Quiet time

Cistus Design Nursery in Multnomah County, OR

Portland Japanese Garden, OR

Portland Japanese Garden, special exhibit, Natural Patterns: Katazome Stencil Dyeing, by Karen Illman (Please ignore the reflection of the museum shop in the pair of Noren.)

(Perhaps you would enjoy reading this story on BBC: World News and Stories…Japan’s 97-year-old cherry blossom guardian.)

(And I recommend this gorgeous YouTube film, How Bamboo Becomes a Traditional Chinese Umbrella.)

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens, Portland, OR

Old Portland Hardware and Architectural.

We strolled on timber lumbering roads, we explored an obscure and abandoned botanical garden, we drove over bridges…into Washington State to see the burn scars along the Columbia River. I roamed Powell’s Books for hours. We found a few items we could not live without at Bolt. We sat at the kitchen table and played with vintage color cards. We visited with friends, dined with others and had a house tour of a recently purchased bungalow, perched on a hilltop. We visited the local feed store more than once, (because you need plants and soil and cat food in the greening month of May!) He worked a bit, I napped and read and drank tea on the deck, overlooking the industrial section of the Willamette River. Mount Hood and Mount St Helens made an appearance on the horizon when it was clear. The Steller’s Jays screeched for their shelled peanuts to be lined up on the deck railing.

Nearly each evening we walked around the neighborhood, with Goblin at our heels. (My beloved brother, his cat and their new quilt, above.)

All week long, bit by bit, my blood pressure dropped and my spirit was refilled. Enchantment is still possible, thank goodness.

More about books and stitching and such soon…

xo

three good listens

Hello again!

I wanted to send this post along to you because it’s timely and I’m enthusiastic about the contents. All three links will stimulate your thinking and, I hope, bring you some hope and/or inspiration.

I grew up in Canton, MA. Next door to the house my dad grew up in, down the street from the house my grandma grew up in. Early American history has fascinated me, and if you’ve ever lived in New England, you know that local history is front and center.

Paul Revere’s copper mill was situated in Canton. I attended the Gridley School for first and second grade. My dad went there for grades 1-8. I attended the Revere School for 4th grade.

Batman and I were married in a Canton church with a belfry sheltering a bell forged by Paul Revere.

(My dad painted the scene above, with a bit of a chuckle. The bell ringer is standing by the bell rope, ready to call people to worship in our church in the 1700’s. But he’s checking his wrist watch.)

Tonight is the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride. Longfellow’s poem describing the ride can be read here.

Tomorrow is Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, celebrating Revere’s ride. I can remember, years ago, being in Boston and having a re-enacter fly by me, cape flapping, horse’s hooves pounding on the cobblestones. “The British are coming!”, he hollered. It gave me goosebumps.

Heather Cox Richardson and Angus Cox recently had a wonderful conversation inspired by Revere’s ride. You can find it here.

The dreadful Oklahoma City bombing was carried out on another Patriot’s Day. This Story Corps piece aired this morning on npr, and it is remarkable.

And this piece has been making me think for days. Ezra Klein and Jonathan Haidt talk about smart phone usage. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Showing up

A late spring here in Vermont and the general state of the world has me dragging my butt. But these two morsels, waiting at the bottom of the stairs for breakfast remind me that we need to show up for one another. So here I am friends, a bit bedraggled and weary.

Last week was National Library Week and I hopped in with a posting on Front Porch Forum with a reminder of how we can support our public libraries. They are essential cornerstones of a healthy democracy. In the midst of reckless slashing of funds. I wrote to political leaders, letting them know how important inter-library loans are to us. I brought tulips to our librarians. I lit a candle one morning and sat with my gratitude for our vibrant, small, rural library and the many donors and volunteers who support it. I tried to show up for all of us who cherish it.

On another board I serve on, we recently reviewed and approved a new policy on what to do if ICE shows up at our Headstart classrooms. Sit with that for a minute. Yup. Brutal.

