sew and sow life

sketch and stitch

2012-02-02T14:34:00.002-05:00

BIRCH.
Germanic root, birka.
Proto-Indo-European root, bhereg.
White, bright; to shine.
Beech, balsam, oak, gingko, aspen, birch...what is it about trees that is so fascinating?

february hath 29 days

2012-02-01T15:24:00.006-05:00

there are so many color neighborhoods to wander in,
but it's always back to blue and white for me.
potholders inspired by martha.
odd pieces of batting were zig-zagged together
and inserted in two layers for the insulation.
do you see the pillow ticking left over from the apron?
thrifty :-)

waxing gibbous moon, mid-afternoon.
eerily warm air temperatures.

do you have a leap year wish?

more zippy pouches

2012-01-31T14:53:00.002-05:00

Denim from old jeans.

Scraps of blue and white fabrics, especially indigo.

For me. To hold the little things that end up

in the bottom of my handbag.

Here's one I made for Dawn, our daughter-in-law.

She's the director of the cat adoption program

at their local animal shelter.

I was pretty sure she would like this

"bad kitty" fabric.

What have you been up to lately?
Are you ready for FEBRUARY?

aussie birches in connecticut

2012-01-30T17:43:00.000-05:00

Today, I made a pillow with some Ink and Spindle
birch fabric from my cupboards,

and some hemp/linen stripes purchased at GatherHere

while visiting Lindsey earlier this month.

They are so compatible.

And this basmati rice bag makes the perfect up-cycled backing!

The little pillow is a gentle reminder of our
much loved birches in Vermont.

january delights

2012-01-29T14:58:00.003-05:00

still blooming.

grown from a cutting from my grandmother's

christmas cactus.

not local.

but freshly squeezed in our kitchen.

the last of the paper whites,

sprouting and filled with hope.

mending

2012-01-28T17:28:00.003-05:00

A frayed edge on the kitchen rug.
A denim selvedge.
Pins, needle, thread, leather thimble.
Mended.

And mending love here.

checking in on accountability projects...

2012-01-27T09:32:00.002-05:00

As promised,

finished by Friday.

I used a softly draping pillow ticking fabric for the skirt.

And I pulled this lovely Japanese indigo out of my fabric stash

to use for the bodice. A gift from my dear friend Dolo, and her

friend Alice, I had been waiting to find a special project to use this for.

This calligraphy symbolizes autumn,

and it is sweetly done in carrot and acorns.

I am not sure that I would recommend this pattern for a beginner,

because the instructions include very little English,

but a more experienced seamstress can "make do" with the

cute illustrations.

The pattern is also way too skinny for the likes of my 6' 1/2" frame,

and since it is put on over the head,
a bit more leeway would be quite necessary for me.

I do love the simplicity of this look
and have tucked the apron away for gifting.

(sorry about the quality of the photos today,
it is very gloomy here in CT.)

SO...how about you?
If you jumped into the accountability pool
with me, have you finished your project yet?
If you have a blog, I invite you to include a link
to your accomplishment!

are you making progress?

2012-01-25T16:08:00.002-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the apron.
I'm so glad that a bunch of you are joining me with a project you'd like to accomplish this week.
It's not too late to jump into the accountability pool!

the ordinary

2012-01-24T12:49:00.000-05:00

What we really want

waits within

the ordinary.

-Edward Espe Brown

The Tassajara Recipe Book

a giveaway winner and an invitation

2012-01-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

I want to thank you all again for your sweet comments last week. I appreciated every single one of them. This morning, I pulled a name out of a bowl, and the winner of the notecard giveaway is Sarah, at TD Wool Designs. Please send me your snail mail address, Sarah, and I'll get the cards into the mail right away.

Sometimes at this time of year (especially this morning, when there is freezing rain falling outside) I begin to feel like I'm spinning my wheels just a bit. My "to do" lists begin to blur together, my energy slips, my intentions get foggy...maybe you know this feeling? Well, lately I have been enjoying a few different partnerships with folks I admire and respect. I have created "accountability partnerships" with them. One is a local friend, and we get together periodically to set goals and hold one another accountable to them. Not in a nagging, cranky way, but in a supportive and collaborative way. I stay connected with the other partner, someone who lives further away, via technology.

When we share our goals and aspirations, we write them down and "own" them, and commit to getting them done. Somehow, it's not so easy to push the projects aside for more "urgent" things when I have someone to answer to! Most of the things I've committed to are focused around creativity. And now that I think about it, Batman and I have created a partnership to boost our health by eating better and walking for exercise.

So here's my invitation. Would you like to articulate just one thing you would really like to accomplish this week? Not something you should do, or need to do. Just one thing that would make you happy to have accomplished by Friday. Something that might have otherwise gotten lost in the shuffle of the week's activities...

Maybe if we write our one goal here in the comments, we can be motivated by accountability, and we'll have some fun things to celebrate on Friday.

(I am going to sew up this apron, from a pattern I bought at Nido late last summer. I have been meaning to make it for ages. This week I'll just DO IT!)

Are you in?

snowy saturday link love

2012-01-21T15:49:00.001-05:00

When I crept out of bed and peeked out the window, I saw snow and grinned. The meetings that were scheduled for today were cancelled due to the forecast. I went downstairs and lit a fire. Henry joined me for a cup of tea before Batman was up. The three of us have spent the better part of the day here, relaxing, reading, chatting and watching the birds at the feeder. Such a luxury...a "found" day.

Today we ordered seeds for our gardens in Vermont from High Mowing Seeds. Remembering last season's gardens and dreaming about the next is such a good thing to do in the middle of January. Lately I have been enjoying this book. And while interviewing a young person for the admissions office at Earlham, he quoted this book. I read it when I was in the 7th grade (100 years ago), and decided to revisit it now (thank you, Lucas).

This CD has been spinning in my car all week. Can't get enough. Don't know why. :-)

Discovered these patterns via Pinterest. Have any of you tried them?

I've caught up on some snail mail correspondence and wrote a card to Gretta, who is sleeping her way through an exotic Australian version of mono. She feels very far away from us, in her dorm room in Illinois. Please send her some good energy. xo.

Do you have any link love to share?

P.S. There's still time to leave a comment over here, for the notecard giveaway. (Thanks for all of your thoughtful comments over there. They made my day.)

sew and sow life is 3!

2012-01-19T11:10:00.003-05:00

As always, thank you, dear readers for your comments, e-mails and snail mail. I appreciate your encouragement and companionship on this blogging adventure. When I started posting three years ago, I had no idea where it would lead. So many of you have become kindred spirits. And I have found so many great blogs out there in cyber-land, filled with inspiration, information and solace (for sometimes the world wears down even the most determined of us...)

I recently placed another moo order, and put together a few packs of new, spring notecards. If you would like a chance to find a pack of these cards in your very own mailbox, please leave a comment here, on this post. Comments will close at midnight on Sunday, and I'll post the winner's name on Monday morning. I also ordered some other goodies, related to a Reed family project, which I'll write about next week.

Stay cozy, friends!

oops! I forgot to invite you to send an e-mail, if you don't want to/can't leave a comment.
Also, I'm happy to ship anywhere.

truth

2012-01-16T15:27:00.003-05:00

I have decided to stick with love.

