SouleMama

new arrivals

Meet Paul and Arthur, the latest arrivals at the farm! They are currently quite busy with the work of eating, sleeping, growing, rooting up stumps and brush where future pasture is being cleared, being chased by Harper, making us all laugh often, and ignoring every bit of fencing we put in their way. Just exactly what I've come to expect by now from pigs, these our third round of them.

Last week also brought the early morning wake up call from the post office signaling the arrival of our new chicks! Sixty broilers now reside in the barn brooder where they'll stay till they get just a bit bigger. Then, we'll move them on out to pasture in a portable pen (Salatin-style) so they can properly graze and and range and fertilize. Last year, we raised Cornish Cross, which went well, really. But this year we're trying a heritage breed, Freedom Rangers. We have read and heard debated so very much about chicken breeds, I'm quite curious to see what we think after trying them both. I shall let you know in the fall.

In our family, there is no dancing around the reality of the fate of these farm animals. And despite my wish to create this virtual space that offends no one in their deeply personal and spiritual decisions (such as the decision to eat meat or not), I also don't want to dance around the reality of the fate of these animals here with you. All of these animals today - the pigs and the chickens alike - will ultimately end up as our food. They'll be in the freezer first, and then on our table, and on the tables of our friends and family, for the year to come. There is much to feel and say about all of that, of course, but quite simply, I'm thinking today about how our experience, thus far, has been a truly positive one. Humbling, yes. Heavy sometimes, most definitely. But that is as it should be, I do believe, in our little world where the full picture of life is in front of our eyes, in our barnyard, and on our table. Not a day - or a meal - goes by in which I don't pause in appreciation of this life we've chosen to live - one that allows the same hands that help birth a lamb if need be, water and feed those hogs twice a day, or do our best to heal a sick chicken, to be the very hands that ultimately take the life and then feed my family with it. There is much to be grateful for.

But right now, in spring, what we're beginning to truly know as the season of new arrivals, we are all finding much joy and love in the chirps, baas, and snorts coming from all corners of the farm.

her birthday book

My littlest lady got herself a very special book for her very special first birthday. Just like the one her big sister got on her first birthday (that I documented in The Creative Family), and was and continues to be adored to this day, six years later (my how time flies). 

Had I been a bit more on top of the ball, there would be many photographs documenting the process of the making of said book to share with you on this here blog of mine. But alas, this in-progress photograph is all I have. And this is rather telling, for the project came together - I must confess - on the eve of her birthday. What can I say? Inspiration struck. Mama love hit. Sentimentally reigned Queen. Whatever the reason, this little fabric book was the happy result.

Thankfully, I'm raising a bunch of last-minute nellies. Or rather, siblings who love their baby sister so much that they'll drop everything the night before to 'make some art' or 'write a poem' or 'tell me a story' to include in her book. With pride, and glee, and excitement - because truly, they adore this baby girl. 

The stories they wrote, the poems they penned, the art they drew? Goodness, it made my Mama heart happy. SO much love.

The construction of the book itself is based loosely on Adelaide's. Each 'page' is two pieces of fabric with a single layer of batting in the middle. All of the fabric comes from Charlotte Lyon's Walnut Hill collection. I love this collection - so sweet and warm, and just perfect, I thought, as a comfy background to the story we wanted to tell without taking over the story.

The photographs and drawings were printed onto printer fabric sheets, and simply because I ran out of that, the text is printed with an iron-on transfer fabric that I happened to have a bit of. Had I had enough of the fabric photo paper, I would have preferred to do it all that way. 

The trickiest part of making the book was keeping straight which pieces of fabric ended up as which pages in the book, and which photographs and text belonged on them. It helped enormously to create a mock book with pieces of paper to follow as I went along in the construction of it all.

The little miss loves her book. Love, love, loves it. I wasn't certain she would, given that board books in general hold little interest for her at the moment. But put a few pictures of the people (and animals) she loves on some soft and touchable fabric? Yes, please. Put down anywhere in the house, she'll soon find her way to the coffee table where this book lives, and begin clapping and pointing until there is an audience nearby to read to. Thank goodness, for this youngest baby of five, that there is always an audience. 

Sweet pea. We love her so.

this weekend

Working and playing.

Remembering and honoring.

Savoring and celebrating.

