This World

Such a sad day yesterday in Boston.
Terror brought into a perfectly normal day.
Is this what life is like for the many people all over the world who live in places where war and violence make events like these a constant threat?
I really cannot imagine it.
There are violent people in every country, of course.
But there are many, many more truly good and compassionate people.
Most folks are just trying to live their lives the best they can.
Everyone deserves to be able to do that...the whole world over.

Milestones and Snippets

There was a family gathering.
A lovely sit down party for Ginger's 17th birthday.
At House of Taurus, the home of Chia, Javier and the just turned one Desiderio .
With 3 point sized waiters serving our every need.
 One of them blew a lot of bubbles, one frequently broke into dance, and one very small one took the job very, very seriously.
Oh I love a baby in a button shirt with collar....and naked.
I just noticed that Jessie doglet seems very interested in that chocolate ganache cake!
Check out those smiles.
Check out that beautiful table.
Five daughters with partners and children.
A beautiful setting and a beautiful family.

Back in the country we had a bunny grooming day. This is Cocoa being very sad about his turn getting his bunny nails clipped.
Slightly harrowing, even for this former nurse.
Clip too close and they screech and claw, fly, scramble, panic, out of your arms and catapult themselves into the next county!
I have never experienced this drama.
Fingers crossed.
He is a Dwarf Rex....softest bun ever.

Rainlilys! 
Dozens and dozens of creamy white beauties. They close up at night and show off their mauve and pink undersides.
Which means that we had rain!
Drop by drop keeping the drought at bay.
The aquifers and wells not completely dry.
Beautiful.

I finished my summer lap blanket! 
Stealing time from Buddha Hill sewing to finally, happily complete it.
Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino ( wool, cashmere, micro fiber)
Cashmere, people!
Unbelievable soft. Creamy white with circle in a square design.
I love it.
Lastly, the 99 cent thrifted crocheted table cover.
Peeking out my front door.
Had to rescue it.
The work is beautiful...someone spent a lot of hours of her life creating it.....wish I could tell her that it found a grateful new home.

Bringing Me Happiness Today

Super busy January this year. Births and flu and birthdays and orders to sew and then more flu. It flew by. So just a few very random and one very wondrous snippets:

*An entire January's worth of deeply tinted sunsets seen over the back field. Never fails to get me flying out of the house, scattering grazing deer families, setting the chickens aflutter and the dog barking.
 Because I slam the screen door. And possibly because I giddily exclaim the wonder of the sky out loud and frequently.

 Sam the dog is used to it. 

The children used to call this event (yelling about the sky and forcing them out back to enjoy it) momma's "hippie moment". Lots of eye rolling on their part and hopping up and down on mine.
Now they love sunsets. Apply same scenario to vegetables.

*Leaving the holiday fairy lights up on the mantle. To illuminate my ever changing forest animal tableau.I love that fir mantle. It is the first thing I see coming down the stairs.

*Seeing , in the morning light, my Grandmother Risolvato's little Mary planter, my favorite Buddha statue, a 1940's bitty gnome vase, and pleasing little collected and gifted bits of pottery. Nestled on a scrap of vintage barkcloth. Thrifted curtain. One of the first little bit of happiness I see each morning.

*Pom pom pom making. Next run of cashmere lambs and mice will need a pompom necklace. It has been decided.

*Biggest by far source of happiness...Sawyer Blue. Born at home 3 weeks early. Doing splendidly.
Truly and deeply loved by so many big folk.
 I held him against my chest for many hours one night so my daughter could sleep a bit.
 Quiet house. Softly breathing warm light as air bundle under a tangerine colored blanket.
I could feel his breath. Hear his newborn squeaks.
 Sitting in the darkness, gently patting. Looking into his face for hours in the predawn.
Lovely. Just deeply, joyously lovely.

Hmmm....When Last We Spoke

The deafening silence featured here has been brought to you, mostly, by an old pc that refused to obey the simplest of my commands.

I would issue the commands hopefully and kindly but was soundly ignored.