Hate is too great a burden to bear.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

vert mont

2012-01-15T18:04:00.001-05:00

some of the golden flecks on the formica countertops have been

wiped away with age.

the vegetable bins in the fridge are held together with

medical tape.

if someone wants to take a shower, the kitchen faucet is

off limits.

the house heaves just a bit in the wild winds coming up the valley.

the living spaces are awkward.

the denim sofa has faded to a pale grey.

but the view is amazing and the lure

is irresistible to friends and family, both.

wherever i am in the world, whatever i am doing,

i have a longing,

and such a sense of place

for these 16 acres.

i think i am a homing pigeon.

(please, don't anyone tell henry.
there could be trouble).

kitchen gods

2012-01-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

ganesha.

remover of obstacles.

he usually sits on the windowsill over the kitchen sink.

i wonder where the obstacles come from.

some just are.

some may be unrecognized opportunities.

some simply test my patience.

sometimes we chat over the soap suds, he and i.

reverse applique

2012-01-12T15:42:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all of your enthusiastic comments on last week's post showing a bit of reverse applique. I thought some of you might be interested in reading about the technique.

First, I want to let you know that the pieces shown today are NOT my work, but pieces I have collected over the many years that I have been under the spell of hand crafted textiles.

This is a hand stitched piece in the Hmong tradition (cudos to you, Suz!). You can read more about Hmong handwork and culture here. I suspect that this piece was sewn to sell and is fairly newly made. I bought it at a quilt show.

(detail)

The stitches in this piece are so tiny they are nearly invisible, and the precision of the design is quite remarkable.

This piece is a relatively old mola, most likely stitched in Central America. (Did you know that Batman grew up in Latin America, and has an appreciation of these beauties!)

(detail)

These stitches are a bit more rustic, and look at all those layers of color!

Reverse applique is done by layering several fabrics, then cutting away bits of it, turning the raw edges under to expose what's underneath and then stitching the edges carefully, to hold them in place. For a tutorial on "how to", click here.

I took the idea of reverse applique and added some very simple embroidery stitching to get this more simple and modern look. (It became a tea towel).

One of my fascinations with hand stitched textiles is the way they are so often related to one another, across time and continents and cultures. The Hmong tribes in Asia and the Cunas of Central America each created distinct yet similar techniques to tell their stories. I think that's quite magical.

personhood 101

2012-01-10T17:39:00.000-05:00

paper scraps spell out

be who you are.

(from the quote that's been on the sidebar of

sewandsowlife from day one)

monday, monday

2012-01-09T09:37:00.001-05:00

(paper!)

who knew, when we were raising our four kids, that we were

creating our very own fountain of youth that would replenish us

years down the road?

i stayed close to that fountain

while hanging out with lindsey and her posse of friends in boston

this past weekend.

artists (check this out), a scientist, musicians, a nurse...

smart, optimistic and funny...

the future is in good hands.

lindsey and i went on a mission to find more inspiration

for the new year...

to freshen the pot, to shake off the weary,

to commit to new habits.

paper source, where i got to "spend" a holiday gift certificate.
blick art supplies, where the scent and sights in the watercolor aisle reminded me of my dad.
an asian market, where i finally found rice paper to make summer rolls.
gather here, where we discovered the sweetest fabric/yarn salon.
walking in the city, people watching and window shopping, all in the 55 degree warmth. odd.
eating mostly good food. :-) and baking molasses cookies.
good, affirming conversations that renewed and cheered me.
a quick visit with my mumsie and sister-in-law, ra.
home again, just in time for downton abbey with batman!

art every day this week, with lindsey as partner.

walking every day this week, twice with batman after work.

yeah, 2012.

we're kickin' it in week two.

how 'bout you?

scraps+needle+thread

2012-01-05T12:54:00.000-05:00

playing with reverse applique today.

sometimes hand-stitching is imperfect and spontaneous.

and a little pocket of calm in an ordinary day.

mustard gold and aqua

2012-01-04T15:49:00.000-05:00

having a little nine patch fun,

with sashing added.

blending new and old fabrics.

listening to the weepies.

drinking my new favorite, kukicha tea.

loving the new "owney the postal dog" stamps i bought this morning.

is it really wednesday already?

a good start

2012-01-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

pantry/fridge...tidy, inventory, shop...check.
gifts that wouldn't fit in westbound luggage...pack, label and stack by front door...check.
sheets/towels/table linens from vermont house...wash, fold, pack into bags for next trip...check.
"held" mail...open, read, sort...check.
2012 calendar...update...check.
thank you notes...write, address, stamp, mail...check.
board work...assess scope, schedule, set aside...check.

I have felt like I've been channeling my beloved paternal grandmother all day long. Tomorrow I'll get myself into my sewing studio right after breakfast.

How has your 2012 started off so far?

inspired in 2012

2012-01-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

After a wonderful holiday season at our "bit of earth" in Vermont, Henry, Batman and I are empty nesters once again, and back in the "real world" in CT.

I have been finding inspiration over at the whole living website, which is full of great recipes and wellness tips. Gretta invited me to join her on the 21 day yoga challenge over at the Yoga Journal website, where they are offering wonderful support for creating new and healthy habits. We watched the documentary Knives Over Forks while in VT and were inspired anew to pay attention to what we eat.

And I'm refreshing my supply of checklists for my daily intentions, which I'd like to bring with me into 2012.

I'm lucky to have found an accountability buddy and for the past six weeks or so we've been sharing aspirations and goals and timelines. We plan to carry this into 2012 as well.

My Etsy shop has been on vacation for a few weeks, but as you can see from the stack of gorgeous fabrics (above), I am now poised for some fun sewing this week. I'll be reopening the shop next week.

My volunteer commitments continue to grow, and I love the work they ask of me. (In the interest of balance, I occasionally remind myself of Anne Lamott's wisdom that "no is a complete sentence").

I look to TED talks and On Being to stretch my mind and my spirit. And there's always the ongoing room painting to keep us busy...

And...do you know how many days are left until season two of Downton Abbey ??? A guilty pleasure, to be sure.

So, dear friends, what inspires you these days?

starting the new year with hope

2012-01-01T12:02:00.001-05:00

Hope begins in the dark,

the stubborn hope that if you just show up

and try to do the right thing,

the dawn will come.

You wait and watch and work; you don't give up.

-Anne Lamott

and here's a link to an old and favorite post.

breathing

2011-12-31T19:22:00.000-05:00

I do not understand the mystery of grace--

only that it meets us where we are and

does not leave us where it found us.

-Anne Lamott

perched...

2011-12-29T16:35:00.000-05:00

...at the top of the toboggan run.

will she or won't she?

early evening snapshot

2011-12-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

the spotlight confirms what the howling wind is telling us.

sideways snow is racing over the clothesline and

around the corner of the house.

the flames in the home comfort stove hum and crackle. turkey soup simmers on the kitchen stove. the paperwhites have opened to their fullest and their light is reflected in the dark windows. laundry dries on the wooden racks downstairs. batman is stretched out in the "comfy chair" with a library book in hand. the cat dozes. gretta is curled up in her den, laptop spinning a disc of "west wing". there are still clementines and dark chocolate, signature treats, waiting for dessert. we listen for the shushing of the plow on the road. but we won't be going out tonight. we are snug and content and blessed, right where we are.

some handmade holiday gifts

2011-12-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

grocery totes

a yoga mat tote bag,

made with fabric purchased at nido .

lined with an old marimekko bed sheet

(many thanks to stew and dawn, my greenie repurposers).

i used an extra long zipper.
{and used my own tote as a prototype...
measured and sketched out a pattern from it.}

a set of babushka napkins.

i also made some coffee cup sleeves,

but forgot to take pictures of them

before i sent them off.

a gingko zippy tote.

and another dala horse zippy tote.

a chunky mohair cowl,

gifted along with a pair of turquoise,

handknit muttons.

now that they have been opened,

i am happy to show you some of the fun and simple gifts

i've been sewing and knitting.

it's been snowing off and on again here on the hill.