Loving this weekend...and letting it linger just a day longer.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Tangled Sky Studio ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Tangled Sky Studio. In Beth's words:

 "Beth Billups is the artist behind Tangled Sky Studio. Her encaustic paintings explore home as a personal narrative by examining our connections to our surroundings, to one another and to the natural world. She builds layers of meaning by combining ephemera, oil paint and beeswax, rendering modern images in an ancient medium. She works and lives just north of Chicago with her husband, three children and six hens."

You can find more of her work at her blog!

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Beth: I am a self taught artist who discovered encaustic painting after years of exploring and experimenting with color and texture in a variety of mediums.  Since leaving the corporate world after the birth of my daughter over 15 years ago, I have worked with small boutiques and a large retail chain creating hand painted children’s furniture and custom ceramic tiles.  I have also spent lots of time creating with wool roving, yarn, clay, paper and paint and just about anything else I could get my hands on.  When I took my first encaustic class at a local art center seven years ago I knew I had found my visual voice.  All these years and hundreds of paintings later  I am still smitten with this lush and ancient medium.

SouleMama: What inspires you?

Beth: I am inspired by daily life and the things we all do in our roles as women, men, mothers and fathers to keep a house running and to create a home.  I spend a lot of time thinking about how we function in our immediate surroundings and how what we value takes form in our our daily lives.   Much of my work explores the space in between our public identities, our true selves, the the dreams we dream and the realities we create to better define who we are and who we want to become.

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite quote?

Beth: “The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience” ~ Emily Dickinson

 

For today's giveaway, Tangled Sky Studio is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

The Wild One (top image)

(The Wild One is an original encaustic/mixed media piece that measures 4”x8.75” and is painted on a 1” thick maple block.  The painting is signed and dated on the back and is ready to hang unframed or can sit upon a mantle or bookshelf.)

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 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

Wow! Love her work. Oh how i would love to get to know the wild one!
Posted by: Elise

Thank you to Tangled Sky Studio!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Barn Light Electric ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Barn Light Electric. In their words:

 "Barn Light Electric is a retail and online lighting store offering an array of lighting products from rustic sconces and classic goosnecks to vintage pendants and porcelain enamel fixtures that we manufacture ourselves. We not only sell to homeowners looking to update their spaces but we also work with interior designers, architects, and commercial business owners. Our products have been featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the DIY network, Kitchen Crashers, and Blog Cabin."

For lighting ideas and informative advice visit the Barn Light Electric Blog! 

SouleMama: How long have you been in business?

Barn Light: We marked our 4th year in business back in February and we're celebrating all year long with new products including our own line of Made in the USA porcelain lights.

SouleMama: Tell us about your background.

Barn Light: As with many businesses on Soule Mama, we started out at the dining room table with big dreams and a laptop combined with a love of vintage lighting styles. We quickly outgrew the dining room table and laptop but we've never lost our love of classic lighting. We continue to grow both in types of fixtures offered and satisfied customers. 

SouleMama: What's your favorite part of your job?

Barn Light: One of our favorite parts of the job is working with such a variety of customers. Each has their own unique project that they need help with, and it's always cool to see the creative ways our customers design their spaces with our lights. Check out our Pinterest boards and our website's Photo Gallery to see how versatile our lights can be!

SouleMama: What's the product or offering you're most excited about right now?

Barn Light:  We're really excited about our line of porcelain lighting. Porcelain was popular back in the 1930s but production in this country ceased by the 1960s. We take great pride in helping revive this classic style of light and bringing jobs back to America. Today you no longer have to search for one of these vintage lights to refurbish. We hand spin the shades and hand apply the glass enamel coating which is baked on to produce one of the most durable and beautiful fixtures on the market today. 

 

For today's giveaway, Barn Light Electric is generously offering the following to TWO winners:

~ the Sinclair Stem and Loop Pendant
(This new mounting option is a marriage of both cord and stem mountings allowing for the classic look of a stem fixture with a bit of movement that a cord allows.)

In addition, Barn Light Electric is offering a Memorial Day Sale starting May 25 through the 28th. Receive a 10% discount on applicable items by entering the code MEMORIAL12. 

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 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are:

LOVE these! Would look perfect over our kitchen sink. Thanks for the chance and the discount code!! Have a great long weekend.
Posted by: Jennifer

I've loved their stuff ever since you first posted about them. Thanks for the opportunity!
Posted by: Courtney {A Life Sustained}

Thank you to Barn Light Electric!

