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.

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.

technical problems

I’ve been having problems posting here. Cora’s tail is a placeholder for all the things I want to say. We’ll get there soon.

Hang in there.

Maybe this is the new normal.

reality

Sunset on Monday afternoon.

More sunset on Monday.

Well, dearest readers, it has taken me a while to collect myself, relax my shoulders and pop back in here at sewandsowlife. It’s been an exasperating week and a half, hasn’t it? We all have our own version of what it’s been like to make our way through the chaos…

Meanwhile, it’s been a gorgeous January up here on the hill. Cold, sometimes bitter, and snowy! Ted Kooser and his poetry have matched things quite nicely. Nearly each day we have light flurries to replenish the soft landscape. The clouds come and go, sometimes allowing a bluebird sky to distract us from whatever we are working on. Stop. Look. Smile.

Things are blooming on the windowsills, produce is still coming up from the root cellar…carrots, onions, beets. And tomato sauce (made from tomatoes grown in the hoop house) from the freezer has been used on pizza and in soups. Ordering seeds is on our “to do” list. And this is the time when you might find a jigsaw puzzle spread out on the dining room table.

Here are the next three pages of my 100 days of stitching book. I am ahead of schedule, I just won’t stop, and I think I am working out some feelings with this work.

The tiny rosey cheeks of these suns prompted me to pull in the pink primrose, and the neutral fabric had a selvedge that I loved.

Liberty of London, and a bit of reverse appliqué with a scrap of hankie seemed a perfect match for these very unique vintage buttons.

I drove up and over the ridge to my friend Ellen’s house last week for tea. She had all of her pages cut out for her 100 days of stitching project. This will be her first year of participating and I can’t wait to see her progress. She does stunning handwork. :-)

Batman left his beloved barn jacket out in the woodshed and either some mice or red squirrels had quite a time with it! They chewed the canvas jacket and the woolen lining. This jacket has undergone a bit of mending several times before, and now it’s ready to carry on, once again.

You may recall that we had a wonderful adventure in Scotland a few years ago.

Batman made these Danish and we served them to my brother and sister-in-law when they came up to visit a few weeks ago. They were a big hit! As we often do, we sat around that evening chatting. We were making up ideas for our next chapter. We decided it might be fun to put our stuff in storage and rent two narrowboats, one for us and one for them, and spend an extended time living on the canals of Britain. Doug thought it would be a good idea for our boat to have a modest commercial oven so that Batman could bake goodies and we could sell them along the canals. I would sew bits and bobs to sell. Doug would be a bird walk professional and Ra would ride horses whenever we moored near a working stable.

Friends, these are the sorts of evenings that will save us. Dinners with friends and candle light and laughter. Along with restricted news consumption, social media fasts and local organizing. Volunteer work and supporting causes we cherish. Resting along with resisting. Fresh air and creativity. Mugs of hot tea and snail mail. The list goes on and on. We will keep showing up.

Know that I am with you, dearest readers, in spirit. (And welcome to new subscribers Tina and Charlene and here’s a shout out to our college buddy Tracy, who just found sewandsowlife.)

Want what you have.

Do what you can.

Be who you are.

-Forrest Church

xo -me

quietly and gently

Yesterday afternoon I spotted an owl sitting on a branch right outside my studio window. It sat for quite a while, and so did I, each of us still and observant. A healthy pause, I’d say.

The goldfinches, cardinals. chickadees, blue jays, nuthatches and finches are eating us out of house and home. It’s been a cold and snowy winter here and I wonder at how the tiny birds manage to stay alive. The deer tracks have laced themselves all over the yard and I’m glad hunting season is over. I spotted a flock of sweet snow buntings up by the meetinghouse the other day. And on the way home from a library trustee’s meeting on Wednesday night I had to pull over to watch the full moon flirt with the clouds along the ridge. Most early mornings I am comforted by the sound of the town plow, either clearing fresh snow or laying gravel on the road. There’s a reassuring hum in rural life that I find especially precious.

All of this has fit so nicely with Ted Kooser’s poetry this week.

You may recall that last weekend Batman and Lindsey embarked on a three day baking adventure via FaceTime. Here’s an “action shot” of Lindsey in her Detroit kitchen, rolling out dough. She made both croissants and morning buns, shown above. Batman had a bit of a struggle, ‘cause we think our yeast may have been too old. We now have fresh yeast and he is working on Danish pastries for the arrival of my brother Doug and his wife Ra tomorrow morning. (Batman has been using King Arthur’s Baking School as his new text book.)

The next wave of paper white bulbs have come up from the root cellar and awaiting their blooms is a practice in patience.

Today marks the first day of Ann Wood’s 100 days Stitch Book! Ann writes about staying open to what comes to you…but I most definitely have a theme for my book. Given what’s about to happen in this nation soon, I am approaching my daily sewing as a time of meditation…QUIETLY AND GENTLY.

I’m very excited that my friend Cathleen will be joining us again this year, and she has talked our friend Ellen into stitching, too. My blogging friend Sarah has said she may join us and maybe Marsha will too? Anyone else out there? Let me know!

This wee crow is my sewing companion, and she perches wherever I may pick up a needle and thread. Sometimes I find her in a different place than where I left her and that’s when I know Cora has been on the prowl.

Friends, I must tell you that you completely amazed me me all of your kind comments and “likes” on my last post. I’ve answered them in the comment section and want you to know how much your interest in sewandsowlife means to me.

I’ll be back on Monday evening to write a bit more about sewandsowlife and debrief from the day.

Until then, take care, dearest readers.

xo