:-)
so pretty.

have you recovered from the seasonal festivities?

girls' day out

2011-12-26T19:35:00.001-05:00

Lindsey, Gretta and I went over to Fat Toad Farm today, to hang out with the goats and do a bit of shopping at the farm store. Gretta and I had never been, so we were pretty psyched.

All the sweeties perked up when they heard us come into the barn, and they were super friendly and attentive. They had great names like Willow, Patty, Scarlet, Bumble and Oreo. At least forty of them are expecting kids in March, so we may go back over early in the spring. It would be fun to go for a walk in the woods with the girlies, too. We bought some goat's milk caramel and some "olive lovers' chevre", which we will be enjoying this evening.

Do you think Gretta looks like she is smitten? She wants to be an organic farmer and goatherd when she grows up. We made her get back in the car without a goat or two hidden behind her back.

Then we zoomed up to Burlington and did a bit of fabric shopping at Nido. They are one of the few shops in the US that stock Ink and Spindle fabrics, so, of course we had to get a picture of Gretta with the display. I bought a little bundle of 7 different fabrics from Lotta Jansdotter's ECHO line, for fresh New Year's projects.

Check back tomorrow if you'd like to see pictures of some of this year's handmade gifts.

Did you have a fab weekend?

wishes

2011-12-24T16:48:00.000-05:00

Peace on earth,
goodwill to all.

what it's all about

2011-12-22T12:17:00.001-05:00

wishing you could stop by for

tea, sugar cookies and clementines.

we could work on our last minute projects

here at the table.

we could share recipes and

celebrate this special season together.

there are so many ways to celebrate...

lighting advent candles, the hanukkah menorah,

the yule log, solstice bonfires,

sending loving kindness...

i am comforted to know that all of us who are held together by

the web of this global and diverse online community

are illuminated by the universal light of hope and love.

wishing you peace, dear friends.

ancient hope

2011-12-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

today the sun rose at 7:26 am

and the sun set at 4:16 pm.

in between there was nothing more than

eight hours and fifty minutes of

"daylight".

but really, it was grey fog, sleet and slushy drips from the eaves.

what's a person to do?

plug in the LED tree lights

and the string of starlight!

light the candelabras at the window!

light the chandelier over the table!

cook up a festive supper with friends and family!

hope you had a chance to pause in the middle of the darkest time

and rejoice in the turning of the sun,

toward light and hope and renewal.

HAPPY SOLSTICE!!!!

late afternoon at our "bit of earth"

2011-12-19T16:21:00.002-05:00

as the mid-afternoon light became thinner and grayer,

i bundled up and took a walk on the road.

the wind picked up and howled so, that my eyes teared

and my ears got cold.

i spotted this nest, abandoned for now,

and wondered how far south its maker has flown.

this beautiful fungus caught my eye

and as i took the picture,

the clump of trees creaked against one another

in the wind.

hannah and gretta, my two lumberjills, are out

splitting wood for the stove.

i've just freshened up the table for our supper.

i'm feeling a bit like we live in

the little house in the big woods.

(remember when mr. edwards brought oranges for

laura and mary's christmas stockings?)

2011-12-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

sending love and comfort over 937.7 miles

(i googled it).

two years...

we will not forget.

erin.
"e".

the altar of the present moment

2011-12-17T18:13:00.000-05:00

henry, gretta and i drove to VT yesterday,

we picked hannah up in burlington.

batman cruised in late at night, amid the first few flakes of snow.

we woke up to beautiful, freshly falling snow.

hannah and i attended a most amazing memorial service (the brother of one of her colleagues).

the sadness was deep and profound,

but i felt privileged to sit in the midst of that outpouring of love and affirmation.

later, back at our "bit of earth" as the sun set,

we went out into our 6 acres of balsams and found just the right one.

the intermingling of love and hope and grief and celebration and tragedy remains

one of life's deepest mysteries for me.

that intermingling helps me worship at the altar of the present moment.

leaving the lights on to chase away the darkness

2011-12-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

can you feel it?

2011-12-14T18:01:00.001-05:00

the shortest days of the year...

the darkness nipping at our heels in the mid afternoon...

the energy dip...

the pull of the hibernating cave on our mammal hearts...

the craving for comfort food...

the twinge of sadness that haunts this festive season...

just another few days and we will turn the corner

and swing back into the hope and promise of

light and love and renewal.

in the meantime,

let us move gently and tenderly in this world.

(the greatest gift of all?)

raspberry magic

2011-12-12T16:37:00.000-05:00

a little bit of forethought in august,

some patience and an occasional, gentle swirl in the fall...

produced seven bottles of raspberry cordial!

holiday cheer to give and to tuck away as well.

(ho, ho, ho indeed!)

create peace

2011-12-11T15:09:00.000-05:00

before

after

two buddhas in vermont

2011-12-10T16:56:00.000-05:00

may you find peace and spaciousness of spirit

in the midst of your december days.

a sampler of hope, love and wonder

2011-12-09T18:03:00.001-05:00

in the firebox of our antique home comfort stove,

taking off the chill at our "bit of earth"...

a weekend of friends, tree cutting and holiday cheer is on the agenda.

and here's a few links to loveliness on the internet,

filled with hope, love and wonder.

enjoy!

via our daughters hannah and gretta, a testament to love.
breathtaking wonder via tiny happy.
magical paper art. take a few minutes to look around the website. amazing!
the last few sentences of this post were like a lightning bolt for me. i cut, pasted and printed them out and they now hang in my kitchen.
here's a company that is selling good products and doing good at the same time, via my friend, liz.
a sweet little post from our gretta, just home from a semester in australia.
something i think we may need to build someday at our place in VT.

homeward bound

2011-12-08T17:42:00.003-05:00

alas, i cannot show you pictures of all the sewing and knitting

that's been going on around here.

it's been such fun to work on gifts and then stash them away.

but i digress.

there are beets simmering on the stove,

there's cranberry juice in the fridge,

the santa whirligig has come up from the basement,

the table is set for three...

batman has fetched gretta from jfk airport

and they are on their way home.

i cannot wait to hug my youngest

(and squeeze her little guts out).

she will be time-zone-challenged...

having left brisbane nearly a day ago,

and we'll let her find her own way through the next few days.

(but i really am dying to see what she will pull

out of her backpack!)

-------------

LATER THAT NIGHT
we are now addicted to tim tam slams.

today's meditation

2011-12-06T12:38:00.002-05:00

mother nature's incandescence,

lighting up a foggy december windowsill.

still emerging from the translucent green bud.

scenting the air with magic.

oh tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum...