I try to keep sewandsowlife as a sanctuary for us. A place for book recommendations, sewing projects, some gardening and other gentle things. Because we need safe spaces to rest. But this morning I just really needed to document a few ways the real world seeps into everything these days. And I want to thank those of you who pulled on your courage along with your shoes and stepped out to protest a few weeks ago. I appreciate that you showed up for democracy. And to those of you who may be writing letters and post cards, and making phone calls…thank you. Thank you to any of you who are taking an active part in defending our precious democracy.

And now, for sweeter things…

The road grader has lumbered by this week, heralding the winding down of mud season. The freshly turned dirt smells like hope. Coltsfeet are blooming along the sides of the road, reminding me of Dorothy’s yellow brick road. The spring bulbs are blooming all over the neighborhood, popping up from the leaf litter here and there. Neighbors left a gorgeous handmade Pysanky egg nestled in a pot of tête-à-têtes on our porch. And more baby goats are due this week. Batman is chomping at the bit to participate in “clean up day” on Saturday at our local, public golf course. It’s rather helpful to notice and appreciate these things. :-)

The very first quilt I made is in need of some radical work to revive it from the past. How much do you love those early seventies prints, stripes and checks? I dreaded trimming the edges, but I wanted to reconfigure things and add a border, so trim I did. More soon.

Our 100 days of stitching is winding down. I’m thinking of how the pages of the fabric book will face one another, how to pair them. This detail is from a page I sewed with scraps of batiks from Lindsey’s college quilt and an assortment of dotted fabrics.

This page is stitched with a scrap of fabric brought to me by a friend who often visits family in India. I also used fabric hand-dyed with homegrown, indigo and Hopi Black Dye Sunflower seeds.

Do any of you have pages/books you might be willing to share here? Send me note via my “contact” page (here) if you’d be interested. I’d like to think of a way to share your work here sometime in May.

I listened to The Bookbinder, by Pip Williams. I like her The Dictionary of Lost Words better, but this was a good story, too. Companionable on another drive and back to MA.

Our book group discussed Familiaris, by David Wroblewski, which is a long tome. I did not make my way through, but others in our group loved it.

May’s book is All the Beauty in the World, by Patrick Bringley, the story of a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m looking forward to reading it!

Onion and tomato seeds are percolating under the lights down in the utility room. The small chest freezer in the basement is emptying out. We still have garlic and onions from last summer, and a few aging beets. But we are definitely looking forward to a new growing season. Batman has come out of retirement for the third time (our kids rolled their eyes affectionately and said, “Oh, padre”), and will be working about thirty hours a week for the next 6-12 months, on a bit of a mission of mercy. He is showing up. He really is a super hero. So our team gardening will be done in the late afternoon/early evenings.

It’s almost time for drying laundry on the line (I see you Stacy!) And almost time to put the screens back in the windows. And almost time to swap the snow tires. And almost time to take the plow off the tractor.

So there is HOPE in the little things, friends. And HOPE in standing our ground and showing up. Let’s do it all, whatever we have energy for, wherever we can. Let’s show up. Again and again and again.

With gratitude for your presence here. For your care. For your Light.

-me

Rolling up our sleeves

Here’s my vision board in my planner for April. There’s so much coming at us these days, it’s a good idea to discern our own priorities. It’s time to revisit our own strengths and nurture them, and indeed, share them where we can. I’m working on both the health of my physical heart and expanding my spiritual heart for the work ahead.

Paring down to the essentials feels good. Spring cleaning…with boxes staged to go to the thrift store, library sale, crafting resale shop and old eyeglass donations.

Revisiting old projects and getting them done.

Started in 2018, finished in 2025. :-) I’ll be hand delivering this to one of my favorite heart mates in a few weeks.

As I was trying to motivate and get back up to speed with my 100days of stitching project, I decided to make a page inspired by each of our four kids. I dug into the archives and found this swatch of fabric that Gretta block printed and beaded ages ago. I appliquéd it onto a page and did a bit of running stitch around the edges.

The next page was sewn with scraps from Stewart’s college quilt, 25 years ago! How can that be? Our first to leave the nest, I remember feeling so sentimental while I sewed his quilt. Used a bit of gold thread here too. Hannah’s and Lindsey’s pages are next in the queue.

This page is an homage to all things fluttery up here on the ridge. Pennants, prayer flags, clothes on the line. The answer is blowin’ in the wind. Let’s get out there and listen!