 

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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taproot::paths

I'm very excited to be holding in my hands an early copy of ISSUE 2::PATHS, our second issue of Taproot!

For those of you who subscribe to our email newsletter, you've already heard these words from publisher Jason Miller's mouth, but truly, we feel as though we've 'hit our stride' with this issue. I'm so proud of it, so grateful to the contributors who shared their stories and art, so encouraged by your words and enthusiasm to our first issue. It's been a pleasure to make this magazine.

You'll see the gorgeous cover up above, by Jennifer Judd-McGee. Yes, she did the cover for SOIL as well. I'm so pleased to tell you that she is our 2012 cover artist, meaning that our first four issues, through all the seasons of a year, will be by her hand. We are so thrilled!

Inside the pages, you'll find voices both familiar and new (our full contributor list can be found here). It is our hope that you'll find inspiration, education, and surely entertainment. I know that I did, as each and every article and piece of art came together for it. 

We are happily still able to offer the Founders Rate of $25 for US subscriptions, and now an easy-to-use gift option is available on the site (we rather think it makes a lovely gift!). Be sure, as well, to check out our Happenings page, as we'll be at a few events in the coming months and would love to say hello should you be nearby.

Subscriber issues begin shipping this very week, so I anticipate your issues (in the US, at least) will be in hand so very soon.

Enjoy! 

those bees, they swarmed!

We have no idea what we are doing. 

I am reminded of this simple, yet perfectly true fact several times a day. When four sheep are fenceless in the time it takes to move them from one place to another. When we're navigating the tricky waters of homeschooling older children. And most definitely, when my bees up and leave their hive to swarm. Just twelve mere months into my role as beekeeper. When I am just beginning to get the courage to even give them a hello without my heart in my throat. Ahem.

Of course, I took the class, I read all the books, the almighty Google is always a finger touch away, I call upon the local peeps, and I count a great bee mistress amongst my dear friends. But when it all comes down to it, when suddenly one late spring day my hive of bees decides to split and up and swarm themselves right on into the sheep pasture where they most certainly do not belong, well....that's exactly another moment in which I am reminded that I have no idea what I'm doing.

Because at first glance, at first discovery, tears begin to well up in my eyes. What am I doing?! I can't take care of these bees, for goodness sake! We are unfit beekeepers to have not acted quickly enough to prevent such a thing...to not have known this was coming! I have failed my bees. I am in over my head. And frankly, I'm not in the mood to deal with swarming bees right now, anyway.

But then I look up into this tree, at approximately 25,000 clustered bees, and realize that the pity party I am throwing myself in my head is really quite beside the point, and that I'd best do something about these bees. Stat. For in Maine, they shall not survive on their own. They are, indeed, in the way of the sheep. They quite possibly will bother our neighbors. And there is dinner to be made in thirty minutes for those kiddos of mine, and a baseball game to prepare for after that. And...and....there's only time for action.

Just in that moment, as I'm standing there quite in flight or fight mode myself, the lovely man with which I have chosen to take this path with, this lovely man who didn't even take the darn bee class, this lovely man who is quite adept at surfing the waves of life....well, he's laughing. Because, you know, it is quite funny. All of it.

With that little shift, I can see past the obstacles, nuisances and even the fear into the awesomeness of what's really going on*. There is a swarm of bees right in front of me, who have just acted in a most magical and natural way, and we are watching it all unfold. What a blessing to see.

And so, we dive on in. Remembering what we do know, using what we do have, calling upon those who know more, and then, with a deep breath and a 'well, why not..." we just go for it.

"How boring," he reminds me "would it be if we knew everything already?" 

Indeed.

And so. The swarm is captured. Sheep are in their pasture. Alongside these children of ours, we all continue to learn.

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*What's actually going here? Those bees, they swarmed! A bee swarm is when a colony 'reproduces' itself by, in this case, splitting in half and taking the queen to find a new home, leaving behind the other half of the colony, along with a new queen in the making. They're quite docile in the act of swarming, as they're full of honey and pollen to take with them. We saw ours 'practice swarming' on Mother's Day, after which I tried to give them more space and shake things up a bit in hopes of convincing them to stay, so I could properly 'split' them myself. But they had their minds set on swarming, and did so the next day. Once we found them (Adelaide did), we scooped them into a nuc box, then eventually into their own hive where they're living quite happily now. Phew! While I'm not sure I'm up for making swarm capturing a regular gig, I will tell you that the whole thing was truly awesome. Those bees. They're amazing.

alongside :: pages & paint!