2011-12-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

our favorite lumberjack is still in australia,

i was attending a board meeting here in CT.

batman enjoyed a weekend in VT where he singlehandedly

cut, hauled and loaded the trees this year.

i had the fun pleasure of making the delivery

this morning.

to see where these beauties ended up,

click here.

i get to do such fun things.
:-)

sewing studio secrets

2011-12-04T17:18:00.000-05:00

something soft and chunky

a matching set

a little something zippy

easing into the holiday season.

:-)

how about you?

setting intentions for this season

2011-12-02T14:57:00.000-05:00

As we cruise into the shortest, darkest days of the year, I have been thinking about how to stay grounded and healthy. The holiday season can be filled with excesses...consumerism, rich foods, rushed and careless drivers, too much to do in too little time, expectations that may not be met...the list goes on. I've been collecting some intentions for myself, some very simple practices to support my immune system and my spirit. There is nothing here that takes too long, and each can be sprinkled in through the day, whenever it fits. I thought I'd share the list here with you. I may even go so far as to make a chart to check off my progress EVERY DAY.

Brush my teeth and floss. Simple, I know, but I'm still working on making flossing a habit.
Take specific vitamins and herbal supplements. Another no brainer, but sometimes I forget.
Stretch. Best case? Every muscle, with care. Worst case? Hands over head and down to the floor whenever I can catch a minute to do it.
Eat to nourish. Period.
Get outside and walk in rain, sun or snow. The longer the better. But I'll take what I can get, even if it's just from the farthest parking space to the door of the destination.
Make time to sit down and read a poem. Some of my favorite poets? Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, Marge Piercy, Danna Faulds, Richard Wilbur. Cries of the Spirit , a fabulous anthology of women's poetry, edited by Marilyn Sewell.
Meditate. Set aside the time to sit or catch a bit of time between commitments. But breathe deeply, relax and empty out the monkey chatter.
Hydrate. Morning, noon and night.
Send at least one piece of snail mail "just because".
Recommit to my ritual of evening gratitude.

I would love to know what you might add to this list. What are some of the things you do to take good care of yourself? (Because, really, we are no good to others if we're grouchy, tired and run down).

still remembering

2011-12-01T08:12:00.003-05:00

today i am remembering all the young men

i worked with and lost in the mid 1980's.

today i am hopeful about the progress that has been made

in the fight against AIDS.

today i am sobered to know that AIDS and many other

deadly diseases still prowl the world.

today i am reminded to

cherish each day and to be fully present.

today i am reminded to

do what i can with my one life.

a sweater and a quilt on two different sides of the world

2011-11-30T06:09:00.034-05:00

my knitting guru friend franny has been here in CT for a few days.
she talked me through the next steps on my cardigan.

the decreasing has begun,
making way for the shawl collar.

read all about gretta's adventures in
australia here.

she made a quilt top with fabric she designed and screened
while interning at ink and spindle.

here's a huge shout out of gratitude
to lara and teigs
for tucking gretta into their studio
and filling her head with wonderful, inspiring ideas!

before the next season swallows us up...

2011-11-28T07:59:00.002-05:00

finding sage under a foot of snow

having my snow tires put on the day before the foot of snow arrived

ukulele and guitar duets

intergenerational, raucous laughter

taboo and bananagrams

lots of help in the kitchen

walks in the woods and on the road

family from near and FAR

a fabulous turkey from the Green Mountain Girls Farm

wood fired pizza baked in the Home Comfort

a shooting star against the blackest sky

watching Orion set at dawn

Batman setting off fireworks

the flash of coyotes at the edges of the headlights

lunch at Tiny Thai in Winooski

DVD's and Che-Ha (Chex mix)

thumbs up for rock and roll

knitting
hot, spiced cider

conversations and planning and reminiscing

the sweet little airport in Burlington

and underneath it all...

deep gratitude.

and now we are all scattered back in the "real" world.

did you do some "gratitude accounting"?

gathered and gone

2011-11-26T16:28:00.000-05:00

the quiet reflection that comes with an empty house

feels like the other side of

the energized anticipation of their arrival.

around the table

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gratitude is heaven itself.

-William Blake

hushed

2011-11-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

could there be a better day to bake pies?

granny smith apple and

from-the-garden pumpkin

forks, anyone?

missing some...

2011-11-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

You're already home when you feel loved.

-the Head and the Heart

for stew and dawn and nelson in oregon

and

gretta in melbourne.

there's always a place at the table for you guys.

even in spirit.

the best week on the calendar

2011-11-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

there is quite the domestic hustle and bustle
here at our bit of earth.

airing blankets, making beds, planning menus,
sweeping, hauling firewood...

oh, corporate america,
you have yet to get your greedy claws into this one.
the simplicity of gratitude is beyond your reach!

no picture today, just an invitation...

2011-11-17T18:58:00.000-05:00

Having young people in my life keeps me on my toes. My kids and my daughter-in-law and their friends, help me to be in the midst of a different generation, even though I do not belong to it. My work on the boards of two schools...one pre-K thru 12, and the other, a college...give me the gift of involvement with the future.

Thank goodness for these blessings. I do not ever want to be out of touch with the hope and promise of young people.

I invite you to pop on over to the blog of one of my favorite young people. Jamie is an Earlham grad and his Change from Within is worth a read every time he posts. Today's is a gem, (inspired by Andrea Gibson), and I would love to see any of you leave a comment over there.

Being vulnerable helps us grow.

xo

rainy day ramble

2011-11-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

It is impossible to choose a wall color on a rainy and overcast day. Even if you have an idea in your head of what you're looking for.
Batman and I decided last night that scrubbing walls and woodwork after a long day is not as easy as it used to be. But we are not old geezers quite yet.
I donated another pint of blood today, in memory of Erin. (Do you donate blood?)
This is a fabulous movie (thanks, Doug and Ra, for the recommendation).
I have a jar of local nutritious deliciousness on my kitchen counter...home grown sprouts. To use in a sandwich tomorrow, I think.

Sometimes when you long for more meaning in your life, opportunities turn up, just like that. At least that's what's been happening to me lately.
I am counting the days till I get to hug some of my favorite people and celebrate the best of all holidays.
I am going to make a bumper sticker to put on my car. This is what it is going to say, "Caution! I stop for STOP signs". I would also like to find a device that would attach to my bumper, with long spikes on it, to deter tailgaters. My best buddy Liz and I talk about these things over coffee and it seems to help us stay sane. (She gave blood today, too...thanks, Liz).

So that's enough rambling from me. Tell me what's on your mind...where has it rambled today?

afternoon tea and stitching with friends

2011-11-15T17:23:00.001-05:00

felt doves, embroidered with floss...

getting started on a folk bird garland from

this book...

a portable project, easy and sweet.

what are you working on these days?

clarity in work

2011-11-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Funny how the simple

chore of washing a few

windows

helped make

everything

more clear.

it's just another day*

2011-11-12T17:38:00.001-05:00

Today started with sleeping late (!!!),

homemade "Ro-cha-cha" blueberry muffins

and spakling walls, sanding rough spots and scrubbing woodwork.

Then Batman dismantled the ceiling fan and I took the paddles out

to sand and scrub them in the sunshine

(spray paint tomorrow, a cheap fix).

A trip to the vet, errands, some Etsy business and

a washed ceiling later, it's time to chop veggies for a stir fry.