What melts a heart better than baby goats? I’m not really sure. These twin speckled girl babies (Faith and Grace) were safely delivered by Audrey a few weeks ago. We are so lucky to be right down the road from these kids.

BUT THEN…We were guessing Beatrix was carrying triplets, but she stunned all of us when she delivered FOUR BABIES in 15 minutes! The littlest one is tiny, but he is standing and nursing well at this point. Two more mamas are due later this month…So lovely to have things to look forward to.

The hoop house has been tidied up and Batman has planted some early greens in there. The red winged blackbirds have returned to the neighborhood, and we are keeping our eyes open for our favorite bluebirds. The crocus are blooming and the wild turkeys are strutting their stuff. There has been snow on the ground or in the air nearly every day up here, but the daylight meanders longer into the early evening hours and the sap keeps running. The dirt roads continue their cycles of mud, slush and frost heaves, but I’ve waved to the grader a few times and know this too shall pass.

Batman gifted me with a pussy willow tree years ago. Do you know the work of Swedish artist Elsa Beskow? I think of her portrait of a sweet catkin fairy whenever I go out to check on the buds. Hope. Right there in my hand.

Our extended family has really been challenged these past few months. Two visits to the ER, one complete with 8 sutures in the hand (watch that sourdough lame!) one trip to urgent care (be careful while climbing on cargo nets at the playground!), two surgeries, one office procedure and one upcoming, scheduled surgery. At one point Batman made a run out to Detroit to offer grandparent support. (He is, after all, a super hero!) It seems that everyone is doing OK these days, and we are grateful for that.

Batman and I have our hands full of volunteer opportunities/responsibilities as we continue to witness the unraveling of the world. But we also have a safe roof over our heads, relatively good health, love in our family and with our friends…so we will continue to tend our hearts and roll up our sleeves.

Many of us wrote postcards to the White House on the Ides of March, sharing our exasperation with a certain person. One of our book club members suggested that we write thank you notes to leaders who are being courageous and speaking up. I’ve added Sen. Cory Booker to my list. I wonder if any of you are heading out to one of the many marches scheduled for today.

Please take care of yourselves, dearest readers. We are no good to anyone if we are burned out, cynical or feel helpless.

Tend your hearts. Roll up your sleeves. Know that I keep thoughts of you bathed in the light of hope.

oxox

Day by day

Hello dearest readers. These days, sometimes just showing up in the kitchen can feel like sanctuary. Pulling ingredients out of the fridge, prepping vegetables, waiting for the oven to heat up, tossing a salad, filling the water glasses…appreciating our abundance and being grateful for good, simple work to do…then the washing up and putting leftovers in the fridge and “closing” the kitchen until the next meal…quiet moments carved out of chaos. I found myself pulling our Tassajara cookbooks off the shelf, refreshing my memory of Edward Espe Brown’s kitchen wisdom. I also sat again with a cup of tea and The Sacred Kitchen, by Robin and Jon Robertson. Time well spent.

I heard a great piece on NPR’s A-1 broadcast the other day. “Finding your agency in the chaos of the world” One of the guests was Margaret Renkl, who you may remember as the author of “The Comfort of Crows:A Backyard Year.” You can listen to the 34 minute story here.

Have you read A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France, by Steve Hoffman? I listened to it last week in my studio and had mixed feelings about it. Read by the author, I was disappointed that he tended to drop the end of his sentences, which got on my nerves. Some of his narrative was blah, but some of it took my breath away. I am such a fan of writing that describes a deep sense of place, and when Mr Hoffman got it right it was so, so lovely. As the story unfolded I realized I know the work of his wife, Mary Jo, who has a blog, and now a book called, Still, filled with spectacular photos of gathered natural objects found on her daily walks.

Happy spring! It’s official, but fleeting here in Vermont. A bright splash of red flew in front of my car on the way up the hill the other day, I slowed down to see a pileated woodpecker swoop into a hollowed out tree. He’ll soon have that tree ready to fall across the road it’s been so ravaged!

The snowdrops have been blooming for about a week, surviving a fresh coating of snow the other day, which has since melted. What’s helping you feel hopeful that spring is here/coming soon?

