come and sit with me for a bit...

It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve just brewed some tea and how I do wish you could be here with me friends. After three very blustery and snowy days, the sun has finally come out and made a few puddles of sunlight in the living room. You might have to gently push Cora or Wilma out of the way to find a spot to sit, but I do wish you would. We could chat about what’s new, projects we’re working on, what we might be struggling with, or maybe something we’re celebrating. Remember those times when we used to get together with friends and family to “visit”? I guess that’s a bit of what blogging has been about all these years. And what Zooming has been about most especially this past year!

Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to, and maybe you’ll drop a comment (like Anne and Donna and Jen have done recently) to let us know how you’ve been faring.

On Sunday afternoon we headed over the ridge to Raven Hill Farm to pick up our 2021 supply of maple syrup (one of the main food groups here at our house). Jackson and his friend Derek (at Anchor Light Farm and Third Branch Horse Logging) use a team of draft horses to go into the sugarbush to collect sap. No plastic tubing for these guys! Jackson and his wife Katja also raise animals and that very morning a mama goat delivered her babies out in the chilly field. By the time we got there the babies were snuggled in the barn with their cousins and aunties. Only a few hours old, the little ones were scampering and romping all over the barn, including up and over one another and the mamas. Too freaking cute! We were all 6 feet apart, outdoors, and our neighborly chatting turned into some great conversations. Winter and Covid isolation has begun to lift and we’re all hungry for in person community!

Some fun listening for you…Two ten year old girls decided to do some online teaching to work toward their business badge for Girl Scouts. I heard this story while doing errands and it made me smile as the miles rolled under my car. Listen to it here.

While I was on Interstate-89 I also got a chuckle from a few of the message boards set up as public service announcements along the way.

Camp in the woods, not in the left lane.

Your mother called, she said fasten your seatbelt.

We finally replaced the ancient post that held up our clothesline. Batman cut down a birch out in the woods and we hauled it over to a new spot. It took Batman a good bit of time to dig a hole that would accommodate the upright (because in Vermont you can’t dig a hole without finding rocks.) We reused the hardware from the old setup and now my “domestic prayer flags” (the laundry) flap from this gorgeous birch pole.

Have you heard about the collaboration between Decolonize the Garden, Public Library Quilts and Land In Our Names? They have teamed up to host a fundraiser to feed funds into a BPOC Growers Grant in the UK. One side of the quilt is a gorgeous patchwork of indigo shibori, the other side is made from hand plant-dyed fabric from around the world. Just for fun, this afternoon I put together a block using some of my own hand dyed fabric…onion skins, avocado and tansy, using the pattern they have shared in their promotional materials. I hope you’ll check out these links whether you make a donation or not. It really is a very thoughtful and unique collaboration!

Last but not at all least, are thoughts I have on the conviction this week of Derek Chauvin. It provoked a lot of feelings for me, but I think what has haunted me most powerfully was the role of teen Darnella Frazier. She was the bystander and trail witness who recorded the video of the crime with her cellphone. I have heard that some people think she deserves a Pulitzer Prize for her courage. I hope she gets one. Her brave act has me wondering what I would have done if I had been on the scene. Do we ever know what we’ll do in a situation like that? Darnella was bearing witness in the midst of chaos. She did not look away. Her moral courage helped make history this past week. I will be sitting with thoughts of Darnella close to my heart for quite some time.

By now our tea mugs are empty, the biscotti is gone and I’ve got to get moving on taking in the laundry, checking the mailbox and starting supper. How about if we keep chatting as you pull on your jacket and mittens? I’ll walk you out to your car, and wave to you as you turn out onto the road. Until next time friends, stay well and have hope. xo

spring fever on the hill

the potato patch is ready to plant (but not quite yet), with greens popping up in the hoop house and the blueberry bushes are waiting for warmer days out by the snow fence.

Once again, it’s been a bit since I last checked in here at sewandsowlife." “Where does the time go?” as my grandmother used to ask.