This sweat equity thing has it's ups and it's downs.

Tonight I didn't resist a Granny Smith "chuck".

I am glad that Batman is my best buddy.

*love those Beatles.

numbers

2011-11-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

There's quite the hub-bub going on about the date, 11/11/11. Here are some of my favorite posts...and they represent a wide range of content!

resurrection fern
secret notebooks wild pages
ink and spindle
mommy hungry
remembrance day via poppytalk, here
all about the corduroy appreciation club

Some say that the date is highly significant, others say it's just what comes next, chronologically. This is all I know for sure about today...

our yard is surrounded by a ribbon of red haze, caused by the flaming euonymus bushes.
the wind swept clouds are flying across a november blue sky and the american flags are snapping.
there are brussels sprouts, cranberries and more apples in the fridge, firewood stacked on the doorstep and clean laundry hanging on the drying racks.
i have good work to do today and tomorrow, and a chance to sit and knit for a bit, too.

Whatever comes next, or doesn't, I'm just hanging out here in the present moment...breathing and noticing, and collecting gratitude. How about you? What do you make of the date?

thinking about the holidays

2011-11-09T12:21:00.001-05:00

reusable

fabric

gift

bags

gingerbread

boy

tea

towels

Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday, and I don't like to see much of the December holidays before, well, December. But I have been watching the explosion of handmade gift items over at Etsy, and thought I'd get a few things listed myself. I've been away from that space for a while, and so thought I'd start with a few simple, quiet offerings. And I created a treasury, too, collecting some really pretty ideas for holiday giving.

I wear this button pinned to my purse and love the conversations it starts. Are you thinking of making some handmade gifts this holiday season? Will you be shopping and/or selling at Etsy or other handmade venues? Are you part of the revolution???

noticing the light

2011-11-08T17:05:00.000-05:00

this "fall back" timing thing is hard to get used to.

but light is always intoxicating, whenever i find it.

earning his keep

2011-11-07T17:03:00.003-05:00

as the weather turns to chill,
little grey rodents come looking for a warm place to nest.

henry has become a mouser by night

and a napper by day.

(i know it's a little rough, but mother nature has
a plan that we don't mess with).

hallowe'en, connecticut style

2011-11-06T17:20:00.000-05:00

our town is celebrating hallowe'en tonight,

thanks to the mayhem from the wild weather

we had last weekend.

here is my handsome husband, batman,

in his traditional frankenstein hallowe'en costume.

do you love the bolts on his neck?

sometimes i really do wonder who i live with.

;-)

real life

2011-11-05T10:21:00.002-04:00

before breakfast we filled the pick up truck twice

with fallen branches

and heaved them into the giant wall of storm refuse at the

transfer station.

then oatmeal and tea/coffee.

we're headed back out with the chainsaw to go

at the bigger stuff, and we'll stage the piles for

tomorrow's trips.

the transfer station with its roaring chippers going full tilt

is open 7 days a week to keep up with the

recovery.

a week after the snowstorm,

about half the town is still without power and heat

(and many without water, too).

this situation is bringing out both the best, and in some cases,

the worst in people.

we have had folks here taking showers,

charging phones and computers, and

doing laundry.

(we even have breast milk in the freezer!!!)

i've run errands for folks who needed a hand.
the tea pot has brewed black tea, green tea and herbal.

my to do list went out the window this week

and my days filled with whatever turned up.

we take so much for granted.

this week we have been counting our blessings

over and over again.

autumn afternoon

2011-11-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

The mystery, the essence of all life is not

separate from the silent openness of

simple listening.

-Toni Packer

an altar for remembering

2011-11-02T11:27:00.004-04:00

today is dia de los muertos.

welcoming back the dead...
at the time of year when the veil between
the spirit world and ours is the very thinnest.

paying homage to their souls and offering companionship
while they linger.

if just for a whisper of a moment...

who are you remembering today?

for other day of the dead posts, see here and here and here.

voila

2011-11-01T12:07:00.000-04:00

scrappy tote

Made 100% from my fabric stash.

No pattern, just some measuring and thinking.

(OK, and a tiny bit of cussing).

Even the handles are leftovers, from this project,

that Batman and I had fun with years ago.

The side panels are leftovers from a quilt backing that I tie-dyed.

So glad to finish up a project,

and know that it all came from stuff I already had in the house.

I'm looking forward to making my Day of the Dead

altar this afternoon.

Delicious dinner last night...
miso-curry delicata squash,
with tofu, chard, cilantro and pepitas
from here.

There is such energy (in nature, in the spirits that walk with us,

in our nesting instincts, in our kitchens) at this time of year,

can you feel it?

recovering

2011-10-31T17:52:00.000-04:00

remembering my dad today.

he loved hallowe'en

and made quite a night of it every year.

Here in our town, Halloween has been postponed until November 6th. The roads are still filled with downed trees/branches/power lines, making Trick or Treating a dangerous activity. School has been cancelled until Thursday, perhaps even Friday. Some folks may have to wait until the end of the week to get their power back. Amazingly, our house is in the sweet 13% in our town that has had power restored. (We were also one of the first to have power restored after Irene. You can bet we will highlight this in the real estate ad when we put this house on the market!!!) It is good to be reminded of how much we rely on electricity, but it is also exasperating to live without it for prolonged periods of time. Our yard is filled with tree trunks that have split down the middle and branches that have snapped under the weight of the heavy snow. Batman is itching to rev up the chainsaw, but that will have to wait until the weekend! Our local Rec Center is open for showering, recharging cell phones, swimming and playing basketball...much appreciated by families with young kids, I'm sure.

We have invited friends to drop by for a shower, a cup of tea, a chance to use the internet. It's the least we can do...

I do wonder about all of this severe weather. Is it a fluke or a peek at what global climate change has to offer us?

Sending all of you best wishes for a spooky evening!

Holy snowstorm, Batman!

2011-10-30T08:12:00.000-04:00

12" of snow.
No electricity.
Iced roads.
Power lines down.
Branches and trees down.

We're hunkered in by the fireplace.

CRAZY!

How are things at your house this morning?

more surrender

2011-10-29T19:02:00.000-04:00

mother

nature's

gorgeous

reminder.

no one

going

anywhere.

and

that's

OK.

2:33 p.m.

2011-10-28T14:31:00.000-04:00

heating pad,

warm cat,

freshly squeezed grapefruit juice,

herbal zing tincture,

rejuvenation herbal tea.

winter storm warning.

reluctant, and then grateful surrender.
it's good to listen to what our bodies tell us.

recognizing gifts

2011-10-26T16:01:00.001-04:00

There is, I remind myself, no more direct pathway to peace,

no simpler way to encounter beauty,

no better way of slowing down.

than to try to practice devotion right where I am,

doing each day's tasks as they come

and building a life around what is already here.

From The Gift of an Ordinary Day , by Katrina Kenison

Gram Lowry's applesauce cake,
with applesauce made from our apple trees.
Recipe here.

discombobulated

2011-10-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

I do believe I have been away much more than I have been home this month. Arriving back from VT yesterday afternoon, I took a deep breath and decided that today I would get myself back on track...

deep inventory of pantry, fridge and freezer
menu planning/grocery list making
car wash (you should have seen the mud from VT on my poor chariot!)
bank
post office
gas station
groceries
laundry
paperwork

Tomorrow will be filled with

baking a batch of granola
cleaning the house
(ahem) more laundry
baking a cake with the last of the carrots from our "bit of earth"

Then, perhaps by Wednesday, I can get back into my sewing studio and make some progress on the 101 projects that are lurking in my UFO pile and my imagination!

