December stitching

Marshfield, MA

Near Green Harbor

Dearest readers, I hope your holiday weekend was filled with warmth and light and comfort and joy. We had some time along the south shore of Boston with some of my favorite people. We cooked, we ate, we reminisced, we laughed and some of us walked on the chilly beach. It was just what me and my fragile heart needed. And so, onward into this week of balancing between taking account of 2022 and laying plans for 2023…

front

back

quality control specialist (artwork by bread and puppet)

detail of leftover strips

I started this quilt ages ago, it was meant to be a queen sized quilt made completely of half square triangles. It ended up being a lap sized quilt, with a bit more of a modern look, thanks to the solid color blocking. I donated it to a women’s shelter via my quilt guild. I almost hated to part with it, because it sat so nicely on our three season porch, but I am glad that it will bring some comfort to someone who really needs it. (And I am glad it has moved off my queue of unfinished projects.)

I found this cute novelty fabric while shopping with Gretta and Lindsey in Ann Arbor, MI this past summer.

My brother and his wife are enthusiastic kayakers and I just couldn’t resist making them some napkins. I used Suzy Q’s tutorial and was very excited to get such nice mitered corners. They did not all look this perfect, but overall I have upped my game. :-)

I made a “sleep sweet” banner for Theo’s nursery…

…and one for Freya, too. Oddly, I can’t find a photo of the one I made for Flora, and in hindsight, I think I need to make one for Maggie, too.

The “sleep sweet” banners started in 2016 and you can read the story here. (These latest two banners arrived with a heavy dose of sentiment that we were not anticipating. But they will hang as a testament to love, for sure.)

So, dearest readers, I’m going to sign off for a bit now, and look forward to checking back in with you in the new year. In the meantime, I hope we all find some quiet time to look back on the past year and to catch our breath. Some of us will find it hard to resist a fresh sheet of paper, some markers and some time to consider what comes next. May you find it a playground of possibilities, dearest ones…filled with curiosity, courage and hope!

Much love, me. xoxoxoxoxox

Happy Christmas Eve

Our governor declared a state of emergency yesterday morning. It got wild up here, but we dodged the brunt of the storm and we are very grateful. Sending compassion and hope out to those who were not so lucky.

Right on cue.

I want to thank you those of you who left condolences on yesterday’s post. I wondered a bit about posting sad news so close to Christmas, but decided to follow my heart. Life’s big events don’t pay much attention to calendars, and it’s something we have to embrace…the joy and the sadness that wind their way around our hearts.

Last night I heard Franny’s voice. This is what she said. “Hey, how’s that sitting around, feeling crappy working for you? Get up, brush yourself off, take a deep breath and tell me what’s next for you. We had a deal, you and me. Never stop loving. So, get out there and do some more loving.”

On it, Franny. On it. xo

One of the things Franny and I used to love to do together was read aloud to any kid within earshot. Today I pulled this bowl of citrus out of the fridge and thought of Mr Edwards who brought Laura and Mary oranges in the dead of winter on the Plains in Little House on the Prairie. Our kids found golden wrapped chocolate coins in their stockings on Christmas mornings, and I still buy a bag each year. There are so many festive traditions that just don’t get old. I’ll bet you’ve got a bunch, too. :-)

And I’ll share another fave of mine. "Favor Johnson" is the story of a hound named Hercules, a flatlander doctor, homemade fruitcake and the real spirit of Christmas. It's a VPR family tradition every Christmas Eve. It’s about ten minutes long and you can find it here.

I send you, dearest readers, more light and love and hope and peace tonight and all the nights ahead. xo

a gentle reminder

In memory of one of my dearest friends,

Franny,

who died yesterday on Mt Desert Island, ME.

One of the greatest blessings of my life was living in the orbit of this force of nature. I am hanging onto the memories of our time together. There are volumes of stories I have stashed in my heart. Franny has wound herself into the lore of our extended family. And the depth of the grief I am feeling is a direct reflection of the love I had for Franny. Am I sad? Profoundly. But the flip side of sadness is the joy that Franny’s life brought to so, so many people. I will carry her legacy of a life well lived with me forever.

Your Light keeps on shining, dearest friend, even though you are not here anymore.

sleep sweet, Franny-Fran. xoxoxoxo

So here is a reminder, dearest readers…while we are together in this time and place, don’t take love for granted.

… Shower the people you love with love

Show them the way you feel

-James Taylor

thank you, Mother Nature

Batman was so excited to put the snow plow attachment on his tractor.

The dye plant end of the garden is done for the season. Good luck finding a spot to sit on the garden bench. :-)

Some of the birches, out at the end of our driveway.

This is the soft, gentle beauty I’ve been waiting for. And now it is snowing again. I know not everyone is a fan of snow, or winter, for that matter. But I am. Right down to my bones.