Did you see the eclipse of the moon last week? We’ve been disappointed several times recently, that cloud cover prevented us from seeing night sky events, but we woke up in the middle of the night to see a gorgeous eclipse! Then we were treated to the brilliant full moon setting over the mountains first thing the next morning. Artist Hannah Nunn, who lives in Hebden Bridge, UK wrote a lovely blog post about the full moon, check it out here.

Buggy backing.

Here’s another UFO, begun in 2019, that came out of the cupboard last summer. I’ve hand quilted with pearl cotton and “big stitches”.

As per Suzy Quilts, I pressed the quilt before I trimmed it. I had not done that before. You can see how rumpled it was when I spread it out on the kitchen island…after ironing it, trimming the quilt edges was so much easier! Learning each day! That’s my goal!

Last summer I found this amazing frond fabric and knew it was perfect for the binding. I’m finally in the home stretch on this one, and can’t wait to get it into the hands of my brother Nelson, who has claimed it as his own.

I’ve fallen a bit behind in my 100 days of stitching. I’m not sure how I got off track with such a beloved practice, but I did. And when I came back to it, my needle traced the confusion and mixed-up-ed-ness of these times. Interesting how our feelings can spill right out into our hands…My volunteer responsibilities have been distressingly impacted by what Bernie, OAC and I call “the oligarchs”. I have a few things to say about all that, but that is not why you stop by sewandsowlife, so I will spare you.

I found this blueberry fabric on Spoonflower years ago, pulled it out of my stash, and thought it would go well with three different bits of my homegrown, hand dyed indigo swatches. Golden thread found its way into both of these pages, love to Pete Seeger. And of course, I thought of Blueberries For Sal while I stitched this one.

The comfort of Wilma and Cora, snuggled on our bed at night, the ordinary pleasure of my mug of tea in the morning, the birds gathering at the feeder (before we have to take them down as the bears wake up from their hibernation), a precious “FaceTime” with any of the grandkids, the stars in the sky at night…these are the simplest of things that get me through the days. As Batman says, “We’re just putting our pants on one leg at a time”. What about you, dearest readers? Share in the comments?

Sending you hugs of encouragement, and light and hope.

~me

March things

According to Ann Wood, we are at the halfway point of our 100 days of stitching book project. And I have kept up the pace, just finishing my 10th page (of 20) yesterday. I pledged to myself to stitch quietly and gently on this project, and I have tried to stay true to that resolution.

The fabric for the background here was dyed with marigolds my cousin Kristen grew in her gardens in N.M. She sent along a bunch of dried blossoms and I’m still using them. I found a little package of gold seed beads at our local art supply store, as I thought they would add a bit of sparkle to the golden thread theme. If you’re sewing a book too, I invite you to let us know how your journey is going in the comments below.

I made a few new notecards from images I clipped from old magazines. Sometimes those British magazines just nail their gardening ideas so beautifully. Raise your hand if you love the gate made with pitch forks! And when I asked Batman if he could make me a very simple letter holder from scraps in his workshop, he made me this birch bark beauty that now sits on the top of my desk. He’s a keeper. :-)

I got this sweet book via interlibrary loan and fell in love with it. I don’t want to be without it, so I bought my own copy of this anthology at Bear Pond Books up in Montpelier. Once we are finished up with Ted Kooser, I’ll be reading from this most mornings. Perhaps you’d like to too? And I thank my friend Anne for suggesting that I read Tasha Tudor’s Garden after I finished the book about Tasha’s handcrafts. Coming into my hands as Mother Nature launches Vermont into our infamous mud season, it will be a wonderful beacon of hope. As the roads fluctuate from frozen ruts to deep, muddy “rails” day after day, the pickups start rambling the roads gathering buckets of sap from the maples. We’ve made an appointment to have our winter/regular tires swapped in late April, (and even then we are taking a bet on the snow situation.) Rural life comes down to pretty simple rhythms, and it’s fun to see another season begin to turn, ever so slowly.

We attended our annual Town Meeting on Tuesday morning, and it was so encouraging to have standing room only. People are fired up and are showing up for local gatherings. Make no mistake, our level-headed moderator had to manage things a few times, but we got the business of the day done with civic good will. I know we could show the folks in Washington a thing or two.