How about you? What are you working on as we're cruising into the last week of October?

coming or going? not sure.

2011-10-23T17:26:00.001-04:00

jolly companions at a farm stand in VT

(but remembering pumpkins in IL, potts!)

burning the candle at both ends again.

looking forward to catching up with your

comments and blogs tomorrow, friends.

back porch love

2011-10-21T11:54:00.000-04:00

OK all of you clothesline fans out there.

Do these photos make your heat skip a beat?

A classic Vermont back porch, complete with drying lines

and a very sweet solution to clothespin storage.

At Kristen and Gary's "new" house,

not far from our "bit of earth".

Delightful, eh?

evidence

2011-10-19T14:57:00.000-04:00

I find myself in Vermont for a few days

(more about that tomorrow).

I must say, I opened the door cautiously,

wondering what I might find after Lindsey

and eleven of her friends stayed in this little house

over the weekend.

Really, the only evidence I found was this sweet line,

jotted on the white board on the fridge.

Every one of them is invited back.

:-)

gathering gratitude

2011-10-18T11:34:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I marvel at the twists and turns that my life has taken. Despite being an average student at Earlham College back in the 1970's, I have somehow found myself, years later, serving on its board...a deep and precious honor for me. Working with fine people to move the mission of the school forward is a blessing I hold close to my heart. Being part of Saturday's Inauguration celebrations was indeed a special treat. To read David Dawson's Inauguration Address, click here. It's a long read, but filled with hope and wisdom.
Every time I am on the campus at Earlham, I remember how grateful I am to have met Batman there, in the fall of 1974. Seriously folks, what luck!
Hannah was able to come over to campus from her place in Ohio and we had some really good time to visit, both as a mother/daughter team and with some of her friends as well. As I walked across the heart after the ceremonies on Saturday, my phone rang and it was Stewart, just calling to check in. And Lindsey had spent the weekend at our place in Vermont with a posse of 11 (!) of her friends. She began a brand new job yesterday where she will be able to answer her call to to be working with teens. And I finally had a chance to catch up with Gretta (on the phone) who's still in love with Australia. Count them...four kids...all doing good things in the world. How cool is that?
We are in the midst of my favorite season, and I am soaking up the scent of the leaves underfoot, the bounty of autumn veggies on our supper table, the pinch of chill in the air and the magically filtered light that I can't seem to get enough of.
I've been yearning to find a way to gather my days, and I found a very sweet format (via Pinterest) that I think I'll try for a month or so, here.
As the days close in on colder weather and more indoor activity, here's a wealth of ideas for books, movies and music. Many thanks to a very sweet blog, "tiny happy".
Tomorrow I head back up to Vermont, to help my cousin Kristen and her partner, Gary move into a house they bought while visiting us this summer. I know! How crazy is that? Soon, we will be living about 7 miles from one another. We are three months apart in age, our Moms are sisters and I love her to bits. We haven't lived near one another since before we each went off to college. For this wonderful turn of events, I am most grateful.

What happens when you count your blessings? Do they tend to snowball, or do you struggle to find things to count? Sadly, living in this world can lead us in either direction...what are your thoughts?

oh, what a day it was

2011-10-15T19:51:00.000-04:00

the swing on "the heart" at earlham college.

in the midwest

2011-10-12T17:06:00.001-04:00

From Vermont to Connecticut to
La Guardia to Dayton to Richmond, IN.

For some board work and some institutional celebration.

!!!

autumn retreat in pictures

2011-10-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

henry, catching some late afternoon rays.

the "bracken" hat was finished.

the sky was just one night shy of the hunter's moon last night.

i've grown to love our funky little kitchen...

...where we made applesauce with fruit from our very own,

well tended trees.

progress was made on the "scrappy tote",

all 194 stitches for the cardigan were cast on,

and it's been growing ever since, slowly but surely.

we walked on the road,

ate local, organic food,

hosted some friends from both far away and near,

schemed with my cousin (more later!),

did reading for an upcoming board meeting,

bought end of season plants for 50% off,

went on field trips,

did yard work,

were stunned anew by the determination and resilience

of the great people of the state of vermont.

well, you get the picture...

props at bread and puppet circus

we are blessed to have our "bit of earth"

to melt into every once in a while.

guest post from hannah

2011-10-10T07:42:00.000-04:00

Every Friday in my Spanish classes, I select a different song to listen to and sing. The first time, we listen, and students try to fill in the blanks of the lyrics (I omit some words they would easily hear). Then we talk about what it means and translate some of the lyrics. The second time, we sing along with the music. I pick songs from different genres, and try to keep it interesting.

Last week, though, I did something different and showed this video. The first go around, we simply watched the video. I witnessed my students become quieter than I have ever seen them. They were mesmerized by the beauty of the people and places captured by the lens of the camera in Calle 13’s video.

I have traveled to several Latin American countries, studied Spanish and Latin American studies for years, and been truly intrigued and inspired by the diversity of culture, geography, and languages I have seen. However, none of those experiences prepared me for the way this song captures the heart of a people. I have learned, and taught my students, not to make generalizations about multiple countries, tribes, and histories. But this video does an amazing job of bringing to light all of those differences, while still celebrating the common thread of Latin America that may not even be possible to articulate. The true essence of diversity, I guess.

The lyrics are poetic, too. In a world rampant with consumerism, greed, and colonization of people and spaces, the words say,

“Tú no puedes comprar al viento.
Tú no puedes comprar al sol.
Tú no puedes comprar la lluvia.
Tú no puedes comprar el calor.
Tú no puedes comprar las nubes.
Tú no puedes comprar los colores.
Tú no puedes comprar mi alegría.
Tú no puedes comprar mis dolores.”

“You can’t buy the wind.
You can’t buy the sun.
You can’t buy the rain.
You can’t buy the heat.
You can’t buy the clouds.
You can’t buy the colors.
You can’t buy my happiness.
You can’t buy my pains.”

So much of Central and South America has been exploited physically, politically, economically, and environmentally for centuries. But this song makes a claim for an essential spirit of a people who continue to struggle for visibility and equality, and a place that can’t be bought.

Maybe my view is too simplistic, but I felt humbled and appreciative to see this video, and know that some musicians are still fighting a good fight for social justice in the world. Critics are already saying it should win song/video of the year at the Latin Grammys in November. Hope you enjoy it!

(Hannah is Reed child #3. She teaches at Olney Friends School, in rural Ohio. Click here to get a peek at her arrival there, just over a year ago).

man=carrot circus

2011-10-08T18:11:00.000-04:00

Traditionally, on Labor Day weekend,

we drive up and over the Rochester Gap to see

Bread and Puppet perform in the amphitheatre

at Big Town Gallery.

Since Rochester was completely cut off from the world

by the ravaging floods of Irene,

Bread and Puppet had to give their fans

quite a huge rain check.

Batman arrived last night, to join me in a little fall retreat.

We were delighted that the circus rescheduled for this weekend.

