We stopped by the farm last week to meet the new baby cow, Eliza Belle. My sister and I had so much fun petting the new calf!
I received this darlin’ little gift set from The Red Tractor Girl—Winnie Nielsen. When she was earning her Intermediate Knitting Merit Badge, she learned to knit on circular needles, and because of that, I now have the perfect Apple Pickin’ Season accessories for 2013!!!!
Winnie must have seen the battered apple I had in my purse when we met up for lunch recently. It’s the last thing I always toss in my purse before I walk out the door. What a clever idea—an apple cozy to keep my fresh-picked apples free of bruises and scrapes. And some apple pie spice mix for my next batch of breakfast quinoa. The hat is simply adorable and the perfect fit. I’m all set. Much love, Winnie! Thank you. Thank you.
Waking up each morning, I’m greeted by the wild whips, whoops, tweets, and chirps of various indigenous birds.
Press “play” below for a minute preview of what I listen to. Some may call it a bother at 4 a.m., but I call it pure bliss!
While listening, I thought you might enjoy reading this poem—a favorite of mine.
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
Without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes
almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves,
an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo,
with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and muck
to move things forward,
as to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people
who submerge in the task,
who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is
common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands,
crumbles to dust
But the thing worth doing
well done has a shape that
satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn,
are put in museums
but you know they were
made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water
to carry and a person for
work that is real.
From Circles on the Water by Marge Piercy
Copyright 1982 by Marge Piercy
Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
The bird you see when you listen to the audio is the Yellow Warbler, a regular visitor. We’ve had quite a few juveniles and older warbler-types flitting around the windows of the Design Studio lately.
(Rascal has enjoyed watching them, with reverent purring. I do believe she would love to give them a love bite … or two.)
Their pretty yellow color is similar to my lovely little canary, Daffodil, who passed away a couple of weeks ago.
Run through a quick mental list of all the “stuff” you own …
Now, which of the items you cataloged do you cherish?
You might name the quilt your grandmother stitched by hand,
The Old Quilt by Walter Langley via Wikimedia Commons
your lucky boot laces,
a seashell charm given to you by your toddler.
From chipped plates to wedding dresses, the one thing that most of our cherished possessions have in common is the fact that there are stories behind them.
In other words, it’s not so much the item that matters, but the history it holds.
This realization fueled the founding of Madesmith, a unique branding agency and distributor of gorgeous goods—jewelry, clothing, shoes, skin-care products, and home goods—handcrafted by artisans in the U.S. whose stories are an integral part of the entrepreneurial process.
Madesmith founders Sheila Iverson and Sumeera Rasul believe that stories are vital to crafting connections between consumers and the real people who make the things we buy, transforming shopping into a more mindful experience than we commonly get at the local discount store where cheap merchandise is often made thousands of miles away.
“When you shop at Madesmith, you’re not just buying a mug; you’re making a connection with the 28-year-old ceramic maker Clair Catillaz,” explains Patrick James of CoExist. “You’re not just buying a kitchen knife; you’re understanding the link between the hobby of a 29-year-old actress and the life’s work of her blacksmith father.”
Photo courtesy of Madesmith.com
Every week, Madesmith shares stories of makers and designers who produce handmade objects sustainably. “We know that you appreciate old-fashioned craftsmanship just like we do, and through these stories we aim to bring you closer to the makers, their locally made products, and the process,” says Sheila Iverson. “Get to know who makes the thing you use, and how it’s made.”
My DIL, Ashley, and son, Brian, brought their little bundle of baby joy to visit everyone at the farm yesterday.
Alina Kathleen Ogle is a little treasure, born at home, weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz.
Look at her … already reaching for the stars. Or would that be a touch-down pass?
She already has a little sass. 😉
Ok, that was exhausting! Back to sleep now …
Nice to meet everyone!
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.
