beginning of a forest... If I drop in a little sunshine and 'find' the trees. 

Yupo paper is such fun. To find the trees, I wet a toothpick and trace the trees with it. Then gently blot the paint and it lifts off!

It seemed too RED ! I darkened the sides and defined some more of the trees. I also gently touched some of the wet paint here and there for texture. 

Getting there. Still too much red in the undergrowth so I added some 'background' and more tree definition.

"When the sun shines through the forest the trees begin to dance"

Kind of a long title but I like it!