my hope for you

may you find time this weekend

to rest from your labors.

handmade goodness

as i sat at my sewing machine this morning,

i watched the haze thicken over the mountains

and the thunderheads build.

(yippeeee!)

i'm working on a few gifts...

remember the handmade pledge?
buying handmade over at etsy,
shopping at local craft and art fairs,
or fair trade shops,
or making your own gifts...

there are so many opportunities to change the way we consume.
and we can bring more of the human spirit into our homes and lives.

do you have a favorite source for handmade items?

catching breezes...

...way up in the branches of the crab apple tree,

on yet another unusually hot, hazy and humid day here in vermont.

we wait.

for the cooler, canadian air

as it drifts over the mountains and

into the valleys and brings relief.

the last of the yellow wax beans

planted with seeds saved from last year's crop.

grown in the gardens at our "bit of earth".

harvested while the dew still glistened.

blanched in a steamy kitchen.

packaged and labeled and tucked into the freezer.

bounty and blessing and hope

to enjoy all winter long.

seven years after the invasion...

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,

And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;

But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,

And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.

O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,

A song of peace for their land and for mine.

from hymn # 159 This is my Song 

in Singing the Living Tradition

late summer

new this weekend...

a honeycrisp apple and a liberty apple on the left.

(and the romantic pair of pears on the right).

we're investing in the homestead bit by bit.
going outside to pick food just lifts one's spirits, eh?
every little bit helps.

sun gold tomatoes,

picked and eaten within an hour.

the eye on the sky forecast promises record breaking heat this week.
our farming neighbors are haying morning, noon and evening.
it smells like heaven.

what are you noticing as august turns into september?

knitting a cowl

the cooler days sent me off to the knitting studio in montpelier.

i found a lovely merino/silk blend.

henry approved of the color.

i hope it will look great with my chocolate brown coat.

he also likes the pattern.

"pashmina cowl" from

Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.

it is knitting up beautifully.

but there's a bit more hot weather in the forecast...

so it will be a while before i really need it.

are you working on any fun projects?