In just one week, I will head west just a little ways to the woods of Squam! A bit of my days right now is spent trying to decide just which knitting projects to bring, what room I have for new ones, and generally preparing - physically and energetically - for the creative journey to come. 

Alongside that kind of packing and dreaming, I'm counting just how many diapers I need to bring to make it through the four day stretch and wondering how she'll do through the night without her Papa... as miss Annabel will be alongside me on this adventure. (Last time, it was Harper by my side!) And then there are the five people we leave behind for five days, and their schedules to manage and games to miss and classes to plan for, and oh, it is quite a feat for a Mama to get out the door, isn't it?

Someday, these kinds of adventures will be all mine. And oh, the thought is dreamy. But that isn't right now - nor do I really want it to be. I do so love this season of my life and all the people and love and needs within it. And I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to be heading to Squam soon, with Annabel at my side.

 

pages & paint!
An online workshop with Sarah Ahearn Bellemare
9 July - 3 August
Registration now open 

The doers and dreamers behind Squam - intuitive, clever, and generous folks that they are - know that this struggle to go - to be there - to participate in retreats in the physical way, is not something that's possible for all of us, all of the time. That there are often children, jobs, states and budgets between making such an event a reality. That's exactly what they had in mind as they created pages & paint!, which they've asked me to share with you today.  pages & paint is a four week online workshop with much-loved Squam teacher Sarah Ahearn Bellemare, intended to bring the creative magic of Squam to you - wherever you are in your days and life and creative journey. A few words from the creators:

"Over the course of four weeks, Sarah will guide you through a series of exercises that will jump start your creativity! You will receive inspiration, support and motivation that will help you make a series of paintings, as well as develop a fresh relationship with the incredible power of sketchbooks....

....You will delight in the fun of bringing elements together in beautiful and unusual ways when she walks you through each step, de-mystifying a process that might have caused blocks in the past, such as which paints do I use? Which brushes? What order? What about color? What about composition? With Sarah by your side—you will gain the confidence and skills to make art that fills your heart....

....One of the key tools that Sarah will help to demystify is the sketchbook. In fact, once you have registered, you will receive a delightful course packet in your mailbox prior to the start of the workshop. The packet will include: vintage papers & ephemera for collage from Sarah’s own collections, playful prompts, handwritten how-tos (or directions ) and MORE! This will be a starting point for play and exploration in our sketchbooks that will lead us right into the heart of the course:  pages & paint!"

I'm excited to join in on the fun of the workshop come August. Until then, with some sketchbook goodies and a few extra sets of hands alongside, there will certainly be lots of play right here, right now.

Living a creative life needn't always be or start from a place of making it a career, or flying around the globe to gather with other creative folks and 'retreat'. It can fit into our lives right exactly where we are, in the small little moments of quiet that we carve out for ourselves, or alongside the little ones we love. We carry it with us wherever we go...

annabel edrie

And with the passing of another day, my baby girl completed her very first spin around the sun. 

We celebrated with a dinner as quiet and lovely as she is. There was lily of the valley, and lilacs - flowers that will forever remind me of that sweet season in which she was born, and of herself as well. She is a happy girl, this baby of ours, pure sweetness and light. 

There was a little bit of sewing for her birthday - a crown, of course (there's a pattern in my first book, The Creative Family), and a new dress (the smocked sundress from Weekend Sewing). She ate a favorite 'first birthday cake' (Gracie's Yellow Cake from Feeding the Whole Family). And there were all the regular birthday traditions that now have a life of their own with the help of older siblings who remember to hang the banner, and find the cake topper, and clip the photographs. And on and on and year after year, we celebrate one another this way.

I am not all that far into my parenting journey in the grand scheme of a whole lifetime, but this dozen years has not passed without teaching me the most important lesson of them all. The days can be long, the years most certainly short. Hold them close and love them. Oh, I do. I really, really do.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Grasshopper Store ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Grasshopper Store. In their words:

 "Grasshopper is a whimsical and thoughtful store with a refined selection of toys clothes books and shoes.   We want kids to think dream hope and play...Our blog keeps you up to date on the latest items or ideas. "

SouleMama: If you could spend a day with any crafter/artist who would it be and why?

Grasshopper: JOEL HENRIQUES, AUTHOR OF MADE TO PLAY and TARO GOMI...i love what they both create...and I would feel like a kid if I just got to “play all day”

SouleMama: How are children incorporated into your work?

