Jan Poston Day

@jpostonday

Customer-obsessed community builder, Airedale owner, beekeeper, and DC Statehood NOW advocate. I work for AWS and my opinions are my own.

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Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· 27d

Spotted this classic in a little free library. It instantly transported me to my tween years when I spent hours poring over these pages seeking clues to the site of the buried bejeweled hare treasure! I was living my best Encyclopedia Brown summer days. I’m looking forward to re-reading this!

Cover of the illustrated book “Masquerade” (1979) by Kit Williams. It tells the story of the Moon who fell in love with the Sun. She entrusts Jack Hare to deliver an ornament made of gold in the shape of a hare and decorated with gems to the Sun. Along the way he loses it. The illustrations hold clues to where the real-life golden, bejeweled hare ornament was buried in rural England. The author promised the ornament to the first person who wrote to him with the correct location. It was found in 1982. My tween self was so sad and also amazed by this news.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· 29d

Need a smile today? These Summer flowers are just what the doctor ordered!

Closeup of Black-eyed Susans on a background of green leaves

Close up of yellow flowers with an orange-brown center.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· May 28

Timeline cleanse. Please enjoy this photo of a peony I took a few weeks ago. Beauty is all around us and can be fleeting. Take a moment to enjoy it and offer you respite from the stresses and chaos impacting your life.

A closeup of a pink and cream colored peony flower in my Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington DC.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· May 10

WASHINGTON DC Beekeeper report: 15 medium supers harvested this weekend for a total yield of 450 pounds of honey with 17.5% water measurement. Our Linden nectar flow will arrive in about 10 days. This season is off to a strong start!

The interior of my Honda Fit with 15 ten-frame medium honey supers stacked up post-harvest. I was returning them to the hives for the bees to fill up again. These supers take up the entire rear seat and trunk area. This car is like a TARDIS it can fit so much stuff in it!

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· May 4

Friends often ask me how my bees are doing. I’m happy to report that one hive on my second story back porch is doing thiiiiiiis well!

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Apr 21

This may be the best title for an artwork I have ever seen. Thank you nameless curator /translator at The Ateneum, Helsinki for your deep understanding of the artist, this piece, and language.

A sculpture in reddish bronze of a man’s unsmiling head. His right eye appears to be bandaged.

The title of this piece in English is “Humourless Git”

The label for the piece reads in full:
BEN RENVALL
1903-1979, suomalainen / finsk / Finnish
Tosikko, 1959
Tråkmåns
Humourless Git

pronssi brons bronze
Kansallisgallerian kokoelma |
Finlands Nationalgalleris samling |
The Finnish National Gallery Collection
Ateneum
B I 575, hankittu | inköpt | purchased 1960

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Apr 19

Visited the Turku Art Museum (Finland) today. Can recommend the coffee cake from the cafe. Also, very tempted to steal this painting “Late Autumn” (1890) by Edvard Westman. The Sandra Kantanen exhibition was well worth a visit too! The scale and delicate color of her “Meadow” series — brilliant!!

This ~30x20” oil painting shows scene of grey skies, and a marsh with a copse of silver birch trees reflected in the water. The trees are bare. The ground is wet and turning brown but some green and gold grass remains. The painting is framed by a 6-inch deep, sparely decorated gold gilded frame.

Detail of the painting focused on a small group of 3 birch trees. They are so life-like.

Detail showing the reflection of trees in the water. The painter has captured the effect with just a few masterful brush strokes

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Apr 10

I love this painting by Camille Pissarro “Hoarfrost, Peasant Girl Making a Fire” (1888) that I saw in-person at the Denver Art Museum’s exhibition “The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism” in December 2025. This scene, especially the contrast of fire and smoke, enthralls me! It draws me in!

Hoarfrost, Peasant Girl Making a Fire
1888
Oil paint on canvas
Hasso Plattner Collection, Museum Barberini, Potsdam, MB-Pis-02
By the late 1880s, Pissarro was experimenting with a neo-impressionist technique of short brushstrokes in pure hues in the pursuit of greater luminosity. Here, he depicted a young woman who has kindled a fire in a field on a windy winter day. The contrasts work together harmoniously: light and shadow, dampness and dryness, and the tension between the steadiness of the branch the woman holds and the unconstrained flickering of the fire.
A finales de la década de 1880, Pissarro estaba experi-mentando con la técnica neoimpresionista de pinceladas cortas con tonalidades puras, con el objetivo de conseguir mayor luminosidad. Aquí, representa a una muchacha que ha encendido un fuego en un campo, un día ventoso de invierno. Los contrastes funcionan en armonía: la luz y la sombra, la humedad y la sequedad, y la tensión entre la firmeza de la rama que sostiene la mujer y el movimiento libre e indómito del fuego.