Last night we went back down to Chandler to see a local production of Our Town, by Thornton Wilder. The staging was minimal, but the performance was inspired. And it was such fun to spot friends in the cast. Songs by Vermonter Noah Kahan were sung by the chorus, adding a Green Mountain twist to the show. And once again, it felt good to sit together in community. Dearest readers, are you seeking out ways to connect with people, to share experiences? Drop a comment if you’d like to offer some gems from your neck of the woods.

This afternoon we were back down in town to view Join or Die, the film I mentioned last week. I think it may be available on Netflix. Batman wanted to go bowling when we came out of the theatre (but we didn’t.)

I’ll share one last bit of stitching, because it was on my “want to try” list for ages and I finally got around to it. This is described as a pin cushion in Svetlana Sotak’s book That Handmade Touch, but I stuffed it with catnip and batting to see if Cora and Wilma might be interested. I think it’s too bit too big for their interest and I’m guessing the catnip was old. I’ve seen tutorials for this shape and in different sizes in lots of places, so may try a smaller version and get some fresher catnip.

I finally got around to answering your comments on the last few posts, and I apologize for my tardiness. I think maybe I was still in the throes of technical problems with some of those posts.

As the observation of Ramadan is in full swing, I love knowing that it is a month of not just fasting, but also of reflection, prayer and community for Muslims around the world. There are so many ways that we are connected, dearest ones, let us speak up against those who try to divide us.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Reading and listening and a wee bit of stitching

The other day, this well loved library book came home with me. Looking for something simple and cozy to read while sipping afternoon tea, this seemed just right. Tasha Tudor’s legacy lives on here in Vermont, and photos for the book were taken by legendary Vermont photographer Richard W. Brown. It’s a gem.

Our book group gave The Square of Sevens mixed reviews. A historical fiction novel written by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, the book tells the story of a young and orphaned fortune teller and her search for answers about her life. Some thought it needed editing, some thought the plot line was convoluted. Some were intrigued by the “square of sevens” technique for telling fortunes. If you read it, what did you think? (Gail N?)

Hannah, Lindsey and I had a good conversation via Zoom about Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Serviceberry. The premise of abundance and reciprocity seems even more challenging these days, but also something to aspire to. Batman who has a fondness for the serviceberry bushes in our yard read it too. He majored in economics in college and has an MBA and he was also (surprisingly?) intrigued. A very quick read, I recommend it to you.

As our days wind down with Ted Kooser’s Winter Morning Walks, I cherish each passage. Another spiritual anchor for these raw times. We’ll need to find a spring devotional reading! Any ideas?

Our book group is setting aside both March and April to read Familiaris, David Wroblewski’s follow up to The Story of Edward Sawtelle. It’s 975 pages will not be for the feint of heart!

I have put in an interlibrary loan request for Dean Spade’s Mutual Aid, building solidarity during this crisis (and the next). Our small rural library depends on other libraries in the Vermont system to share titles as we do. And I borrowed the Mahjong set from our “Library of Things” as I am hosting our game on Sunday afternoon.

I stitched this patchwork pouch (lots of fussy cutting!) for Theo’s third birthday and enclosed two stickers…the play sticker is from my friend Lori Roberts and the kitty is from Gather Here. His name is Theodore and he is the shop cat! Batman made a fire station for all of Theo’s matchbox emergency vehicles. Sure do wish I could bake that boy a cake and drop by with it. :-)

Here’s the latest page I’ve been working on for my 100 days of stitching project.

Yesterday I listened (in my studio) to an Apple podcast with Trevor Noah talking with Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone. They discuss how building community may be more important than ever. A documentary Join or Die will be playing locally here soon, following Putnam’s journey as he researched Bowling Alone. I got a lot from the podcast, it’s worth a listen, I think. Looking forward to the film.

Krista Tippett has a Substack posting that is quite lovely (I just love how her brain and heart work as a team.) on the wisdom of pulling back from the news. You can read it here.

Have you heard of The People’s Union? They organized today’s “buy nothing day”, a 24 hour Economic Blackout. You can read about it here.