Grasshopper: Children are very much a part they play in the shop...i listen to request such as rubber snakes, moustaches, and other things I would never think of bringing into the shop...
we love to give away pinwheels and stickers it makes their day...the other day I heard a little boy shout...”mom, this just must be my lucky day”  

SouleMama: What's your greatest art/craft skill and what's something you'd like to learn more about? 

Grasshopper:  I would love to learn fabric design so I could have my own line of fabrics for the childrens and womens clothing line I produce.  And knitting...all of my friends knit and they always make me such beautiful presents...it seems like such a calm craft. And then I would like to be a welder and how to make things out of concrete.

SouleMama: What advice do you have to artists/crafters who are looking to make a business of their passion?

Grasshopper: I could write a book on this but I think some things are:   Be prepared. Know the business side. Be original. If you have employees treat them with respect. And do what you love.

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Grasshopper:  I loved sewing with my nana and making doll clothes...I started making clothes for my self and people would always ask me where I got my clothes. ..so started having dress sales in my yard and going to boutiques with a suitcase full of dresses...one thing lead to another...i got so busy I hired a sewer  13 years ago and she still works with me, I opened up my womens boutique 12 years ago with 2 racks of dresses...i kept it very simple. My sewing machine was on had to make changes for people or make more items in my down time...I saw the need for a childrens shop that sold toys clothes books – a place where kids could feel welcome and inspired.

For today's giveaway, Grasshopper Store is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

~ the Felt Mosiac from Eeboo!
(Grasshopper Store asks that international entries be willing to pay for shipping.) 

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 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

This felt mosaic set is wonderful! It would be just the thing to bring when I visit my mother (an artist!) with my kids. She's in a nursing home unable to walk, and this would be something she and the kids would enjoy. Thanks for the chance.
Posted by: Sophie - The Joy of Farming

Thank you to Grasshopper Store!

 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ A Child's Dream Come True ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, A Child's Dream Come True. In their words:

"At A Child's Dream Come True we offer a mouth-watering selection of natural wool felt, felting wool, kits and creative supplies for all ages. You'll also find some little wood toys, soft treasures and favorite books for children and families. We're Waldorf-inspired, family-owned and operated and thankful to work, live and play in beautiful, rural North Idaho."

You can follow along with A Child's Dream Come True by visiting their Facebook page.

SouleMama: What's the product or offering you're most excited about in your shop right now?

Child's Dream: We just started carrying a new line of colorful felt making kits from Gilliangladrag of England. I have been following the designer and author Gillian Harris for a few years now and had the good fortune to meet her at a recent trade show on her visit to the US. Her fanciful designs are rather unique – like her Vintage Laundry Felt Peg Bag Kit. It’s wonderful she’s branching out into this market and we’re pretty excited to be, at the moment, the only online resource in the United States.

SouleMama: How do you come up with new products to offer your customers?

Child's Dream: In addition to the standard “detective work”, I listen to my customers and pay attention to what comes across my desk and into my inbox. In this way I’m never at a lack for new ideas but unfortunately I’ve ended up with a very long wish list! I do have to exercise some restraint. The Earth Paint Kit is an example of something new that essentially just showed up. The paints are made from natural pigments and easily mix with water. A very cool idea.

SouleMama: What's your greatest art/craft skill and what's something you'd like to learn more about? 

Child's Dream: I have dabbled and immersed myself in all sorts of arts and crafts throughout my life - ceramics, weaving, spinning, sewing, crochet, doll making, calligraphy, cooking, all manner of dyeing and more. I am a collector and enthusiast of ethnic textiles and a lover of both spun and unspun fiber. During my children’s schooling I delved into wet-on-wet watercolor painting, drawing, wax crafting and knitting. Knitting has been the one constant for twenty years and so far I’ve been pretty pleased with the results. I like doing hats. Here’s one I completed this winter using a Peace Fleece pattern.

 What would I like to learn more about? Well, I’ve done my fair share of basic wet and dry felting and I think it would be fun to get into nuno felting which is wet felting fiber onto fabric. It’s amazing what people are doing with this technique. Right now I’m reading Gillian Harris’ book Complete Feltmaking in which there are a wide variety of all types of felting projects, including nuno. She makes it sound so simple. I’ll just have to give it a go this summer!