Detail of the painting focused on the heart of the fire. The contrast of the dark ash and fuel, the orange and gold flame, and the white and grey smoke draws me in . I can hear the crackling of the twigs as they burn and the sound of the wind as it takes the smoke .

Detail of the peasant girl’s dress. Her skirt is red, she wears a dark grey-green blouse with a pair of red and white shawls over top for warmth. Her light blue apron and skirt ripple in the wind. She must be wearing multiple layers under that skirt to keep warm. The contrast between her red skirt and the bright green grass of the background makes the grass seem so alive to me.

Detail showing a peasant boy - maybe 5 or 6 years old. Is this her little brother? He is dressed warmly in a red-brown top, a thick olive-brown scarf, and a grey-black hat. His hands are raised towards the fire to warm them. Cows in the distance graze on the hoarfrost covered grass. The sun is bright but its warmth hasn’t beaten the frost… yet. Pissarro’s small brush strokes and use of color bring a depth and movement to the scene that animate this image with light and energy.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Mar 20

Timeline cleanse. Enjoy these beautiful Lenten Roses I spotted in my neighborhood (Capitol Hill, DC 20002). Happy Vernal Equinox to all who celebrate!

Two burgundy-colored Lenten Roses with yellow stamens at peak bloom.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jan 14

“Washerwoman, Study” (1880) by Camille Pissarro. In this quiet portrait I see a woman of strength and perseverance, giving herself a moment peace to restore herself before she tackles her endless duties. Women of 2026 - take heart, you are strong! We will get through this. Resist! Persist!

From the label at the Denver Museum of Art where this painting was on loan from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Marie-Adeline Larchevêque, Pissarro's 56-year-old neighbor in Pontoise, also called "Mother Larchevêque," sits quietly in a contained and meditative pose, showing the wisdom of her age. The painting challenges the expectations of an audience used to portraits of well-to-do sitters-not workers. Pissarro displayed the painting under the generic title Laveuse, étude (Washerwoman, Study) at the 1882 impressionist exhibition. By not identifying the sitter, he turned the work into the depiction of a type.”

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jan 7

Have you tested your cranachan recipe in advance of Burns Night? I’m pleased to report Charles’ take on the classic Scottish dessert is smashing!

Scottish cranachan - a dessert made of a layers of whipped cream mixed with tangy soft cheese alternating with a layer of raspberry and a layer of granola (or toasted oats) mixed with honey.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Dec 14

Delighted to discover my little Christmas cactus clipping is blooming in time for the holiday!

A small jar sits in a table. It holds a small Christmas cactus cutting with two bright red flowers. In the background is a Christmas tree with multicolored lights.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Dec 12

Absolutely delighted to arrive home from a business trip to discover Alex Wellerstein’s latest book “The Most Awful Responsibility” has arrived at Chez Day! @wellerstein.bsky.social

Cover of the book The Most Awful Responsibility” about Truman and the secret struggle for control of the atomic age. The cover is burgundy with a black and white photo of a very serious looking Truman, seated at a desk, wearing a suit and tie, reading a document.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Dec 10

How one can tell the afternoon refreshment break at a conference was set up by someone who is not a tea drinker.

An assortment of caffeine-free teas available during the conference afternoon refreshment break.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Nov 18

FYI: Ship-by-dates to ensure your packages arrive at their US domestic destination by Dec 25. Plan accordingly! USPS Ground Advantage: Dec 17, 2025 USPS Priority Mail: Dec 18, 2025 USPS Priority Mail Express: Dec 20, 2025.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Nov 17

Thankful I could walk the dog this afternoon during the golden hour at Historic Congressional Cemetery in DC and catch the light on the leaves of trees lining this path. So luminous! I stood therein the allee buffeted by wind, surrounded by golden light, warmed by the joy and delight in my heart.

A brown gravel path receding into the distance bordered by trees and stone and marble grave markers. It is an allee! The trees on either side have formed an enveloping canopy over the path. Their canopies of yellow leaves turned glowing gold by being struck by the light of a setting sun during the golden hour. The light inside the allee made for a magical feeling despite the wind and cold.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Oct 1

This sign may be just the one you need for right now. Spotted on my dog walk in DC’s Capitol Hill.

Small sign in a garden reads “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.”

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Sep 19

Ahoy Mateys! Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day to all who celebrate!

Silhouettes of two 18th century tall masted sailing ships with the wind billowing out their sails. Both are flying the Jolly Roger (aka pirate Flag). The text above them reads “19 September International Talk Like a Pirate Day”

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jul 15

Sometimes, when I find current world events are getting me down, I think about the quiet moments of joy I’ve experienced. One example: this bowl of homemade tagliatelle noodles with lump crab meat, salmon roe and clementine zest my husband @csrday.bsky.social made for me last week. Exquisite!

