At long last, my favorite season is here! Batman has been brush-hogging the meadow and we’ve been chipping the branches from lots of tree-trimming. Chilly nights, foggy mornings, crisp and clear days, the scent of freshly mown hay, fall bounty at the farmers’s market and in our gardens. Our kitchen island is brimming with Roma tomatoes and Batman can hardly keep up with making them into his signature sauce. The peppers that kept the Romas company in the hoop house are coming on strong, too. The onions are drying on the porch, the garlic are in a basket in the room of requirement and the madder and indigo have been processed.
Look at these crazy madder roots! They provide the most gorgeous orangey/pinks. *see below
After soaking for two days in the dye pot, here are the fabrics hanging to dry in the woodshed.
The color tones down a bit once the fabric dries, but, gosh, this is a spectacular batch!
indigo leaves, fresh from the garden. *see below
I love to hang a bunch of indigo blossoms on the front door. They feel like a talisman to me.
This batch of indigo dyed fabric was lovely—the second batch, not so much. Dyeing with fresh indigo leaves is labor intensive with no guarantee of outcomes. After a good bit of thought, I’ve made a note in my dye journal to take a break from indigo next year. *sigh*
Mirrored cats. Wilma and Cora on the windowsills.
Balanced on the edge of the couch.
A basket face-off in the studio.
Two “meatloaves”, side by side.
Little curl, big curl.
The Equinox reminds us of balance and realignment and reflection. Our two rescue girls, Corazón and Wilma seem to model this with their daily lives. Part of the day, they do their own things, other times, they are lovingly paired in the same space. When I spent some time in my studio today, mapping out the time between now and the winter solstice, the two of them planted themselves on the sheet of brown paper I was working on. Not helpful, but also very sweet. How well these furry friends know how to live life. In the moment, with affection and grace.
Sweet and Crunchy Salmon, from bowls!, by Molly Watson
Autumn Reset Button Salad, by Shutterbean. I substituted pears from our tree for the apple, and used delicata squash from the gardens. I swapped spinach for the arugula.
This time of year eases me into trying new recipes. Grain Bowls, by Anna Shillinglaw Hampton is another gem that helps me shift gears. There’s something about having all sorts of good stuff in one bowl that makes me feel balanced, too. Maybe it’s how the bowl fits into my cupped hand, maybe it’s seeing the patchwork of ingredients, playing so well together…
We were delighted to have a day here at our “bit of earth” with dear buddies from our days at Earlham College. How we have all changed/stayed the same! We spoke of retirement communities, grandchildren, volunteer activities, hobbies…and yet it felt like we were back on campus, in the mid-70’s, just hanging out. These are the relationships that carry us through these challenging times…relationships with old friends, neighbors, family over Zoom, with colleagues in committee meetings…
As Neil Young sang, “It’s gonna take a lot of love to change the way things are…”
I’ll be back soon with some fun community projects and some book talk. And next week, look for pictures of the book I stitched for my Mumsie.
Wishing you balance and peace and hope, dearest readers…as we step into the beauty of this season.
*instructions for dyeing with fresh indigo leaves, here
*instructions for dyeing with madder root, here
xo