For today's giveaway, A Child's Dream Come True is generously offering the following to ONE winner:

~ a $50 gift certificate to A Child's Dream Come True! 

In addition, A Child's Dream is offering SouleMama readers 15% off with the code SOULEM at checkout. Offer valid through Tuesday, May 22, 2011. (Excludes bulk fiber and felt yardage) 

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 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

Thanks so much for the giveaway! I love felting and had never heard of the nuno technique before, how interesting. That felted bag pictured is beautiful. And I love the sound of those natural paints! Now to check out the website. Love, Taryn
Posted by: Taryn Kae Wilson

 Thank you to A Child's Dream Come True! 

 

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . .

a grain sack

There's been a flurry of spring sewing around here, and it isn't just me. All hands are on deck in the studio these days as the whirlwind of cutting, measuring, pinning and stitching is done by one and all. Sometimes resulting in finished things, but usually heavy on the cutting, measuring, pinning and stretching. It's all about the process, of course.

My Adelaide has recently reached the comfort level (mine and hers both) where she can do a bit of sewing entirely on her own. I have two sewing machines and a "studio" of sorts set up for the kids in the barn...but of course she prefers my studio and my machine. I don't blame her - I love that machine too. (Unfortunately, she doesn't share my love of a tidy workspace. Hmn. Maybe that comes with age?)

I love my kid's sewing - always perfectly suited to their needs and oh so very functional. Cat collars, cat leashes, and cat capes were all the rage this winter. Then there was a flurry of "pocket" sewing, whereby she made a stack of pockets to be pinned onto clothing which had none of their own. Functional fashion. Yes!

Most recently, she's been volunteering for the morning animal chore shift. One day, after watching her pracariously juggle the cup of grain for the sheep in one hand and a bucket of food for the chicken in the other, all while trying to wrangle the gate open....I saw her frustration at what she could carry at one time. There was a foot stomp with arms folded over her chest, followed by a march directly to the sewing machine. She came skipping out a short while later with this treasure on her shoulder. A grain bag, she announced. So that she had her hands free to do her work.

How's a Mama to stop herself from overflowing with pride? (I didn't even try.)

But I did follow her with a camera while she put it to use one afternoon recently. First stop was to the freshest pasture-clearing brush pile for a bit of poplar for her sheep. Did you know that poplar is a natural dewormer for sheep? We've just learned that. Can you identify a poplar? I can't, consistently anyway. She can, naturally. (Why stop the gushing pride now, I say.)

When a small trail of grain began following her, she realized her bag had a small leak coming from one of the corners. "Psh!" she laughed, "Backstitching!" remembering that she had forgotten to do just that. She scoured the ground for an appropriately sized stick to 'stuff' in the hole and walked on, bag 'fixed'.

Oh, these babies of mine. It is such an honor to watch them grow. 

 

a simple skirt

Ah....with a little bit of a break from each other and a bit of stubbornness persistence, this skirt and I have found our peace!

(Her horse swing, you might be wondering, is from here.)

The fabric is Lotta Jansdotter's Ruta Sarsparilla. Though it looks black, it's really a lovely chocolate brown, and on the heavy end of a quilting weight cotton, it's quite dreamy for a skirt fabric. The fabric was the very reason I persisted on with this project - I couldn't get the vision of it as a skirt out of my head.

The pattern, is the Drop-Waist Wrap Skirt from Simple Modern Sewing. (I also made a shirt from this book recently.) The patterns in this book are gorgeous - I have lofty goals of making many of them. But, even with the English translation, I do think the patternmaking takes a bit of sewing intuition to get to the end result of something wearable. For instance, I have to tell you that this "wrap", the one I carefully followed the instructions for....well, it's not a wrap. Not by any means. It's a fully yoked skirt that tightens with the drawstring running through and over the yoke. I'm not sure what that means - either the title is wrong, the directions were off, I had consumed too little coffee or too much wine, or was distracted somehow. 

I don't know the answer to that, nor why the pleating originally resulted in a skirt that might have fit Annabel. Sometimes, I believe, it's best not to ask too many questions about such things. Because in the end, there's a very comfortable skirt on my hips. And all is well.

treasures found

It's been some time since we had a little thrifty show-and-tell, so shall we stroll through those Brimfield treasures I brought home?