Close up of a white bowl containing homemade tagliatelle noodles with lump crab meat, salmon roe, and clementine zest.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jun 19

This set of Bold Affirmations was gifted to me on Monday. Today I pulled this one at random. Just what I needed this morning! I gift this affirmation to all who are in need of the boost! “My unique spirit brings light into the world. They can’t dim my light; I’m shining regardless”. Shine on!⭐️

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jun 7

Anyone else walk through art exhibitions imagining which pieces they’d take home if they could? This one is a little bulky but worth the effort in my opinion. “Staircase in Capri” 1878, John Singer Sargent. Private collection. Currently shown in “Sargent and Paris” at The Met through Aug 3, 2025.

Oil painting masterfully showing the play of light along a narrow staircase in Capri. Sargent has chosen a challenging perspective to paint - looking up a very narrow walled staircase between two buildings. At the top of the run of the stairs captured in a range of vibrant white and pale grey tones, the viewers eye is rewarded with contrasting.rich, dark green vegetation. One can feel the coolness of the walls in shade contrasted with the growing heat of the sun. I imagine it is morning and Sargent is relishing the bright light and the challenge of capturing the subtleties it reveals as it plays along the whitewashed walls and steps. I would steal this painting in a heartbeat if I had the courage and cunning.

Label from the exhibition.

Staircase in Capri
1878
Oil on canvas
Private collection
The island of Capri, off the coast of Naples, Italy, was a destination for artists throughout the nineteenth century.
The beauty of its coast and rugged inland terrain set against the vibrant blue of the Bay of Naples offered no end of compositional possibilities for artists. Sargent, who had first visited as a teenager, in 1869, returned to the island in summer 1878 in search of artistic subjects. He was drawn to the island's whitewashed architecture and dazzling light.
Here, Sargent confronts the aesthetic challenge of painting a white-on-white composition, brilliantly recording the effects of light and shadow across the geometry of the staircase.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jun 1

Why yes, that is a bounty of homemade möbius strip pasta that @csrday.bsky.social made for our dinner!

Homemade Pasta formed into the shape of small möbius strips set on a pasta drying rack.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Mar 17

What is the Trump Administration’s economic strategy? Apparently it is - surprise! - Incompetence. Enjoy this WaPo gift article to learn more. wapo.st/4bAbyU4. Thank you Michael Strain for saying out loud what many of us have been thinking.

Text on image is an excerpt from the Washington Post article and reads “What are they trying to do? They don’t have a strategy. They don’t have a clear goal for these policies,” said economist Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute, a right-of-center think tank in Washington. “I think what we’re seeing is incompetence.”

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Mar 13

Dinner tonight: Homemade Butterfly pasta made with semolina flour, water, and lemon zest and later served with scallops and squid. There are beautiful things still happening in this world! Thank you @csrday.bsky.social !

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Mar 10

Run! Don’t walk to see this powerful and inspiring exhibition on the art of Elizabeth Catlett. She has captured the beauty, strength, struggle and love of Black women like no other artist I have experienced. It is at the National Gallery of Art (east wing) in DC from today until July 6.

A large (~ 20 feet wide by 12 feet tall) Banner at the entrance to the exhibition reads “Elizabeth Catlett a Black Revolutionary Artist”

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Feb 10

Next Monday, Feb 17 is President's Day. This is the day we're supposed to protest, right? Where and when is the meetup?

An image showing the four carved heads of Presidents on Mt. Rushmore. Above the image the text reads "President's Day, February 17, 2025." Posted across the heads of the Presidents is the text "This is the day we're supposed to protest Trump, right? Where and when is the meetup?"

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jan 24

This has been an awful 4.5 days: Trump shit show; friend tells me she is getting a divorce; my 90yr old mother has a fall (she’s doing ok), a friend’s cancer surgery not successful. Thank goodness for Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite 2. This part especially is ❤️ youtu.be/zEVB26kz6fY

The cover for the Album Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite number 2. This last 5-min of the 20-min piece lifts my spirits every time I hear it.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jan 22

Found joy in paper marbling on Monday. Focusing on a creative pursuit helped sustain me and replenish my soul while I endured the flood of MAGA hats in my neighborhood and the flurry of vindictive, idiotic, and often cruel executive orders were released by the orange Cheeto. RESIST!

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jan 19

Proud of myself for keeping my 28 day steps goal streak alive. Time to up the distance I’ve set as a goal. I’m enjoying being out and about in all weathers and squeezing in steps where and when I can. I wish you success on the new habits and personal goals you’ve set for yourself.

Jan Poston Day@jpostonday· Jan 16

I love how beautiful Capitol Hill is even in Winter. Hope everyone is staying warm out there today!