And how perfect that this snowfall arrived just before the solstice, preparing us to pause and be fully present in the depths of darkness. We’re perched, on the edge of the of the shortest day of the year and the longest night. Time for bundling up and venturing out into the crispiest of air, the muffled sounds, the magical beauty all around. And once the shoveling, or snowshoeing or just walking on the road is done, there’s the pleasure of chilly fingers wrapped around a hot mug of cocoa.

Sometimes this kind of snow comes with challenges, and some folks in Vermont are sadly still without power. We lose our landline, cellphone service and wi-fi internet when the power goes down, but we remain grateful that we decided (and were able) to have a generator installed here on the hill.

A neighbor brought me a bundle of fresh cut holly from her yard down in town. I paired it with balsams from our yard for a festive greeting by the front door.

I took this photo late yesterday afternoon, when the storm was lifting.

Since I’ve been sharing good news with you lately, here’s a story that bears witness to what brave hearts can accomplish. Pioneering Vermonters (some of our favorites) were invited to the White House to celebrate the signing of the Respect For Marriage Act.

If you’re looking for a delicious, midwinter supper this Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Almonds will do the trick!

I’ll be back for the solstice, until then, dearest readers, keep looking for the Light!

hand pies and hope

On Friday evening, our book group gathered here at our bit of earth. As hostess, I was responsible for the main course (because we have a pot luck supper after our discussion.) I decided to make very festive savory hand pies. The cookbook from Sister Pie has a fabulous recipe for delicata squash, caramelized onion, fresh sage and goat cheese hand pies. The recipe is not for the faint of heart, as things need to be made in several stages, over several days, but, dang, they are so GOOD.

Batman was kind enough to make the dough for the crust and he tucked it into the fridge while I was out and about in the world on Thursday morning. He texted me the picture, above, of his “helper” Corazón.

On Friday morning, Batman rolled out the dough and cut the 4” rounds…all 48 of them! (We doubled the recipe.) I put the filling together, using sage, delicata and onions from our bit of earth. I used goat cheese from Vermont Creamery. All of the parts and pieces were set out on the three season porch to chill for a few hours.

After some last minute consultation with our daughter Lindsey (she worked at Sister Pie for a bit, thus our undying love for the place) we made an assembly line to put them together and bake them. It was so fun to pull them out of the oven and marvel at their beauty! Golden crust and steaming veggies inside. Perfection.

There were enough to send some home with folks after book group. :-)

In keeping with December’s theme of light and hope and love…here are some links to stories that may warm your hearts, dearest readers.

Don’t even get me started about this country’s “penal system”. This story, via CNN, A portrait of America's prison arts programs, reports on how photographer Peter Mert has documented California’s Arts in Corrections program. A light in the darkness if ever there was one.

In another bit of serendipity, I found some information about Freedom Reads via Anna Brones 24 Days of Making, Doing, and Being. Their mission statement…

Our Mission

Freedom Reads is a first-of-its-kind organization that empowers people through literature to confront what prison does to the spirit. With the Freedom Library and with our literary programs, Freedom Reads supports the efforts of people in prison to imagine new possibilities for their lives. Freedom begins with a book.

As public libraries and access to books becomes more and more important to democracy, Freedom Reads is on my list of causes to support as we review our annual giving.

There have been two recent land acquisitions in Vermont that have my heart singing as well. My beloved Bread and Puppet Theater has just expanded their resources, ensuring a bright future. You can read about it here. I had blogged about Bread and Puppet several times on my old blog, you can see some pictures here.

We are cheering some good news that affects us right here in our neighborhood. Nearly 7,400 acres of working forest have been conserved by a group of public and private partners. You can read about it here. This news brings attention to all the important ways that keeping big tracts of land intact can impact headwaters, biodiversity and recreational space, along with sustainable timber management.

SO FRIENDS…make yummy food in this magical month of light. And keep your eyes open for GOOD NEWS. I am convinced that there is so much good news out in the world that needs to be lifted up. We are parched for it. Each time we learn about how compassion, cooperation and love can overcome the gloom and doom in the world, I say let’s celebrate it!

Sending you virtual hugs, dearest readers. xo

advent for anyone

at the top of the stairs.

Batman added battery operated lights to our annual peace wreath. He makes one each year and it’s my favorite bit of holiday decorating. You can see our twig pile in the background, where we toss downed branches from windy nights. We’ll set it ablaze on the solstice.

This afternoon I pulled out the box of December goodies, made special by sentiment.

