Mr Jefferson comes calling~a little story

You see, while we were lately traveling in Virginia, I happened upon a handsome country gentleman, sitting high on a shelf in the milliner's shop.

He immediately impressed upon me that he was perfect to take home to the Deerfield ladyes.

~They being weary

of too much female company.~

I invited Mr. Jefferson-his given name-for a cup of hot cider-at a nearby tavern tea room where we might discuss the possibility that he seriously consider a visit to our farm in Oregon.

He being a gentleman farmer himself was quite intrigued with the idea of seeing the workings of a farm on the western frontier.

I discreetly mentioned that there were also several unattached ladyes there that he might like to meet and he quickly agreed.

Well, I'm quite sure that you can imagine all the high pitched interest that arose at seeing the large brown paper & string wrapped parcel when I brought out the trinkets & treasures I had gathered to bring home to the "girls".

The tiny fans and wee drawstring bags were quickly thrown aside and forgotten as they all ran and stopped at screeching halt to see this handsome gentleman farmer from Virginia emerge from his brown paper wrappings.

For he, indeed, is quite handsome. Stately & broad shouldered, his carved wooden face had been carefully chiseled to show his strong chin and noble brow. His flax hair is primped and curled and tied back with a black silk ribbon, he is indeed the epitome of manliness.

Well, to make a long story much shorter, in their eagerness to meet him, there was a bit of a scuffle and I'm ashamed to say that a little hair pulling and the tearing of his clothes occurred.

The saddest part of this story is that he is now a little traumatized and without any clothes -being wrapped in a bit of old linen - until I can mend his frock coat & cravat...as for any other clothing such as his pocket and trousers...I have yet to locate them.

He has only one shoe...(I'm told that one of the ladyes may have hidden it as a remembrance)

He is now safely hidden from their view until he recovers from his first meeting.

The ladyes are now quite red-faced and appalled at their apparent lack of propriety and usual quiet natures and now have gone back to their stitching and quiet reading.

to be continued~~~~~

Peace & Plenty -A Blessed Thanksgiving

how very blessed we are on this good earth.

in the beauty of it all, Her forgiveness when we are not good to it, the bounty of it when we are. the fields and flowers and the animals that grace our lives. Finding peace in the quiet of the first snow, woodsmoke rising from every chimney

in our little valley...

a flickering candle in every window

and the warmth of my family that smiles at me from around our table.

For dear friends near and far

and for those men & women in service to our country

away from their own families,

who watch over us and keep us safe.

for all this I am most grateful & thankful.

I wish for all of you the blessings of the most precious of all good things,

I wish you

love & peace.

with love on this day,

Christine

Deerfield Farm

first snow

"The first snow is always a very delightful happening"

~Tasha Tudor~

Our first snow is always a delightful happening,

the air becomes very soft and still.

Our hills become pale ochre & white.

The birds seem to be coming from everywhere to find bits of rose hips to eat.

Even our old rooster pheasant, a solitary old man who we thought was gone, suddenly appeared in the old crab apple tree by the garden fence.

A comforting sight for me to see an old friend looking happy and content.

lovely

I thought you might like to see some of the clothing that we were able to see-

these gowns and the gentleman's silk breeches & waistcoat were all newly made for the symposium. Each were completely and very beautifully hand sewn by the persons wearing the clothing.

The gentlemen as well!

Amazing!

~~~

Dressing a New Nation: these photo's are of some of the clothing that was made for the narrated fashion show of reproduction costumes from 1600-1840. Included were camera assisted dressing demonstrations, Linda Baugarten narrating, with Colonial Williamsburg milliners,mantua-makers,tailors,wigmakers and the staff of the Costume Design Center and museum educators.

~~~

What makes your heart sing?

the farm girl becomes a school girl

we're home again, home again, and while we had the most wonderful time away for the past 2 weeks, it's so nice to be home.

To see our mountains covered with snow, to have coffee with Mr. Jefferson and visit with "the treasures"

and sleep in my own bed again.

While were away celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary

I did a little something just for me...

I attended the

"Remember Me When This You See " ~Embroideries and Painted Arts of the New Republic~

Symposium in Colonial Williamsburg.

It truly was a most wonderful experience.

I felt like an enthusiastic and eager school girl, drinking in every delectable bit of the lectures in story telling, pictures and seeing first hand the early school girl arts, mourning art, early clothing and textiles-most wonderful were lectures given by Linda Baumgarten, Curator of Textiles and Costumes at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Amy Finkel of M. Finkel & Daughter Samplers and Silk Embroideries.

On the last day I was one of 15 other women that were able to go on a tour with Linda Baumgarten into the conservation buildings where all the treasures are stored. Behind locked doors and temperature controlled rooms, wearing white cotton gloves Linda pulled out huge flat drawers, one after another filled with everything imaginable that could have been embroidered and hand sewn of wool, linen, cottons and silks. 1700's French ball gowns, hand embroidered silk stockings, mitts, shoes, caps..some with the silken threads still bright as if new, 2 drawers full of embroidered and stitched men & ladye's pockets-

be still my heart-

there were embroidered silk mourning pictures,theorems, paintings, hand painted wallpapers...

what we were able to see is still overwhelming to me

and my visit much too short.

After all this,

I will never be the same again,

inside or out.

~~~

So now this farm girl will continue her efforts as a school girl herself.

I've begun to draw up a large sampler to stitch of silken threads on linen.

a large farmhouse in the center surrounded by trees and fields and

gardens filled with flowers

& every bird and animal on our farm.

and most certainly a winding flower'd & fruited border surrounding it all

and in the very center

all the names of those I hold dearest stitched between.

happy to be home,

xoC