Tell me, have you ever been in this situation?
There’s a car coming up the drive …
Psyche Opening the Door into Cupid’s Garden by John William Waterhouse (1904) via Wikimedia Commons
A quick peek reveals a guest arriving,
and your house is—let’s be honest—a mess.
Dishes undone,
socks on the stairway,
ongoing projects laid out hither and yon.
Photo by Luca Masters via Wikimedia Commons
The scramble begins—grab and stash! Spritz lavender in the air. Break out a box of biscotti.
Within a minute and a half, your Potemkin village is perfect,
well—let’s be honest AGAIN—as perfect as it’s going to get.
Utter a hasty prayer that the closet door stays shut
and then fling open the door and declare,
“Welcome! You’re just in time for tea!”
Potemkin village?
You caught that, didn’t you?
Our word-of-the-week refers to a “pretentiously showy or imposing façade intended to mask or divert attention from an embarrassing or shabby fact or condition,” says Dictionary.com.
The term took root, according to legend, when Russian military leader Grigory Potemkin erected fake settlements, full of fanfare, in order to fool Empress Catherine II during her visit to Crimea in 1787.
Painting of fireworks during the visit of Catherine II of Russia in Crimea, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
When I say “yarn painting,” what do you envision?
Photo by Pixelverve.com via Wikimedia Commons
Yarn strands dipped in paint and swirled on canvas?
Nice idea, popular with the kiddos, but that’s not quite what I meant.
Painting skeins of yarn?
Gorgeous …
Photos courtesy of Poppy Gall Design Studio
But, I’m thinking along a different thread.
Yarn painting doesn’t actually have anything to do with paint, per say, but the end result could be confused with a painting,
Photo of traditional Huichol string art by Jebulon via Wikipedia
until you look at it up close …
Tree Dreams.
I love the idea of it. But what does it mean?
Photo by Steve Swayne via Wikimedia Commons
When I saw the site called Tree-Dreams.org, I had to know—what is it?
Well, it turns out to be a lovely project launched by author (and avid tree hugger) Kristin Kaye. Inspired by our silently branching neighbors, Kristin wants to encourage the scattering of “tree dreams” around the globe.
“I get this rush of wisdom,” she says of her time with trees, “and want to lie down like a lazy cat and hear their stories.”
When she isn’t listening, Kristin is beckoning others to share stories and ideas with the world by way of Tree Tags.
“A stealthy and merry band of Tree Taggers is already at work spreading the ideas that sustain us all, like love, kindness, generosity, giving, and interconnectedness … anyone can be a Tree Tagger.”
How?
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Jennifer Knox!!!
Jennifer Knox (#4359) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!
“I love buttons! I have two jars of buttons that I have been collecting for a few years. I like to embellish greeting cards with buttons or create dolls and use buttons as eyes.
Buttons are wonderful to have on hand. A jar of buttons is also a simple, beautiful decoration. I plan on continuing to collect buttons.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