Don't you love these tall carrots on stilts?

Here is a finger pointing puppet,

in honor of those in Washington, DC.

A banjo playing goat, who serenaded the audience.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant was shut

down by empowered granny protesters,

despite the best efforts of the NRC!

This wild ape made quite an impression on the kids in the crowd!

There was a fabulous skit where "YES" and "NO" mellowed

into "MAYBE".

And a powerless point presentation on how to

help your company get back into "the black" simply

by painting all of your products green.
There was also the signature moment of silence for
those killed and injured in Iraq and Afghanistan,
civilians and soldiers alike,
with a tally board noting the numbers.

Really, it turns out, the answer to the

challenges in the world,

is to simply embrace your local carrot.

For both we humans and our carrot friends

all end up as dirt anyway.

We like to support the puppeteers by buying some
of their "cheap art" after the show.

This is our 2011 purchase,

newspaper and acrylic on cardboard.

To see posts about other performances click here and here.

war and peace

2011-10-07T07:47:00.001-04:00

The tenth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkul Karman,

winners of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

eau du autumn

2011-10-06T19:15:00.001-04:00

The sky was so clear and the wind was so crazy

that the towels out on the clothesline ended up as fluffy

as they would have been in the dryer.

But they smelled a whole lot better.

eventide gratitude

2011-10-05T18:57:00.002-04:00

Thank-you, Great Grandfather Strength, for pushing these ancient Green Mountains up out of your belly.

Thank-you, Great Grandmother Earth, for covering this ground with your fertile dirt and leaves and worms.

Thank-you, Mother Sky, for freshening the air and bringing the rain.

Thank-you Father Sun, for shining down on this land.

Thank-you, Uncle Seasons, for bringing the changes that fuel the rhythms.

Thank-you, Auntie Fauna, for bringing the birds to sing in these branches.

Thank-you, Mountain Man Reg, for planting these apple trees.

And thank-you, Batman and Lindsey, for bringing these trees back with your TLC.

As I cut into this tartest of apples tonight, I appreciate all that brought me to this exquisite moment.

field trip to green mountain spinnery

2011-10-04T18:43:00.001-04:00

While at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival on Sunday, Franny and I were quite taken with the Green Mountain Spinnery Cooperative's booth. Their commitment to sustaining a worker-owned business, and to serving local shepherds really intrigued us. We were delighted to learn that they offer factory tours on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, and so this morning, we drove down to their factory in Putney. Sixty percent of their business is done as custom orders, the other 40 percent of the skeins wear the GMS tag. The photo above shows bags of raw fleece waiting to be processed.

After the fibers have been soaked and washed, they are spun until nearly dry in this circa 1896 extractor, acquired from the laundry room of a now defunct, local hotel.

After being washed and dried, the fibers are "picked" and then carded. The carding machine, above, was built in 1916 and it's still going strong. After carding, comes blending and roving and then it's twisted and plied into yarn and steamed, and skeined or coned.

We lingered in the factory store while I tried to decide if I had the courage to attempt a cardigan, and then, what color? I went with glacier lake in a 70% wool/30%yearling mohair blend.

I'm going to give Maureen's Cardigan a try. The pattern is from 99 Yarns and Counting, More Designs from the Green Mountain Spinnery. While there, I had my book autographed by 6 members of the co-operative. I am very excited about being able to knit really long sleeves for my really long arms!

I always love a good factory tour, must be a leftover from my days of watching Mr Rogers with my little brothers. :-)

woolies

2011-10-02T19:51:00.021-04:00

My buddy Franny came over from Maine,

and we spent the day at the

Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival.
We strolled the vendors who were selling fleece, yarn,
spinning wheels, drop spindles, baskets, needles and patterns,
hand looms and lanolin products.

This photo is for Gretta, Ra and anyone else who is
in love with sheepherding pooches.
(check this out).

We were spellbound, once again, by watching shepherd,
dog and sheep work together.

Shearing demo.

The wooly and the bare naked!

Needle felted flock.

Gorgeous woven blanket.

Alpacas, sheep and a few goats were penned among the vendors.
There were folks promoting farm stay vacations, b&b knitting stays
and even a guy selling portable fencing.

The crowd was filled with very good looking hand knit sweaters,
and most folks were wearing "sensible footwear", because
it's still raining in VT!
It's so inspiring to be in the midst of hand crafters
and folks who are devoted to working close to the land.

I am working up the courage to knit a cardigan.
Franny, who is my knitting guru, has promised to help me get started.
Check back tomorrow to see where we are headed next.
I can't wait.

And I can finally let you know about Gretta's internship
in Australia. I am beyond jealous.
Read this to find out why.

scrappy tote

2011-09-30T10:01:00.001-04:00

i've been working on a random patchwork

made of scraps from another project.

i like the proportions and style of

this tote, (a promotional piece from a bookseller's chain),

and so am using it as a template.

i'm piecing one single long rectangle that will

create the front, bottom and back.

the two sides and bottom will also be

one continuous piece.

i guess i'll have to devise a binding

to tidy up the seams where everything

will be joined.

i'm torn between machine quilting the piece,

or trying something different.

i love the bold hand stitching on these bags.

maybe some thick, squash colored embroidery floss?

opinions?

results

2011-09-29T17:15:00.003-04:00

To restore order means to liberate oneself

from the spell of what seems,

and to come back to what is.

-Henri Tracol

dearest readers, i hope i have not caused your eyes

to glaze over with all these posts about cleaning

and sorting and tossing.

i am simply astounded by the release of

a wee heaviness in my spirit,

and the discovery of new energy and insights

as i pare down and organize my life.

as i examine what i tolerate,

and what i envision,

and how to get from here to there,

i wonder, what advice might you have for me?

food for thought

2011-09-28T15:55:00.001-04:00

examine what you tolerate.

I first saw this phrase on Pinterest, and tracked down it's origins here.

For days, I've been exploring the nuances of these words.

I became so intrigued that I started to write a list

of what I tolerate.

Then I've considered why I tolerate something,

(maybe there's a good reason!)

whether perhaps I shouldn't tolerate something,

and how I might change some of the things I tolerate.

That pile of paperwork at the top of this post?

GONE, by tomorrow morning at 9!

Promise.

;-)

sorting, pitching, still!

2011-09-27T13:44:00.000-04:00

know how sometimes before things get better,

they get really, really messy?

today, for a few precious minutes,

i have found refuge in a quiet corner.

a ritual that makes sense

2011-09-26T16:48:00.000-04:00

the crisp and clear and energizing days of autumn

have been slow in coming

to our neck of the woods in southern new england.

the ambitious monday morning "to do"list

i started out with has fizzled

in the weariness and humidity of the late afternoon.

when in doubt, i say,

have tea and a snack on the porch.

and hope that tomorrow dawns

with a chill.

letting go of the past

2011-09-25T08:33:00.000-04:00

the autumn light in our bedroom is so translucent and temporary this morning.

We have moved from closets on to the basement, a large space, filled with the accumulation of 15 years of living with and raising four children in this house. Some things are obviously and sadly, for the transfer station. I hate to think of all the stuff that will go who-knows-where, a reflection of our irresponsibility to our planet. We have been sobered by this reality.

