Happy Birthday, dear Tasha Tudor, with love

 

A tinge of fragrant wood smoke is curling up from our chimney into the chilly air above our old farmhouse this early morning.

The sun has not come up over the hills just yet and I am here writing to you by candle light, with a proper cup of hot tea to drink and a sleepy kitten lying on my lap.

A perfect early morning to quietly reflect on how such an extraordinary woman, Tasha Tudor, touched my life completely.

Today would be her 98th birthday and in celebration of

the amazing life she led

I'll go about my day as I always do...enjoying each quiet moment and task.

Shortbread cookies will be baking for afternoon tea, hand sewing the hem of a small linen petticoat for a doll, reading a few pages of a treasured book of Tasha's extraordinary life...

and in keeping these little rituals we all feel the loss of her a little less and somehow,

we feel even more connected to her and to all those whose lives she touched.

~

Tonight as I cook over the fire and light our evening with hand made candles,

we go on.

Enjoying our family and each season as it comes, without rushing... it is the quiet celebrating of taking joy and the gentle side of life that she loved and bestowed on us all.

~

My gardens speak of her, with herbs and old roses and deep indigo lupine-late blooming this summer~ the tangled potato & pumpkin patch and apples hanging from the trees down in the old orchard.

My attempt at knitting a shawl, slow going as I have so many irons in the fire, is snuggled in a basket by my chair. I hoped to have it ready by the time the first frost nipped my cheek on my early morning walks through the gardens.

As chilly as it is this morning, I know

I must knit a little more each evening now....

 

Each thing we do here as we live our lives close to the land, every dream we dream.

everything has it's roots growing deep in Tasha's garden.

The seeds that she planted in the hearts of those who loved her are

growing and stretching towards a deep blue summer sky today.

~

The garden that was planted in my heart the day I first read a story of her, first saw her gardens, stood by her barn door, amazed at how tiny she was, first hearing her voice and chuckled at her wry New England humor.

I was given a name for what I already loved...

but just didn't know...

a candle was lit...a garden planted...

and there, I found my kindred spirit.

What a gift she was to us.

and is still...
 

http://thepastoraldollmaker.blogspot.com/2008/07/road-to-tashas.html


The Tudor Family is having a very special giveaway to celebrate dear Tasha Tudor's 98th Birthday !!

Rookery Ramblings Tasha Tudor Day Giveaway


 

 

 

~this is a repost of my thoughts on Tasha's 95th birthday~

still feeling the same~ still missing her~

sunday morning~ a little herb strewing~

"Herbs do comfort the wearied braine with fragrant smells which yield a certain kinde of nourishment."-

 

William Coles, 1656.

 

I've been cutting herbs to hang from the beams in the little house this morning~ the fragrance of lavender, costmary -bible leaf- and lemon balm hanging overhead and strewn across the wood floors has filled the rooms~ so calming and refreshing ~ it makes this such a serene place to be in while I work, getting the little house ready for doll making.





 

 

peace and plenty & a simple life indeed~

The Fall 2013 issue of  A Simple Life has arrived at last!

and what a beautiful issue it is~

filled with wonderful articles, stories and beautiful photos~

as well as my essay,

~the Old Chair~

you can order your own issue or subscribe to
A Simple Life magazine
~~~


My lovely Peace and Plenty sampler was stitched by me using one of the wonderful sampler designs designed by folk artist and needlework artist

Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm

I absolutely love it~
it's folky and early, like all of Lori's wonderful designs & just right for our old farmhouse here on
Deerfield Farm~


Enjoy!