When my tap tapping on the controls became harder and harder (even though I KNEW it would not respond EVER!) and my thoughts became dark and murderous, I had to walk (stomp?) away. No blog posts possible.

 Sewing and stuffing and stitching a whole forest full of critters for fall and holiday shows has kept me very happily occupied.

Two months of art shows, multiple family gatherings, winter and holiday fun make September through December a whirlwind of fun and deadlines.

But I am anxious to keep sharing, so...

Enter my new MacBookPro!

I am now functional and ready to reconnect with the outside world and share random bits of what inspires me and how we live.

So lately :

There was a LOT of stitching

Random attempts at seasonal table making

Many spectacular sunsets over the back field

Holiday baking!

Much to follow. I am already thinking of new forest critters to sew.

Floppy rabbits with dresses and britches.

with mini pompom necklaces?

Felty animal families.

And embroidered felt bracelets and headbands.

Large embroidered butterfly and moth hair clips

Oh my goodness. 

My fingers are itching to get at it!

Inspiring Me Today

Pickles!



When I was gifted a 20# box of just picked cucumbers from Jennifer and Temple via their CSA Tecolote Farms, well, canning happens.
With my Dad's really old canning kettle and tongs,
two recipes from Ashley English's book Canning and Preserving ,http://www.smallmeasure.com/
and dim recollections of the many jars I put up in the past, I set to work.
 The rhythm of wash, sterilize, pack, process came back easily.
It was a fun 2 days.
Inspiring to take a break from sewing up my stash for fall/winter art shows.
Reading yellowed index cars written in my Dad's  small, precise handwriting.
His own canning experiments recorded.
 Wondering what he was thinking when he preserved salsas, jalapenos, German dill pickles.
He was not one to share his thoughts. I think life as he experienced it drained the sharing and caring out of him.
 Infinitely sad for us who knew him, but so much sadder for him.
So I think about him as I use his canner, pausing frequently to look out the row of kitchen windows at the meadow and trees out back.
Wishing things had been better for him.
Letting the unhappy times go.
Keeping the good memories.
Canning with his kettle.

ETSY Shop Update

Just a short post to let everyone know that I put lots of new deliciousness  up on my shop!

Oh my goodness.....

Serious cuteness everywhere you look, if I may brag a bit.

Hello, little Forest Elf

Little Cashmere Lamb

Lots more to see on ETSY.

Check them out if you need a bit of eye candy and a smile.

And thanks!

This Morning

Morning coffee at 5:30, smiling at my silly chick vase and loving the bunny vase (gift from my oldest).

Looking past them through the porch to the meadow beyond.

Getting out of the door for my morning walk , camera in hand, to capture this .

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Deer Family

Back home, a small spotted fawn very close to the back porch. His family is just out of the frame watching him closely. 

I am so glad that Sam the Lab shows no interest in chasing these little ones

 She is in her usual spot just under that same porch.

A few feet away. 

Watching, but not chasing.

The most gently natured dog we have ever had.

Sometimes when I open the  back door I hear a dull thump.

Sam's head hitting the porch floor as she leaps up.

Out she dashes and makes a just for show ,tail wagging loop around the meadow. Pretend chase.

 The deer are usually not impressed.

They look up but then just get back to munching native grasses and flowers.

I am lucky to see these scenes every day.

I pause frequently throughout the day to note how beautiful this place is.

Trying to not focus and worry about the chores and tasks to be done.

My mental list.

That list is worrisome. A weight on my daily thoughts. But also how I stay organized. Finding the balance. Making it work.



And on to work. Forest Dolls to finish up. They need vests and gathering bags.

Of course, they will need mushrooms and acorns to gather.

Forest floor treasures to stitch up. They get stuffed with the soft organic wool batting on the right. I love handling this wool, and smelling the lanolin it holds, and feeling it warm in my hands. Just lovely.

Sweet wool stuffed lambs and mouse. Sewn from thrifted cashmere sweaters.

Sold at the farm this weekend.

 One is flying across country for a new baby.

So nice to know where they end up.