My Mumsie stitched this for me when I was a young mom, inspired by an illustration by Trina Schart Hyman, one of my favorite artists. Trina won a Caldecott Medal and lived about an hour south of us, just over the border in New Hampshire. Her attention to detail in nature, while creating magical pictures for kids books still enchants me. My Mumsie’s work has a few moth holes in it, but that makes it all the more dear to me. On the left, you can see her tiny stitches…including French knots for the holly berries,

Dearest readers…first off, I would like to thank you for your kind comments on my last post. I love to read your thoughts and I appreciate the links you share here. Virtual hugs all around. :-)

Advent season is full of tradition and religious significance for many. I am delighted to use advent with a lower case “a”, meaning a “coming into being or use”. And I love to use this season to welcome LIGHT, LOVE and HOPE into the darkest days of the year. For me, anticipating the solstice brings the magic into these December days. So, I have been poking around for kindred spirits. Erin Boyle, of Reading My Tea Leaves, has a beautifully simple aesthetic. She has been writing a bit about keeping things gentle and easy for the holiday season. This post about a children’s book advent calendar is beautiful, with lots of helpful links included. I love, love, love that she encourages the maker to include books from the library in the mix. I also found a link to artist Anna Brones via Erin. Anna has offered an online 24 Days of Making, Doing and Being…Digital Advent Calendar 2022. I checked it out and signed up (for $10.00) right away. The lovey part is, if you sign up after December 1st (which I did), Anna provides access to the archives of days you missed. Anna’s daily email has become something I look forward to with delight.

(Spoiler alert for Lindsey and Gretta!) Batman and I have been putting together little waxed paper bags of goodies for Maggie and Flora. We will number them and send them off so that our two oldest grandkids will have something special to open each morning as the days get darker and darker. What fun its been to collect things and package them up for the girls. xo

So, I guess I’m inviting you, dearest ones, to join me in embracing the season of light. Maybe you celebrate Christmas, maybe it’s Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa or the Solstice, or you’ve already enjoyed Diwali. However you celebrate, friends, please…open the doors wide. Make room for advent season…the coming into being of light and love and hope.

about December...

Machine quilting a donation quilt while listening to the Love Actually soundtrack.

Well, hello friends. After a bit of a hiatus, I’ve wandered back over here to this space. HAPPY DECEMBER to you all! I found a quote by Carl Sagan that has inspired me to kick off a month filled with blog posts about LIGHT AND LOVE.

For small creatures such as we the vastness of the universe is bearable only through love.

So let’s start with some listening. I had pledged to make two quilts in 2022 for donation via our Vermont Modern Quilt Guild. While working on the second one, which I’ll need to turn in this coming Sunday, I took our little portable speaker down to my sewing studio and cranked up the soundtrack to Love Actually. I know this film may be a “love it or hate it” situation, but I am a sucker for an annual viewing. In any case, the soundtrack is fun and helped me stitch away an afternoon. I found it on Spotify, but there are any number of places to listen (including cd’s)! And, the quilt is finished and rolling around in the washing machine as I type. Will post pics later this month.

Sewing a new patch on my very mended jeans, while watching Sasia’s TEDx Talk.

A few months ago I joined The Mending Space, an online community, available by subscription, with Katrina Rodabaugh. It has been a game changer for me, and someday I’ll write about the richness there. But in the meantime, I’ll share a listen I found via Katrina. Do you know of Stasia Savasuk? She is a style guru, and of course I rolled my eyes when I heard this (my uniform is jeans and flannel shirts). But then I watched her TEDx talk and now I am much more open minded, and curious to learn more. (I took a fun bandana out of a drawer and wrapped it around my neck the other day and felt kinda sassy.) Her message is all about LOVE.

Knitting a cowl while listening to podcasts.

I had read of a new essay by Robin Wall Kimmerer on several of my fave online sources, so I settled in to listen to it on Saturday. I ended up listening to it again with Batman on Sunday morning, because I knew he would love it too, and because I wanted to absorb its richness again. You can find it via Emergence Magazine, here. You may have to scroll down a bit to find her essay, The Serviceberry:An Economy of Abundance. In a very special time of synchronicity, we watched a murmuration of cedar waxwings out in our meadow, just a few days before listening to the podcast. And her essay will fill you with hope and inspiration.

Paper white narcissus bulbs, getting ready to bloom in midwinter.

I must sneak in a bit of special love here. One of my very best college buddies and her husband were visiting with family north of us, and they ducked out for the better part of a day to visit us at our bit of earth. We had not seen one another in years and years. Sometimes conversations with our oldest and best buddies can restore our faith and hope in the world. Old photos, sharing memories, updates and so much warmth…better than most anything else for kicking off a joyful holiday season. Thank you, Martha and Marce, for making the trek.

Batman has been making wreaths from our balsams for friends and family. He’s getting to be a pro, (even though he does not charge for them…because we like to support the “gift economy”) :-)

I finally figured out that any of us can hop into advent season whenever we want, and in whatever way we please. In its most generous iteration, advent season makes room for anyone searching for light and love. So, I’ll be back tomorrow to share a bunch of advent loveliness with you. Until then, xoxoxoxox

to Detroit and back again

Found on a sidewalk at Eastern Market, Detroit. Just like that, right there. Inspiration, underfoot.

