devotion* to resistance

Some wear red poppies this weekend. I prefer the forget-me-not. I hold thoughts of all the resisters close to my heart. The Peace Corps volunteers, the strikers, the conscientious objectors, the Freedom Riders, the Underground Railroad conductors, the Suffragettes, the teachers, the artists, the writers and musicians, the healers, the menders, the farmers…anyone who takes a stand with moral courage and hopes for a better world, without bearing arms. I remember them/you with gratitude today. Thank you for your service.

*the word devotion is carrying me through my days lately.

spring green, books and catching up

There were a few days in mid-April that had us all worried that summer had arrived early, with stupidly warm temperatures. But the rest of this spring has seen a string of wet, chilly, cloudy weeks, with tiny peeks of sunshine. We used our propane stove most mornings to take off the chill, before we got on with our days. This weekend, the sun has come out and everything is greening up beautifully! And the black flies have arrived. :-(

In February, my brother and sister-in-law came up for a weekend. Ever up for a project, they helped us take down a bunch of birch trees out by the road. I adore our birches, but they are not hardy trees, and when they start to go, they rot and become precarious, leaning over the road and susceptible to toppling in high winds. We felled five trees down across the road, cut them into firewood sections, rolled them off the road and stacked them before one single car passed our house. It was a Sunday morning, but still, I do love living in a rural neighborhood. Last week, Batman took the snowplow off the tractor and hitched the chipper on to the back. He chipped the remaining smaller birch branches and refreshed the front path from the house to the driveway and it looks ever so lovely. Homemade mulch for the win!

Did you celebrate May Day? Back in the day, Franny and I used to make May baskets and drop them off on the doorsteps of friends. This year I put together a bouquet for neighbors and at the same time, sent a little love out into the ether in honor of Franny’s legacy of love.

I have quite a stack of books I’m working on…I’ve already mentioned a few of them, but here are some additions…

  • Enchantment, awakening wonder in an anxious age, by Katherine May, who wrote Wintering, which I enjoyed. (Our May book for A Mending Space book group).

  • Horse, by Geraldine Brooks, our May book for my local book group.

  • Above the Ground, by Clint Smith, gifted to me by Hannah (we share an appreciation of poetry).

  • The Art of Manipulating Fabric, by Colette Wolff, pulled from the library in my studio. Prepping for a new project.

  • I’ve given Taproot magazine another try, and the latest issue, Cultivate, has a lovely article about snail mail, and also a tutorial for making a pouch for letter writing supplies.

Some of you had asked me to share the list of books I’ll be reading with my local group. Here are the ones we have selected so far…Perhaps you’d like to read along?

  • May…Horse, by Geraldine Brooks

  • June…The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish

  • July…Hester, by Laurie Lico Albanese (which I loved).

  • August…Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng

  • September…The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie Farrel

  • October…Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration, by Sara Dykman

Perhaps you remember this photo of Corazón, perched on her climbing tree.

My son-in-law Ben crafted this sweet portrait from a bit of wood. His thoughtfulness really cheered my day. Whenever I look at it, I think of his growing skills as a maker…and of the TLC he put into this work.

Can you see the line of greening foliage creeping up the hills? Each day, the color changes by elevation.

Last night, I caught the sun close to setting, the orange orb hanging just above the ridgeline. There’s a Juneberry tree blooming in the foreground, a native bush that feeds birds and critters alike with their fall fruits.

Yesterday we went to our local garden center Dandelion Acres for a “first pass” at new plants for the yard. We bought a new crabapple to replace the one we took down last fall. We chose it because it will have hearty crabapples in the fall (to make jelly!) We got a few more raspberry bushes and a few flowers to plant in my hanging basket. We’ve been meaning to review our planting schemes, so this weekend we will pull out a length of brown craft paper to plot our dreams.

So, that’s a lot of catching up. How about you, dearest readers? Are you finding sanctuary in your garden dreams, getting your hands back into the soil, cooking with fresh, local treats? Are you reading anything worth sharing? Are you mending overalls, knitting a spring scarf, sewing a new dress? Drop a note in the comments, will ya?

Happy frolicking!

a bit of earth day inspiration

spring sunshine on the kitchen windowsill.

primroses, gifted from a friend’s garden.

spring’s edible treasures along the stone wall.

I am safely back from my journey to Detroit, filled up with family love and inspiration. Today I’d like to share a handful of nice resources I’ve come across lately. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who thinks every day is EARTH DAY, but here we are, setting today aside as a special opportunity to lift up our green planet. In no special order…

  • We Are the Ark, a book by Mary Reynolds, with gorgeous illustrations by Ruth Evans. Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature with Acts of Restorative Kindness. Visit the website here.

  • Amazing artist Jeanne K Simmons, who I found via artist Anna Brones (who hosts The Creative Fuel Collective, one of my fave spots on the internet). Jeanne creates “Land Art, Eco Art and Body Art”.