Dearest readers, what have you been reading, listening to, stitching, knitting, cooking, baking, playing…

Do share in the comments below, so that we all might have a peek into what is bringing you light and joy and hope!

With warmest wishes, me.

Stitching update

Sharing my progress on my 100 days of stitching project…this page background dyed with Hopi Black Dye Sunflower seeds, fresh indigo leaf image transferred using Japanese Tataki-zomé technique.

Page background dyed with homegrown tansy. Radish fabric from Spoonflower, designed by my longtime blogging buddy Anne Butera. Check out the site, Anne has some wonderful choices over there! This page was stitched in celebration of the arrival of our seed order. :-)

Page background, linen dyed with indigo grown here at our bit of earth. Birch trunks and wee bird from Ink and Spindle. (Read about Gretta’s Ink and Spindle adventures here.)

Leaf image made with an eraser I cut and printed with years ago. Buttons from my Mumsie’s stash. Read more about the 100 days of stitching here. I continue to add golden thread to most of the pages, to honor the children’s book The Golden Thread, a song for Pete Seeger.

Setting aside 15 minutes on even the busiest of days has been such a good reminder to slow down for a bit. Breathe, pause, focus.

ARE YOU STITCHING A BOOK? Please tell us about your progress in the comments below. xo

As I threaded the elastic through the casing on Batman’s PJ bottoms, I realized this diaper pin has traveled with me for nearly 43 years. From Puerto Rico, to Chicagoland, to Connecticut and now here to Vermont. Sometimes it’s heartwarming to appreciate small things. The clever design of a diaper pin, the intensity of new motherhood, the usefulness of an object over four babyhoods, and then finding a new purpose all these years later. Just a few sentimental thoughts…

As these pants flapped in the wind, I was so very glad that I took a good bit of time to match the plaid when I cut these out. Such a surprise that I pulled it off!

These favorite felted wool slippers are beginning to show their age. I grabbed some grosgrain ribbon, some pearl cotton and set to work. Presto! Many more miles to go.

My heart got a good tugging when I came across my childhood puppy. I guess these intense days prompted me to see what I could do to bring it back to some sort of comfort friend.

I removed as much of the stuffing (ground nuts!?!?) as I could, soaked it overnight is a gentle soap, rinsed it and air dried it. Then I removed the ear mending I did when I was about 7 years old and spruced them up. New stuffing and a tartan plaid ribbon later, and puppy is ready for a renewed life.

This wonderful poster just arrived, ordered from the sweet sister duo at The Far Woods. I cannot tell you how much I love supporting small, thoughtful artists when I can. Their newsletter is a precious resource for me, providing suggested readings, updates from their shop and inspiration for living a life with intention.

My old fave, Gather Here has just celebrated their 14th birthday. From their newsletter… “P.S. With my heart on my sleeve since the beginning, I hope you all know what a big deal it is for gather here to be turning 14 years old. We recently heard of more fiber, fabric, and craft small businesses closings that this year and we know it's a mixture of my stubborn disposition, our wonderful team, a bit of luck, and folks like YOU. YOU choose to shop small when you can. YOU vote with your wallet. YOU recognize that running a small business isn't just about selling "stuff" but also cultivating the kind of world we want to live in. Thank you. ❤️, VBJ”

Sew Liberated, oh yes, another gem. “Some days, all you can do is get dressed. And as makers, it’s good to know that simply getting dressed in thrifted, handmade, and mended clothes is a caring act.”

Well dearest readers, it’s raining here in Vermont…the first day above freezing in ages. Thw road to town is a slushy, mushy mess. Back to freezing and more snow on Thursday, so we’ll just hunker in.

Welcome to new subscriber Sally, our Mahjong mentor and very kind friend.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some book talk. Until then, please know that I appreciate your presence here, and I love knowing that there are kindred spirits scattered out in the ether. Keep hope in your hearts, friends. We shall carry on!

being together

This is Batman, shoveling the porch roof before our big storm came through a week ago.

Batman, clearing off the porch roof, before the next storm blows in.

Our front walkway, after nearly two feet of fresh snow. Our home weather station registered a wind gust of 53 mph so you can imagine the drifts around here.