Batman took the snowplow off the tractor, our vehicles have had their tires swapped out, and the grader has made its passes along the road. We’ve put a bunch of the screens in and it’s lovely to have a window or two open at night, just a crack. Today, many of the windows are wide open, letting in gentle, fresh air that feels like such a treat after this weird, closed up winter. We had our first maple creemees of the season on Wednesday and dang…were they good! So, indeed, spring has sprung up here on the hill.

rope bowls, dyed with homegrown marigolds from last summer’s gardens, finished off with scraps of leather from local manufacturer, Vermont Glove.

a stack of balsam sachets hand dyed with indigo, birch catkins, avocado skins, onion skins and tansy flowers.

My Beloved Bernina is off to the spa for her annual treatments, so this week I’ve been working a bit more on the nuts and bolts of my shop-in-progress. I ordered a “sewandsowlife” rubber stamp, mailers and a few other supplies. There’s so much more work than simply making things. Taking photos, uploading them, writing descriptions, figuring out shipping costs…

Slow and steady suits me right now, I don’t aspire to have a booming e-commerce site or anything. I’m just someone making things to offer to others. I’ve got deadlines in other parts of my life, so this little project seems like a good place to let things evolve as they will.

There are still days when Batman and I have zoom meetings at the same time and have to negotiate who gets to use which space, but the work we each do as volunteers often intersects and we have terrific conversations over lunch. Affordable housing, environmental justice, economic development, food insecurity…sometimes the need feels so overwhelming, and yet each time we chat, we realize how many people with good hearts are working on these things together in this “brave little state of Vermont”. For us, keeping things local is the most hopeful way to go. And goodness knows, hope is what it’s all about these days.

I wonder how you are faring, dearest ones. Are you vaccinated? We are half way there! Are you feeling a lifting of some of the weight that has been draped over our shoulders these many months? Where are you finding joy and wonder?

xo

triptych #53

Hello friends, how have you been these last few weeks? The spring equinox and the vaccine roll out plan here in Vermont have combined to put a spring in our steps (see what I did there?). It will be a while yet, before we will get our shots, but we will be able to at least schedule ours by next week. Each state seems to have their own different priorities and plans, but things feel a bit more hopeful all around.

I think our journey out of this pandemic is going to be messy and drawn out and complicated. There will be no one mass celebratory moment…just little milestones for each of us and our loved ones. It certainly requires continued discipline and commitment to CDC guidelines, and I get a wee bit uncharitable when I see folks relaxing the standards that are so easy to follow. Sigh.

The latest On Being podcast is in my listening queue. Clinical psychologist Christine Runyan addresses the question “What is Happening to Our Nervous Systems?” as we climb out of Covid. “She offers simple strategies to regain our fullest capacities for the world ahead.”

While we process all of that, being out in the fresh air is so restorative! Batman spent time this weekend hauling compost we had delivered from the goat dairy down the way and I did a bit of spreading. This is all to support the “sowing” part of sew and sew life. We won’t be able to plant directly into the ground until Memorial Day weekend. Indeed, we have a very short growing season up here, but that’s when the hoop house helps extend the season. The rain and sunshine these next few months, along with occasional forking, will help this compost settle into our beds and create a rich soil for the upcoming season.

I’ve been stitching here and there along the way. The fabric in the photo above was dyed with birch catkins I collected from fallen branches after a wind storm a few years ago. The sachet is filled with balsam needles from our place. I’ve made a batch of decorative buttons from birchbark, one on either side of the sachet will finish it off nicely.

I spent some time today preparing, weighing, scouring and mordanting some rope bowls. They’ll soak in the mordant overnight and tomorrow I’ll rinse them and prep the marigold (dried from last summer’s gardens) dye pot I’ve been meaning to get to. I used three different kinds of rope while making the making the bowls, I’ll be curious to see how each takes the dye.

Batman built (and I helped him install) an owl house this spring. We are hoping a barred owl might take up residence there. They are beautiful birds and we hear their “who cooks for you?” call out in the yard now and then. The owl box must be at least 15’ off the ground, with a 20’ clear flight path through the woods for entry. I will not share with you the details of said installation…but I tried to be “at the ready” for quick action if required.

I’ve collected some lovely links to share with you today. Maybe some of them are already familiar to you, some may be new. It just makes me feel good to pass them along, and so I will. :-)

The Boston Area Mask Initiative Quilt, created by my fave Gather Here and the Boston Area Mask Initiative is a king sized quilt crafted from scraps leftover from making Covid masks. It will be on display in several locations around the Boston area. It’s yet another example of hearts connected by needle and thread.