  • An essay by Heather Cox Richardson, who writes Letters From an American on Substack. I was introduced to Ms Richardson’s writing by a friend while visiting in Detroit. I’ve subscribed. :-)

  • What to do with worn bedsheets? Make your own braided rag rug with this tutorial by Erin Boyle.

  • A book on my wish list… Our Kindred Home, Herbal Recipes, Plant Wisdom, and Seasonal Rituals for Rekindling Connection With the Earth, by Alyson Morgan.

  • Stitchdown Farm (where we got Lindsey’s wedding flowers) has a new product, flower sprinkles. They sold out incredibly fast, in spite of their robust price tag. It’s a lovely idea, and I’m tempted to try a DIY version sometime this summer.

  • Walking out to my car last night, after a lovely meeting of our book group, I looked up at the sky and spotted the most delicate, pink sliver of a moon. The chickens were settling for the evening and the goats were waiting to be milked. I could hear the spring peepers singing their joyous song and I thought “This is all I really need. This moment. This inhale, this exhale.”

    May you find moments to celebrate the earth under your feet, the air we all breathe and the sky above, dearest readers.

    xo

easing

Our neighbors’ cattle have gotten out of their pasture three times now. The herd has ambled down the road and wandered into our yard, their hoof prints “aerating” our lawn. The bulls are feisty, the mamas are protective of their tiny ones and we do not have the animal husbandry skills/confidence to shoo them away. A call is made, and after a bit, someone comes down the road with a grain bucket to entice the beasts back home. Today we stopped to chat with our neighbor as he repaired his fencing once again. It’s rough trying to work a full-time job off the farm and maintain it at the same time. We are patient. But we hope he solves the mystery of how they are getting out before our veggie gardens go in. :-)

The wind and sunshine have dried out the muddy roads. Bluebirds are back, scouting out the boxes. Coltsfoot is blooming along the road ditches. Rhubarb crowns are poking up through the dirt. The spring bulbs are up. Vernal streams are gurgling all over our property, and boots are required in the boggy lawn. There is still snow under the trees, and on the north side of things. But the sunshine is warm on our faces and we went down to town this morning in fleece vests, unzipped. We are easing into spring up here in Vermont.

I’m reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. It’s been recommended to me by several people, and so I bought a copy. Wow, wow, wow. It is wonderful.

Do you know of Merchant and Mills? I’ve got two of their patterns and I plan to sew a dress or two this spring, embracing my word “devotion”. Something just for me, from some lovely fabric that helps me feel like celebrating daily life. Something that makes me want to twirl. Because goodness, isn’t that what we need right now? Delight in the present moment?

THE DEPARTMENT OF HOPE…I appreciate all of your kind and gentle thoughts as I’ve been finding my way through a medical diagnosis. It’s a genetic disease and at the moment, I do not need treatment, but I will be carefully monitored from now on. Am I happy about this complication? No. But, gosh, given all the possibilities of where this could have gone…I am delighted! And I am EASING into a new future. Sobered a bit by reality, but inspired and refreshed and hopeful about my future. Because each and every day that we wake up is filled with possibility. (Are you tiring of my mantra, dearest readers?)

I’m headed to Detroit tomorrow to see family and when I come back I’m going to make a few lists of things to do this spring. A “to do list” and a “bucket list”. Chores and fun. Twirling and reading and planting and sewing and putting in screens and washing windows and loving and learning.

What would you put on your list, friends?

xo

seawall

sorry for the tilted horizon…

Gretta flew to Vermont on Wednesday. Gretta, Batman and I drove to Mt Desert Island on Friday for a weekend of celebration of the life for our beloved Franny, who died three days before Christmas.

Her memorial service was held on Saturday and the rest of our family attended via Zoom. It was a lovely send off to one of the brightest stars in my life. On the cover of the order of service were these words…

You only live once—But if you do it right, once is enough. (Joe E. Lewis)

The weekend was filled with laughter, with tears, with stories, with reunions, with food…so much delicious food. And we three managed to step out for a bit and make our way to Seawall, one of Franny’s favorite places. I cannot tell you how many tidal pools we poked around in over the years…the number of stitches we knit on that beach, how many picnics we had (lobster rolls, anyone?), how many wonderful conversations we had, how many times we laughed until our cheeks hurt…

It felt right to stand on the rocks, look out at the horizon and send my love for Franny out into the foggy, rainy ether. xo

Soon I’ll switch gears and get back to writing about stitching, reading and growing things. But sometimes it’s good to pause and take care of what is really important…matters of the heart.

xo

To read about the fascinating geology of Mt Desert Island, click here.

place holder

Sometimes we just need to sit, breathe and observe the world around us. Perhaps the present moment is the safest place to be these days. May your weekend be filled with spaciousness and peace. xo

shifting

Look at the gorgeous spring sunshine pouring into our living room this afternoon! What a treat, after cloudy, rainy, snow-showery-days-on-end. The maple sap is running in our neighborhood and pickups are trundling back and forth on the road, between taps and sugarhouses. Melting snow is dripping from the roof and rivulets are running in the driveway. The dirt road is getting soft and squishy, as “Mud Season” is upon us. We try to do errands down in town early in the morning, while the roads are still frozen from overnight dips in the temperature. The snow along the byways is dirty and crusty, but a fresh layer of 9” of snow is due overnight tomorrow. A flock of redwing blackbirds serenaded us yesterday as they gathered at our feeders. What a lovely sight! Batman is planting salad greens down in the hoop house and pea sprouts on the windowsill. The days lengthen and folks in town greet one another with a smile as they pass one another. We are all thawing. The season is shifting.