I was quite happy to be browsing the eye candy there, not entirely certain I would come home with much at all (oh, I do love our Maine flea market prices, I was reminded!). In addition to having a clear budget, I did give some thought beforehand to what I might be looking for, as well as what I wanted to steer myself away from. Thrifty manifestations and reminders, yes indeed. My self-imposed "not allowed" list included dishes and quilts - always inclined to pick up both of those things, but with need and space for neither at the moment. 

While "quilts" specifically were out (truly, where would I put another one?), I simply cannot resist the lure of tiny stitches. All those tiny stitches! All that energy of all those women! Of course, a pile of linens came home with me - mostly embroidered pillowcases to freshen the stack at home. 

Another weakness of mine - vintage baby clothes. The detail on these older pieces always grabs me, and the handstitching, and oh those prints! That orange and green has stolen my heart and very likely inspired the next quilt in my mind. And these will most definitely and most heartily be worn by my girls (boys clothes in wearable condition, I find, are harder to come by).

This tiny little napkin ring was the treasure on my list that made me most happy of all to find. I've been looking for Annabel's napkin ring for the dinner table since her arrival and hadn't found just the right one until this appeared. It's just right - and just in time for her first birthday too!

Oh my - a set of linens with embroidered chickens? Likely meant to be used as cocktail napkins (judging by the size), they'll be used here as children's handkerchiefs. 

I had hoped to come home with either a dresser or bookshelves - both of which are in need, in multiples, around here. I was pleased to find just the perfect shelves for Adelaide's room. Matching the rest of her furniture, they look to me as though they've always been here. 

And another happy find, a wall mounted drying rack. I've been looking for something like this to keep near the woodstove - just a small one for putting a few things on. This one is just the right size, and in such good shape too. 
 

And lastly, I found myself an old wooden ironing board. Ah! Incredibly sturdy, it just needed a new cover (using this Echino fabric) and was instantly ready to be placed into studio action, working on the next quilt as the case may be.

I realized, walking around the tents of Brimfield, and looking here at the things that came home and the things that often do come home with me from such places, that I lean towards functional and utilitarian when treasure hunting. That while I appreciate the 'collectibles,' I'm so pleased to find the little something that has a bit of life left in it. Something that was made by hand and built to last for a very long time. All those tiny little stitches embroidered by women years ago, or slabs of wood hammered into something functional for the family home - all created with the intent of being used everyday. Doing just that fills me with gratitude and joy.

on mother's day

 

On Mother's Day....vases full of 'flowers' delivered throughout the day, glitter glitter and more glitter on the handmade cards, freeing butterflies from the constraints of a six year old's bedroom, eating ice cream cones, getting the heart pumping with swarming bees, chasing chickens who are chasing babies, and wrangling half-dressed pirates. Just another day in the loud, chaotic, sticky, messy glory of Motherhood. It's a pretty sweet gig, this work as Mama. I'm so glad to have it (and them).

I hope all the mothering you do was both celebrated and enjoyed yesterday...and always!  

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Hayfork Wine ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Hayfork Wine Company. In their words:

"At Hayfork Wine, we make wine from grapes grown on our ranch in the Napa Valley, where my family has been farming the same soil for six generations.  Our goal is to emphasize the importance of farming in winemaking, as we strongly believe that the hands of the farmer in the field lay the foundation necessary to produce a quality wine.  We feel that less is more when it comes to winemaking, and we strive to allow our wines to evolve naturally, with the least amount of manipulation possible." 

Keep up with Hayfork on their Facebook page.

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Haley: Like many small town kids, I grew up and wanted to get as far away as possible from my hometown of St. Helena, CA.  After a few years of studying glaciers, rangering for the National Park Service and traveling the world, I found myself working on an organic market farm.  It was there one day while blissfully picking lettuce that it came full circle.  I realized, like my father and ancestors before me, I too was a farmer.  Soon after this epiphany, my husband and I returned to the Napa Valley, and began learning the wine industry ropes.  And it wasn't long after, that we embarked on making our own wine from the family grapes.

SouleMama: What's your favorite part of the job? The most challenging?

Haley: I love the physical work involved with winemaking most.  I have always been most content in the field, and now I find that same fulfillment in the cellar.  Harvest is my busiest time, as I walk the vineyard often, sampling grapes and testing for ripeness; then once we pick, I am busy at the winery with fermentations.  I get to wear boots and carharts to work, climb barrel stacks, drive a forklift, and return home stained purple at the end of the day.  The most challenging aspect of my job is balancing family and work.  As a full time mama of two young ones with a farmer husband working overtime everyday, I am constantly torn between being completely present with my children and finding the time to focus on Hayfork.  I feel quite fortunate that I have an engaging career and also get be a stay-at-home mama, but this balancing act is my greatest challenge.