Make and Mend is a new and sweet little shop, (spun off by a former Gather Here staff member, I think). A second hand art and craft shop, online, “making creativity more affordable and accessible”. I love that it diverts usable items from landfills, too.

Zak Foster is a fun quilter to keep and eye on. Check out his website here. His Instagram feed is super fun.

Have you heard about Good Good Good? From their newsletter, “Good Good Good shares stories and tools designed to leave you feeling less overwhelmed, and more capable of being a part of the good in the world.” I’ve signed up for their newsletter and I love it. Maybe you would too?

So dearest ones, that’s about all I have time for today. I wish I could send you the scent of early spring here in Vermont and the softness of the air today. Standing in the yard, eyes closed, face to the sun, arms reaching to the sky…it’s pretty magical. Take a deep breath in your own spot, and we will exchange hope that way. xo

finding my way back

Hello friends! The sun has been shining today here in Vermont and the temperature rose just above freezing. This morning, Batman and I strapped on our snowshoes and trekked out into the woods. You can tell that it’s a “warm” day because my jacket is not zipped up! :-)

I’ve had “Braiding Sweetgrass” in my reading stack for ages. Our book group is reading it this month and I am loving it. I’ve got notes jotted and post it notes sticking out of the pages. Reading it is like taking a long, cool draught of water when you’re really thirsty. Written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, the subtitle is “Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of the Plants”. Perhaps you have already read it?

Reading it is bringing back memories of walking in the woods with my dad and the First Nation wisdom he had gathered over the years. My own appreciation of the natural world has been reignited after a long and isolated COVID winter. Today, I was scavenging birchbark blown down after heavy winds a few weeks back. I do love to work it into some of my projects. I was delighted to find this old tree, sadly near the end of its days, ready to shed some of its bark.

This sweet little bit of birch had flown off and landed in the snow along with a few pine needles and an old leaf. But what were those funny pockmarks in the snow? I looked up, and sure enough, a few maple branches in the tree above have started to drip their sap. I would not have thought to look up, but had just read the chapter “Maple Sugar Moon”.

This dried beech leaf, resting in the snow crystals, caught sparkling by the midday sunshine…just a pause, an exhale, an appreciation for what is. Simple, quiet beauty.

Braiding Sweetgrass is a gem of a book, and in a time when so many of us are looking for hope, this one delivers. The First Nation people have much to teach us about how we walk on this earth. The Thanksgiving Address, or the “Words That Come Before All Else”, sets “gratitude as the highest priority”. I have printed out the text and often sit with these words as I sip my first quiet cup of tea in the morning.

Sending light to you friends, as we lean in to brighter days ahead.

melting

It’s been a while, dearest ones, since I sat down to “chat” with you. The days seem to slide into one another, and the weeks melt together as we push our way into the light at the end of the tunnel. Some days I can see it, other days I am skeptical. Thank goodness for the snow cover we have had since early January here in Vermont. The days when the sun comes out are sparkly and bright, and there have been few oppressively cold days when it’s just not worth bundling up to go outside.

Two nights ago a huge wind blew up and over the Green Mountains, awakening us several times with gusts that made the house feel like it might fly off the ridge. As we walked around the next day, checking on things, we saw that the layers of snow on the shed roof had slid off in one giant “whoosh”. Branches were down and the temperature was a whisper above freezing. The icicles began to drip and the snowpacked road showed patches of mud. Neighbors have been out, checking the taps in their sugar bushes. There’s a long way to go, but spring is flirting with us.

I was poking around in our linen closet the other day and came across this quilt, tucked in the back of the top shelf. It’s the very first quilt I made, sometime in the mid 1970’s. I think I stitched it to take to college. It’s sewn with scraps from my Mumsie’s stash. She made most of my clothes as I was growing up and there’s fabric from so many clothes in this quilt! Dresses from elementary school, “slacks” from the days in middle school when girls were finally allowed to wear pants to school, a peasant blouse or two and maxi dresses from high school days, even some home dec projects…all pulled together in this riot of color. My grandmother had a “postage stamp” quilt with a “perforated” edge which fascinated me. I tried to replicate that, but I clearly did not know what I was doing.

stained, worn fabrics…all the more dear. much loved.