I’ve just finished reading A Still Life, by Josie George, recommended by artist Hannah Nunn. It was sometimes a difficult read, because George has not had an easy life. But George’s writing is filled with insights, grace and beauty. I found myself just sitting with her words over and over again, digesting them, and then jotting quotes in a notebook. I recommend it to you.

I also read Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt recently (I think reader Gail N, suggested it to me.) It was such a fun read! If you have read The Soul of an Octopus and enjoyed it, you may find this a delightful companion piece.

I’m now halfway through Search by Michelle Huneven. A novel about the workings of a ministerial search committee, it has caused me to laugh out loud many times! Huneven has included recipes for dishes shared at the committee potluck meals. Such fun!

And dearest readers, thank you for your thoughtful and kind comments on my last post. Sometimes I struggle here with how transparent to be and also wanting a degree of privacy. We have a sweet little community here on the internet, so I will share just a bit with you. Along with everything else going on in my life, I am indeed navigating a medical diagnosis. Tests, results, consultations, waiting…it’s all a mishmash. But I have insurance, I have doctors I trust (who have been reassuring), I have a fairly strong and resilient body for my age. I have learned over the years that it’s not good for me to put energy into the things that I cannot control, but instead, do what I can with the things that I can control. So that’s what I’m doing. And, gosh, I’m reminded that each morning that we wake up to another day is a blessing, pure and simple.

Sending you love and light and hope, friends, from the thawing, messy and refulgent Green Mountains of Vermont. xo

treading water

In February, Batman pruned the apple trees. He brought an armful of the branches into the house and put them in a vase by the front windows.

Good morning, dearest ones. It’s been awhile. You know how it seems that life’s challenges “cluster up” sometimes? Well, the last six weeks have just been a jumble of things knocking on my door one after another. And there really has not been a way to triage. So I’ve been in the thick of it. For days. For weeks.

In a few days, they bloomed and filled the living room with light and hope and cheer.

And this is where devotion has helped me out. I’ve started most days with meditation. Sometimes it’s a very short session, but it helps. And I’ve looked for beauty. In waiting rooms, along the highway, across the valley, walking on the beach, in a barn. I’ve found solace in very simple activities…sorting laundry, washing dishes, shoveling snow, checking pantry supplies.

Snuggling with Sidney Poitier, when he was not yet 24 hours old. I met him the night before, minutes after he slithered out of his mama, Beatrix.

I’ve leaned on friends. I’ve leaned on family. I’ve kept an eye out for signs of spring amidst huge and beautiful snowstorms.

Sunset last night, as the latest storm lifted.

This morning, when I was lonely for the sensation of a thread pulled through the eye of a needle, but did not have the energy to dig into a project, I mended a small hole in a down comforter. I felt myself settle, to breathe, to calm.

Sometimes when we need help the most, we can find it in the simplest places.

Which brings me to my Department of Hope. Here in Vermont, the first week in March brings old fashioned Town Meetings to many towns and villages. Friends and neighbors gather to discuss how best to meet the needs of their town. There’s lively, respectful discussion. Motions and budgets are passed or voted down. Folks are nominated for positions from the floor. (Watch out for being “voluntold”!) Often, there's a pot luck lunch held after the meeting adjourns. In person Town Meetings were sorely missed during COVID times.

Our public radio station covered a story that had Batman and I grinning from ear to ear. Democracy in action in a big way! You can listen to the story here, “Elementary School Kids Hold Their Own Mock Town Meeting in Woodbury.” This story may restore your faith in the democratic process.

As I navigate the challenging days still ahead, I take comfort in knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel, Persephone will return, things will find an equilibrium again.

And I remain devoted to you, my dearest readers, because we are all on this journey of life together. Near or far, I keep thoughts of you close to my heart. xo

standing still

waiting…

Hello friends. I have a winter "bucket list" and yesterday I crossed something off the list. It was a magical experience! I stood outside, amidst our 16" of snow, with some of it still swirling in the air. There was a very light breeze and I was well bundled up. I stood near our bird feeders, with arm outstretched, my hand cupping a mound of birdseed. I stood still and breathed gently while the little birds fluttered and chattered around me. They flew so close that I felt the air stir around my head. I stood for a long time, shifting my weight whenever I felt my legs falling asleep. I sank deeper and deeper into the present moment. A nuthatch perched on the feeder and cocked its head, looking at my palm. Then, in an ethereal moment it flitted down, perched on my glove and took a seed from my palm. My eyes filled with tears and I felt such awe and grace in that moment. It's so good to be reminded that there is sanctuary all around us. That we can find hope and calm and peace in the natural world.