Last week we left Vermont and drove and drove and drove, and then we pulled up in front of our daughter Lindsey’s house in the dark, and climbed out to warm hugs and baby snuggles. On Saturday, all four kids, their partners and our five grandchildren, gathered in Lindsey’s living room in Detroit. Maurice Sendak would have been delighted to see our wild rumpus! We celebrated Maggies’ fifth birthday, complete with a handmade (by her papa) piñata. There were hugs, good food, cake, “pass the babies” and thoughtful presents gifted. Laughing, singing, spilling, napping, saying reluctant good byes…it was all folded into a magical day. It was impossible to get a group photo, and so a collage may be the best solution to capturing the energy and love caught up in that space. On my “to do”list.

We managed a few smaller gatherings while we were there, so that we could have quieter time with one another, but spent most of our time helping out with big sister Flora and wee Matilda. I have memories of that special time tucked away close to my heart.

We got out and about a few times…to the new Nature Center at Belle Ilse, to Avalon Bakery (can you imagine shortcake cookies with orange zest and sprinkled with sugar and cardamom?) and Sister Pie (including their 10th anniversary celebration!) We brought a bunch of goodies back to our neighbors, who cared for Wilma and Corazón while we were away. Lindsey and I also ducked out to Page’s, an independent bookstore, where Pip the cat is the one true boss. I bought a copy of Hester there and I’m loving it, check it out…you might, too. Our quick trip to Eastern Market was filled with inspiration, as usual…gorgeous stems of Brussel sprouts, cabbages piled high, bags and bags of local apples, many varieties of squash, and evergreen garlands (already!) and wreathes and Amish baked goods and Detroit tee shirts and the beignet truck, all while the cold wind blew and the snow flurries danced.

We did some cooking…this soup is fabulous! And we ate some great take out cuisine, which we just don’t have much of in rural Vermont. :-)

We took one look at the forecast for our drive home and adjusted our route…we usually go via Buffalo. We left Detroit yesterday at 5 AM and rolled into our driveway here at 8 PM…tired, but safe. Thank goodness for Libby, the app that allowed us to listen to free audio books!

Our first snow of the season fell while we were away and I was sorry to miss its magic. It’s a cue for me to pot up our paper white narcissus bulbs for wintertime forcing. One of our Christmas cactus is in full bloom in the front windows. There has been a shift in seasons, for sure.

I grew up near Plymouth, MA and loved the story of the first Thanksgiving, but now I am older and wiser and don’t have the same cozy feelings about the day. Batman and I will gather here, with Wilma and Cora waiting under the table for tidbits. Before dinner, we’ll hold hands in silence as is our custom, with heads bowed and we will hold close the thoughts of all that is dear to us in those moments. And we will think too, about the ways we might help right the wrongs that swirl around us.

Dearest ones, I remain grateful for your presence here…thank you for stopping by and for your goodwill. May you find some peace and comfort in the upcoming days. Unplug if you can and exhale. Just be.

xoxo

P.S. Next week I’ll get back to sewing!

another quilt collaboration

Gretta, Lindsey and I collaborated on another quilt…this one for little Freya, who was born in July. Once again, we relied on the USPS to get our bits back and forth to one another. Thank goodness for the postal service. I send them good thoughts every single day.

We used scraps from the quilt we made for Hannah and Loren’s wedding (above). We found a colorful llama novelty print that pulled all the colors together, and chose a solid pink for the columns. Machine quilted in Detroit by a friend of LIndsey’s, this crib sized quilt is just right for stroller cruises, playtime and just plain snuggling. Sweet Nutmeg enjoys the quilts while keeping an eye on Freya at the same time.

I heard the other day that my 6”x6” September Meadow has sold over in Middlebury. :-)

And when we woke up this morning, we had lots of good election news here in Vermont, and the “red tide” that was threatening our nation seems to have lost some of its strength. My favorite story of the day was that of Maxwell Frost, the first member of Gen Z to be elected to Congress. Thank goodness the youth are finally on the horizon, spurred on with new and urgent energy to demand change and to be the disrupters we so desperately need.

The eclipse the other day was gobbled up by heavy clouds here in Vermont, with just a peek or two at the spectacular Blood Moon, but is was still oddly quiet and eery. Did you see it where you are?

My list of things to finish this afternoon is long, and the sun is already perched, ready to drop behind the mountains soon, so I will sign off. I’ll be taking a wee break from the blog for a bit…let me know what you might like to read more of when I come back to this space.

Stay well and strong, dearest ones, and hang on to hope and all the light you can find. xo