I’m thinking about taking the quilt apart, to remove the polyester batting and to see if I can’t fix up the edges somehow. There are other projects in the queue, so this may have to wait, but I am intrigued by the innocence of this early quilt.

Since it’s Friday and I haven’t done much with links lately, here are a few that you may enjoy…

An update on our bean adventures: we made Nigerian Stewed Black Eyed Peas with Plantains, Moong Dal Khichdi with Spinach and Tunisian Soup with chickpeas, bread and harissa. Cool Beans has been a treasure trove of great new recipes and there are dozens more that we have marked. Have you been cooking with beans? Do tell!

Searching For Italy, a CNN series, hosted by actor Stanley Tucci is our new Sunday night “must watch”. After our dream trip to Tuscany a year and a half ago we are keen to see more of the scenery and food that Italy is famous for. This series does not disappoint and it’s a great escape from reality. :-)

The spotlight on Bernie’s mittens has done so much good and I invite you to read about how he’s helping folks close to my heart. You can read about a new program made possible by his clever generosity here.

I’m nearing the end of Rachel Cargle’s Black history month of prompts over on Instagram. Have you been following along?

Tomorrow our VTMQG is having a virtual “sew-in” with the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild, one of the silver linings of this stupid pandemic…Zooming with friends we would not have met otherwise. Gotta find fun where we can!

Sooooo….hope you are OK, friends. Stay strong, take care and remember that we are all in this together. Sending love to your corner of the world. xo

triptych #52

my snowshoe tracks through the “three sisters” birches at our “bit of earth”

batman, shoveling snow off the woodshed roof, prepping for more forecasted snowfall

morning sunshine in the upstairs hallway. birch branch curtain rod, day of the dead wall art, linens on the drying rack, tete-a-tete daffodils blooming on the bookcase.

Hello dearest ones. Just want to make sure you know I am thinking of you, even though it’s been quiet here.

Hope to adjust some formatting challenges.

More soon.

more wintering

Hello friends. I meant to pop in today with some baking, sewing and paper craft ideas for Valentine’s Day. We did make heart shaped sugar cookie sandwiches with buttercream frosting in between, but I forgot to take pictures of them. They are now in the mail, winging their way to OH, NY and MI. Beyond that, the last few days got away from me, and I don’t have the post ready for you that I meant to. Here is a quick hello in its place.

birchbark heart, hanging on the china cupboard.

our front porch this afternoon, where no one really wants to sit right now. :-)

Thursday we woke to bright sunshine and a clear blue sky, what we in Vermont call a “bluebird sky”. The temperature rose just above freezing for a few hours and so I took off on a walk with a friend. We masked and walked a road’s distance apart (because there’s hardly any traffic) and were joyous to spend time together. And after that treat, it has been snowing on and off since. February. xo

herbal tea and some evergreens from the yard.

I was wandering around YouTube for a bit this afternoon and found a gorgeous piece by Jonna Jinton, artist, photographer and YouTuber living in the woods in the north of Sweden. It’s about fourteen minutes long and is enhanced by a cup of steaming tea. I invite you to make time to watch it. You will be distracted in a most lovely way. Called “Living with the Dark Winters in Sweden/Midnight sun and Polar night”, you can find it here.

Sending you some of the soft quiet that settles around our eaves in the late afternoon.

triptych #51

birches out by the road

black-capped chickadee in the crabapple

corazón and the tete-a-tete daffodils

Continuing a series I did at my old blog home, I thought I’d share a triptych today. Three photos, taken in the same day, strung together as a glimpse into life here in Vermont. There has been so much snow, with more coming on Friday and Sunday. Pick up trucks around town have sleds tossed in the back, SUVs have skis and snowboards strapped to their roofs and folks walking through town have snowshoes strapped to their backs, headed to the golf course.

It’s Black History Month, and I am working my way through a monthlong learning process, hosted by Rachel Elizabeth Cargel. You can find her introduction to the process here. Rachel “is creating resources and critical discourse to aid in unlearning”. I invite you to join us, and maybe chat about what we’re learning in a few weeks. This sustained work seems more urgent than ever, my friends.