The ground level windows in my studio got a drifting treatment as well!

The ground level windows in my basement studio took quite a hit from the drifts, too.

I do love a snowy winter, but I’m not sure how much more we can accommodate!

I had a meeting at the library this morning, and on my way home I spotted this tired guy, posing next to one of the snow plow markers. I pulled my car over, hopped out to greet this fellow and snapped his portrait. Bless the person who made him and left him by the side of the road for smiles.

On the first of February, we hosted our friends L&N for an Imbolc gathering. We ate by candlelight and served cauliflower cheese pie (from Moosewood Cookbook). We raised a glass to the four mama goats snug in L&N’s barn, who will be birthing kids some time later this spring. Halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, Imbolc reminds us of living on the cusp of things. The past and the future. The dark and the light. It reminds us of hope.

We also had the pleasure of trundling into our local music hall to hear Vermonter Ida Mae Specker and her dad, John, open for Jake Blount. Ida Mae and her dad fiddled up a storm and the floor of the venue was thudding with the sound of so many tapping toes. As we all came out into the chilly night Batman and I lifted our heads to the sky as flurries floated down from the dark night. Inhale. Exhale. Smile.

A few nights later, I went back down to Chandler center for the arts to see The Grand Kyiv Ballet perform Swan Lake. The audience was as magical as the ballet…people of all ages, including adorable kids with their parents or grandparents shedding layers of outerwear as they found their seats, settled down and watched the dancers, spellbound. Chandler center for the arts is located in Randolph, VT, and the town has a sister city in Myrhorod Ukraine so you can bet there was a thunderous standing ovation at the end!

Thanks to generous friends, S&G, I have had a break from some of the world’s madness by sitting with our devoted Mahjong group. A few months ago, S invited anyone in our book group to join her daughter, G, who is a professional Mahjong teacher, to learn to play the game. (South Shore Mahjong for anyone who is curious.) Now some of us are deeply enmeshed in this fun (and absorbing) game. Sometimes my brain hurts after we play, but my face is sore from smiling and my heart is full of fondness for these women who are taking a break from the news and sharpening minds as well.

Last night we hosted our friends K&J for a Sunday night supper, something we are hoping to make a regular thing. If we are to survive the challenges of overwhelm, lies, confusion and grief, connecting with friends in an intentional way will certainly help! K&J came up and over the ridge and we had a lovely evening of conversation and good will.

They brought this beautiful bouquet from their flower CSA. From the Raven Hill Farm website, “We grow flowers because flowers spread joy and everyone could use some extra joy in their life.” Indeed. :-)

Dearest readers, loneliness and fear are the enemies of these times. There are many ways to gather…around a table, in a venue, on a trail, in groups of volunteers, in protest, in solidarity, with kindred spirits, with strangers who may become friends. May each of you find ways to feel connected and BE TOGETHER as we wade through these tough times. Hold hands, keep the faith and try really hard NOT TO DESPAIR!

And thank you for bearing with me as I try to stay in touch with you. Squarespace and I have been in quite a tussle lately, and I’ve switched from our desktop to my i-Pad, so I’m still learning a few things.

I would like to welcome new subscribers Juliann, Dee and Laurie. Glad you’re here!

If all goes well, tomorrow I plan to be back with a making and mending post, so we’ll be back to sewing.

XO

grief

I sat with anger long enough until she told me her name was grief. -C. S. Lewis

Dearest readers, technical difficulties and the circumstances of our nation have kept me away from this space. Sadness and grief have been nipping at my heels. As I try to outrun them, I have been at a loss for words to share here. But as things have spiraled, I’ve been working on finding clarity.

The February spread in my planner seems appropriate.

We did our usual Saturday errands in Montpelier, starting with a stop at Bohemian Bakery, then on to the winter farmers’ market, Agway for birdseed and then to Hunger Mt Co-op. We were delighted to see that the Phantom had made a visit to downtown Montpelier. Read about this wonderful community project here.

Things like this will keep us going.

I have some sweet things to share with you and I hope to post more over the next few days. Bear with me as I try to keep light and hope and mutual aid front and center.

xo keep the faith.