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

peace & plenty- a walk around Deerfield

I wanted to share what I see when I go for walks here at Deerfield.

My beautiful mountains, these are the

3 Sisters.

Mt. Jefferson

in honor of our Mr. Thomas Jefferson

our 3rd president of the United States.

He's here every morning to have coffee with me.

our high desert has many beauties, maybe only in the eye of the beholder,

but the dearest place on earth to me.

if only you could smell the heavy scent of juniper and sagebrush.

one of my favorite roads to walk

~Hay Creek Road~

fat & happy black angus cows awaiting the birth of

fall calves.

nothing sweeter than a newborn black angus calf.

I'm looking forward to seeing them run and play.

I hope you enjoy seeing a little of what I see every day.

If you close your eyes and let the crisp air brush your cheek

you can almost hear the sagebrush whispering

there are many tales in these old hills.

xoC

~~~~~

on women & friendship

I am not often in the company of other women as my life here has always seemed to be connected with the land....my beautiful farm...what it needs and what we need to do to care for it. It is a constant quiet calling, a gentle hum of days filled with work from dawn to long after dark. There is not much time for "lunch with the girls" or shopping other than for groceries and feed for the animals.

I grew up this way and am quite used to it.

But lately I have felt a calling for myself beyond the call of my beautiful land.

...the company of other women.

and yet, it is a foreign place for me.

my dear friend, Gayle, who is quite a wonderful & successful business woman- she owns 3 wonderful antique malls in Portland, Oregon.

She has been my dear friend for nearly 20 years and I feel very comfortable in her presence.

We can visit up a storm and not see each other for months at a time and then when we do, we can start right where we left off

as though no time has passed at all.

She understands my love of the land and yet she knows, too, that we all need the company of other women...and she gave the gift of an experience that I would not have had.

She draws me in from the fields with words like "early home, early antiques...gardens...and invited me to accompany her into the most delicious of experiences such as an invitation to lunch with other women, all accomplished, all genuine and all wonderfully interesting beyond my realm. I loved it.

and it all took place in a home that just sang to my heart.

Rufus Porter murals-handpainted by our hostess- surrounded us at a long black table decorated with the fruits of autumn, flowers and candles in pewter candlesticks, delectable food & champagne which I need to ask the name of...a fire burning and crackling in the fireplace and reflected in the satin smooth wooden floorboards.

My eye was drawn to the colors of the walls, a pale persimmon with a collection of very early mirrors, so beautiful that I could not breath at first glance...beautiful hand hooked rugs and stone fruit, early paintings and silhouettes...

everywhere you looked was a feast for the eyes and soul.

Lovely old paned windows let in the late afternoon light as we all became sisters around that lovely old table. With stories and laughter and tears shed with the sharing of each others accomplishments and strength in the adversities of life.

I became aware that I am a sister to other women and need them.

It was a treasured afternoon that I will never forget.

xoC

Congratulations & thank you dear winners

and the Lucky Winners are.....

The Grand Prize Winner

Gladys Battson

2nd prize winner of a lovely antique worn velvet

pinkeep-seen in the background-

Ulla Milbrath

The winners of the

~fine hand made pin keep boxes are~

Carol S. Curtis-Reinbold

Norma Templeton

Kathy Barrick-Dieter

Dixie Redmond

these are very lucky ladye's indeed

as there were very nearly 700 entries!

my very best

Congratulations to you all!

thank you so very much everyone

for helping me to Celebrate my 20th Anniversarie

of dolly making

it was great fun!

schnuffling out the winners

Honorable F. Pigg

schnuffles

the winners cup.

it's almost time!

the Honorable F.Pigg

has kindly agreed to officiate our

Anniversarie Celebration

this afternoon

as my grandchildren

are just getting over a case of the sniffles.

so

all is in readiness

Let the Merrie -Making begin!!!!