Here’s a lovely poem one of our neighbors shared with me earlier this week. Neil Gaiman asked his 2.75 million Twitter followers to tell him what reminded them of warmth. He received almost 1,000 responses from which he composed his newest free-form poem. “What You Need to Be Warm” launches the UNHCR, (the United Nations refugee agency) winter emergency appeal for refugees across the Middle East. It’s a gem.

And just to keep you up-to-date on our bean adventure, this weekend I made “tacu tacu”, or Peruvian Beans and Rice. Crafted with the magical canary beans and day old rice, it’s a new fave of ours. The fresh salsa and lots of lime juice really brightens the flavors. Pop a fried egg on top of the leftovers the next day and you’ve got a fab breakfast!

Hope you are staying safe and healthy friends, and keeping your spirits up in the midst of everything…I’ll pop back in this weekend with some stitching and paper fun and baking. xo

wintering

the garden bench, a few days ago, before we got MORE snow…

Oh friends, have you listened to Trista Tippett’s latest episode of On Being? She interviewed Katherine May, author of “Wintering, The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times”. You can listen to Krista’s conversation with Katherine here. NPR also had a story on May in November, you can read it here. Both pieces are filled with wisdom and comfort for these challenging days.

I am reminded of The Nap Ministry, founded by Tricia Hersey. May and Hersey are two very different women, yet both are wise to the value of rest and comfort. Both lean in against the status quo of moving forward at all costs.

And just to pull one more clear eyed woman into the conversation, one of my all time favorite quotes, from Anne Lamott:

“Rest and laughter are the most spiritual and subversive acts of all. Laugh, rest, slow down.”

a late afternoon nearly full moon hangs over our neighbor’s field

As we winter here in Vermont, we take pleasure in growing things. Houseplants. A windowsill Meyer lemon tree, covered with scented blooms. Seeds in a jar, sprouting on the kitchen counter. Micro greens, growing in a tiny greenhouse, perched on the bookcases under the front windows. Tete-a-tete daffodils and more narcissus, forced bulbs, scattered around the house, bringing the hope of spring closer.

And we are cooking beans! How about you?

From Cool Beans, our new cookbook obsession…The Homesteader’s New England Baked Beans were a hit and we discovered the rich flavor of Spanish smoked pimenton. Next time we will reduce the maple syrup and molasses by half. The Creamy Pasta Fagioli was a flop. We may have used old beans that did not even respond well to overnight soaking. The Dal Makhani was wonderful, despite having to sub green lentils for the called for whole black urad lentils. This weekend we will try Peruvian Beans and Rice (tacu tacu). This recipe calls for canary beans. We ordered some and they are indeed, yellow!

We have found unusual and heirloom beans from three different online vendors…Rancho Gordo, nuts.com, and as a last resort, Amazon. Various co-ops in our area also have dried beans in their bulk sections. (I do not have any affiliation with these companies. just sharing a bit of experience here.)

Last but not least, friends, I cannot sign off without mentioning two of Vermont’s political treasures…Bernie Sanders and his meme adventures around the internet. Such fun and levity amidst these winter days! And veteran Senator Patrick Leahy, who will oversee the impeachment trial of “he who shall not be named”. We send Sen. Leahy best wishes as he pulls his strength and wisdom together to fight the likes of Voldemort.

My very first blogpost was written on January 19, 2009. I can’t believe I’m still at it, 12 years later. Glad to have some of you along for the ride. :-)

Sending you best wishes as January slides into February. Stay warm if you are in the northern hemisphere, and stay well, wherever you are!

xo

the exhale heard 'round the world

Well friends, we are safely on the other side of a bizarre chapter in our imperfect nation’s history.

If you are a lover of poetry like I am, the poem offered by Amanda Gorman today may have brought you to tears, too. “The Hill We Climb”, the work of America’s youngest inaugural poet, was a stunner. Read about her work on the poem here.

I am going to be sitting with Amanda’s last few lines for days, letting them sink in. Letting them inspire me to have a new, braver brand of hope.

“When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it”

You can read the entire text of her beautiful poem here.

Perhaps we will all sleep better tonight, friends, the deeper sleep we have been craving for years. xo