showy lady’s slippers
Oh friends, let these magical blooms be a place holder until I catch you up…soon…on other things.
A friend told me about this enchanted spot, on a dirt road between Woodstock and Hartland Vermont. Batman and I took advantage of this perfect June day to find it. I don’t know how we’ve been here this long without knowing anything about this place, but there you have it, surprises happen. You can read about the Eshqua Bog Natural Area here.
xo
a panoramic shot of our view
Our slow and chilly spring was interrupted by a few explosively hot days that pushed all the trees into full bloom. Then a huge wind blew all the blossoms off the crabapple, apple and pear trees in one afternoon. And the pollen count went off the charts. And the black flies arrived. Yet still this place enchants me.
I caught one of the crabapples and the ferns in a moment of glory.
If this photo had a soundtrack it would be the buzzing of hundreds of bees. How lovely to hear them again.
And what would May in Vermont be without the lilacs? Some came with the property when we bought it, others we have planted over the years. Once the windows are open and a soft breeze picks up, the house is filled with their scent. Sometimes I sit outdoors, under their shelter, close my eyes and just breathe. What a delicious meditation…
A bouquet on the three season porch…
…and another on the kitchen counter.
The neighbors have done their first mowing of the hay season, and the scented rows of cut hay drying in the sun never fails to fill me with joy. The bluebirds and swallows flit over the meadow and the lupin is sending up stalks of blossoms. I am back to my favorite breakfast…homemade granola, homemade yogurt and homemade stewed rhubarb, all layered in a bowl of delight. We’ve been eating spinach from the hoop house, but it has begun to bolt. The tomato and pepper plants are thriving down there and the upper raised beds are filling up with all sorts of goodies. Growing season is underway! The last few things won’t be planted until after Memorial Day, once the risk of frost has passed.
I did get away for a quick visit to Massachusetts to see my Mumsie, brother Doug, sister-in-law Ra and we HUGGED! I fell asleep listening to the waves and in the morning I took a walk on the beach with Doug and Ra. Catching up with them after so many months and having such a lovely change of scenery was a treat. I caught up with my favorite aunt and uncle too. Maybe you are finally having a chance to meet up in person with some of your loved ones? I sure do hope so. If not, maybe you have plans in place…
sneak peek: an old piece is inspiring a new piece, getting ready for a juried submission. :-)
I had promised you a few fun internet links.
In the better late than never category, we discovered British chef Jamie Oliver’s pandemic cooking show, Keep Cooking and Carry On . Some of the episodes are filmed with a phone, some of his kids are featured as sous chefs and many of the recipes are wonderful. Emphasizing that cooking at home, with limited ingredients is a great way to take care of one’s family and neighbors in the midst of the pandemic. Jamie’s good cheer and kitchen coaching are fun to watch.
Some lovely things to look at:
Kristina at vivawaldorf
Jess Polanshek, Vermont artist
Recently, a friend from college reconnected with me and brought along (virtually) a bunch of folks I have not seen in decades. What fun it’s been to hear from them and know that our hearts are still connected after all this time. I met many of them when we were first year students enrolled in a Living/Learning course exploring the dynamics of Black/White life in America. It’s where I was first introduced to the term “institutional racism” and I struggled mightily in that class. The struggle has followed me through life, giving me opportunities to engage in anti-racism work time and time again.
Anyone who has followed along here knows that I am a huge fan of On Being, a podcast hosted by Krista Tippet. Last year I may have posted a link to this interview she did with Resmaa Menakem, a brilliant thinker based in Minneapolis. The episode first aired on June 4, 2020 and it blew me away. I have listened to it several times, while stitching in my studio. Resmaa’s book My Grandmother’s Hands, Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies was on backorder when I tried to order it back then. I now own a copy. I’m working my way through it bit by bit. It’s not for the faint of heart, but wow, is it worth our time! Maybe you will be called to find a copy and join me on this continuing journey of mending the world.
As always, with hope and love…
(left) A close up of the door spray I put together for May Day for our neighbors down the road.
(right) The full spray, made with bits and pieces from the yard.
Hello friends!
It’s been a very slow and chilly spring here in Vermont, with a bit of a drought, and then some lovely, refreshing rains. The hoop house has gorgeous spinach and kale under its shelter, and a few of the veggie starts have gone down there to harden off. The madder in the dye garden is up, and since this is the third year we’ve had it, it will be ready to use at the end of the summer! And, oh my goodness, the rhubarb is thriving. I may go grab a bit this weekend and stew up a compote to put on my yogurt.
Down in the village, the fruit trees are blooming. We’re just a bit higher in elevation, so our trees are still in bud. I’m guessing the blooms will come any day now. Lilacs, crabapples and pears! The birch catkins are dancing in the breezes up here on the ridge and the spring bulbs have lasted way past their usual time. May and October are my favorite months and I am delighted when they linger.
Mending a moth eaten sweater with Sashiko thread (the color match was irresistible). It’s a Laura Ashley sweater brought home from London by my mother-in-law for one of our girls years and years ago. It will soon be headed out to our grandbaby, Flora.
We all have stories to tell about this bizarre time in the world. Batman and I took Vermont’s very restrictive Covid protocols to heart. Our Brave Little State has had some of the best overall statistics in the nation. I felt safer here than I think I would anywhere else. But it has come at a cost. We have not seen our four kids and their families in a very long time. We have not seen our granddaughter Maggie since November 2019 and our little Flora was born in the midst of the darkest days in Detroit’s Covid struggle. Today is her first birthday and I have yet to meet her.
There’s a lot happening in our cherished family right now. A move will be underway at the end of the month, bringing all four kids back to their Midwestern roots. Maggie and Flora, the two little cousins will be able to grow up together. There’s a new job for Margretta, Hannah’s postponed wedding has been rescheduled. The sale of a shared family summer home of 52 years is on the horizon. It’s a home filled with treasures from years of living overseas and family pieces.
So yes, sentiment is pretty strong around here.
Yesterday marked the two week wait, after our second doses of Moderna. Batman loaded the truck with lots of our kids’ childhood treasures that had been stored here and headed west. My dad made this dollhouse for Lindsey in the mid 1980’s and now it’s ready for the next generation, safely delivered last night.
Batman arrived in Detroit after a long drive. (He’s on the first leg of his journey to meet up with siblings to begin the work of emptying the summer house).
I made this little dress for Flora and her new baby doll for her birthday. (With all due respect to gender neutral child raising?) I was delighted that Batman could deliver these in person. And thank goodness for FaceTime! I was able to watch Flora open her gifts, with my mug of tea in hand, from our kitchen in here Vermont. What fun it was to see Batman, Lindsey, her husband Scott and their wee Flora sharing breakfast and celebrating such a milestone together way out in Detroit.
(My turn to catch up with family will come. We have plans. It will happen. Patience. xo)
And, friends, I know that the important things in life are not things. Certainly not! But sometimes things can be treasured and passed along and they can be full of meaning and sentiment and, well, love. Like things built by hand, stitched with intention, tucked away with reverence.
Such a bunch of ramblings here today!
I will be back in this space sooner rather than later with some photos of spring here at our “bit of earth” and a few links to places I’ve been poking around on the internet and a book that is knocking my socks off.
Until then, friends, stay well and strong and hopeful.
K-
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
can you see the rhubarb, garlic and chives? always the first to green up. :-)
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.