Lots and lots of the stuff has been cleaned up and sorted for a big tag sale. There are roller blades, lots of kitchenware, picture frames, some furniture, holiday decorations and boxes of games.There's even a pile for the thrift shop in Vermont...a walker and cane, left over from my knee replacements five years ago.

Some items, when held in hand, require decisions...sentiment vs. our desire for a cleaner, more pared down life. It actually feels good to push the limits of attachment, and set something in the tag sale pile. There has been the sharp intake of breath and the heart squeeze, when some sweet memory has been stirred. But memories will serve us better than the actual thing that inspired the memory. There are a few things that we are saving, and their pile looks like a curated display, these things we will need in our next chapter.

This is a year full of transitions for us. Being in the midst of the reality of realizing a dream has felt invigorating and exhausting at the very same time. It is good work to be doing, this letting go of the past to walk into the future.

I am curious. How do you manage stuff? Do you live with stuff in closets or an attic or basement? Or do you live with just essentials? Or do you live somewhere in between?

equinox

2011-09-23T13:14:00.001-04:00

i cast on yarn that reminds me of bracken,

ferns that have lost their gentle fronds,

that have dried and bent back into the earth,

a far cry from their bright green fiddleheads of the spring.

balsamic-poached figs,

(recipe in october issue of whole living magazine)

resting in the fridge for an evening when

a roasted chicken and a puddle of polenta

might call out for them.

autumn.

the best of all.

welcome, sweetness.

ugh.

2011-09-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

the news headlines from georgia sent me into

my sanctuary of stitching.

My heart is moved by all I cannot save.

-Adrienne Rich

i pulled out a quilt top and set to finishing it

up for the winter warmth project.
it is one small thing i can do.
*sigh*

(read gretta's insights here.)

guest post by lindsey

2011-09-21T11:03:00.002-04:00

When other plans fell through on Saturday, I realized that I had a whole day ahead of me with nothing I HAD to do and nowhere I HAD to be - I can hardly remember the last time that happened! So I looked around my room and saw the spot on the wall that I'd been meaning to fill and the blue Ikea fabric that I had plans to use - and the crafting began!

Every time Mom and I go to Paper Source, we face indecision about whether or not to buy their calendar for $30. While we love its plain and simple look and nice big squares, somehow we never end up spending the money. I decided that brown paper bags were just about as good and came up with my own version, divided by seasons.

Then it was time for sewing. My first apron went to a friend for her birthday last year, and I've been meaning to make my own ever since ("tall-sized" of course!). I didn't use a pattern, but did a lot of cutting then holding the shape up to my body and then cutting a little more. In the end, I'm very happy with this apron and can't wait to get it covered in flour!

It is great to start the day with nothing but recycled materials and fabric and end up with two things that I've often thought of buying, but I knew I could make myself (eventually)!

(Lindsey is Reed child #2. She shares an apartment in the Boston area with two roomies and has a fabulous posse of friends who enjoy regular pot luck suppers together. She works in the Stewardship and Development Office of a not-for-profit.)

fuel for the good life and an opportunity, too.

2011-09-20T09:09:00.006-04:00

Late afternoon on Sunday we...

dug up about half of the carrots and
all of the beets, both golden and chiogas
cut bunches and bunches of rainbow chard
harvested the pie pumpkins
picked the cherry tomatoes
gathered the garlic braids from the woodshed
cut a few branches of rosemary and...

We loaded everything into the pick-up,

tucked the potted flowers from the porch inside, safe from the frost

and headed back south to CT.

This week I will be...

roasting root vegetables with the fresh rosemary
dropping off bunches of carrots to unsuspecting friends
making our favorite creamy herbed carrot soup, (dairy and all) from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
sauteing garlic, onions and chard to package up and put in the freezer
roasting the pumpkins to make puree for the freezer...for pies, muffins and bread later in the fall
sending garlic braids off to our far-flung children, so they can enjoy "a bit of earth" at their homes
sauteing the tomatoes with other veggies for a bowl of pasta that's tough to beat
oh, and let's not forget about the fresh pressed cider I bought at the co-op. :-)

FALL BLISS!
I love having the goodness from our gardens in VT
to nourish us and keep us connected to that treasured ground.
It is good fuel for the dream.

What's going on in your autumn kitchen?

And here's a great opportunity to help keep flood ravaged Vermonters cozy this winter!
To read about the Winter Warmth Project, click here.

shining light

2011-09-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

e.e.p.

rural infatuation

2011-09-18T08:22:00.000-04:00

We have not been back in Vermont since the devastating flooding three weeks ago. Yesterday we headed to the 140th Tunbridge World's Fair. The fairgrounds were soaked in the flooding, but no buildings were lost, so the fair went on as an affirmation of all things rural in Vermont. We promised Gretta that we'd arrive in plenty of time to watch the goat judging at 10AM. We took notes for her, and loved watching 4-H kids wrastle their goat kids. Here's a picture of a few of the sweet Nubians, gathered before the judging began.

The exhibition halls were full of produce (a 700 pound pumpkin!!!), and inspiring displays of jams, jellies, pies, quilts, floral arrangements and much more.

Anyone want a pickle? Have you ever seen such a huge jar? And here's a very fine mandolin strummin' scarecrow.

The cavalcade of animals was kicked off by Governor Peter Shumlin, who spoke about Vermont's resilience, self sufficiency and community spirit. This year, the crowd roared and cheered with extra exuberance. And the color guard looked especially dapper this year.

As usual, I was fascinated by the parade of animals. But this year I was misty eyed as I watched those inter-generational groups march by, holding onto their livestock with a renewed tenderness and appreciation. A way of life has been challenged by the wrath of Irene, and these folks have held steadfast, determined to rebuild.

The gorgeous natural yarns in the sheep barn caught my attention, and I am mulling over the possibilities of coming back up for the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in early October. (Let's not tell Gretta there will be sheep herding as well, OK?)

Are you fascinated by rural fairs?

To see a 2010 version of the fair, click here.

For a 2009 version, click here.

guest post from gretta

2011-09-16T07:25:00.003-04:00

I've been in Australia for 3 weeks now! Time flies when you're having fun. I've had lots of stereotypical experiences: seen wallabies, koalas, and an echidna, gone surfing, tried Tim Tams and Vegamite. But my experiences here have been so much more!

I've seen the most amazing sunrise I've ever seen in my life, been in my first rainforest, and designed an eco home.

Our classroom has been the beach, kayaking on estuaries, organic farms, rainforests, and national parks. Perhaps the most interesting thing I've noticed is how sustainable behaviors have become part of the mainstream culture here. It's common to see houses with rain water collection, solar panels, and clothes drying on the line. The majority of residents probably couldn't give you a definition of sustainability or tell you many statistics about global climate change, and they would think it's ridiculous that they would be considered an environmentalist in the United States. But they have a sizeable garden and flock of chickens (or choocks as they call them). They conserve water. They plant native species because the invasive weeds have been a pain.

We've talked about sense of place, environmental philosophies, rainforest ecology, sustainable agriculture, low impact home design, as well as several other bits and pieces of sustainability. Next up is a trip to Tasmania, Melbourne, and Sydney!

(Gretta is our youngest of four, enjoying the fall semester of her junior year in college, studying in Australia. We have enjoyed keeping in touch with her via once a week Skype sessions. Just wait til she writes about her upcoming independent study. I am green with envy!)