SouleMama: What's the product or offering you are most excited about right now? Tell us about it. 

Haley: We recently released our 2009 wines, the 2009 Hayfork Lewelling Ranch Cabernet and 2009 Hayfork Petite Sirah.  The Cab is our most balanced wine yet, with aromas of lush ripe berries, velvety tannins, and flavors of raspberry, dark plum, cedar.  Our Petite is a simply delicious, inky purple wine, with aromas and flavors of wild blueberries and field-warm strawberries.

For today's giveaway, Hayfork Wine is generously offering the following to TWO winners:

~ One bottle each of our 2009 Hayfork Lewelling Ranch Cabernet and our 2009 Hayfork Petite Sirah

In addition, Hayfork is offering free shipping to SouleMama readers through the month of May. Enter "soulemama" in the comments when placing your order. 

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 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!

Thank you to Hayfork Wine Company!

The winners are:

Sounds yum... a little taste of the California sunshine would be nice.
Posted by Alison

What a cool winery - thanks for the chance to win and Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by: Chris Aiton

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Barefoot Books ~

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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Barefoot Books. In their words:

"At Barefoot Books, we create children’s books that open the hearts and minds of children from all walks of life, focusing on themes that encourage independence of spirit, enthusiasm for learning and respect for the world’s diversity. Playful, beautiful and created to last a lifetime, our products combine the best of the present with the best of the past to educate our children as the caretakers of tomorrow. Our Barefoot Books Ambassadors run their own businesses selling our imaginative and educational books and gifts, bringing art, story and adventure to their communities along the way." 

Follow along with the Living Barefoot blog, or join their community by becoming an ambassador! 

SouleMama: How long have you been in business?

Nancy (Co-Founder, and CEO of Barefoot Books): Tessa Strickland and I started Barefoot Books back in 1992 with the goal of creating children’s books that feed the imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love of the planet. Nearly two decades later and having created more than 500 books for children, we think of Barefoot Books as more than just a publisher, but really a way of life.  We are a world-wide community of people ‘living Barefoot’ who are connected by a shared love of storytelling and creativity, and who are committed to raising happy, healthy, engaged children.

 Living Barefoot is all about children exploring the world around them and finding their place within it. It’s about the power of sharing a story. It’s about all kinds of people coming together to shape young minds. At the heart of our business are Barefoot Books Studios in Concord, Massachusetts and Oxford, England. These Studios are bookshops, and also community centers; places where children and adults can play, paint, explore, make friends, look at the world from different points of view and discover new talents. We also have a Boutique on the 2^nd floor of FAO Schwarz in New York City. 

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Nancy: I was born in Canada into a family with a bit of an artistic bent. Though I loved the visual arts, particularly color and design, I also really enjoyed numbers and after gaining a business degree, I found myself at Price Waterhouse, first in Toronto and then in London in the mid-eighties. I really didn’t quite fit the mould there, so left to work in a more artistic environment in a London design house. I stayed in the design industry for many years, where I got to travel often to the Far East and learned a lot about all aspects of running an entrepreneurial creative company.  

When Tessa approached me in 1992 with the idea of starting Barefoot Books, my eldest daughter was three weeks old and I had just started my own consulting firm advising small creative start-ups. As a new mum with a love of art and design, and an avid explorer of world cultures, I was immediately captivated by the idea of creating beautiful books for children that celebrated diversity and imagination.  I didn’t really know much about the publishing industry back then and, in hindsight, that was probably lucky as Barefoot has always strived to be more of a pioneer than a follower.  

SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?

Nancy: Our children were definitely our biggest inspiration for starting Barefoot. As new mums, we were having a hard time finding books that would feed their imaginations, teach them about the world through stories from different cultures, and inspire their creativity with artwork that was intrinsically connected to the stories and spoke as much to them as the words on the page did. We were also in need of high-quality books that we, as parents, would never tire of reading to our children time and time again. In essence, we wanted to create books that we ourselves loved, and that we thought our young children would love and learn from, too. 

SouleMama: What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Nancy: I don’t really have too many typical days and that is one of the things I love most about running Barefoot. There is also a very blurry line between my home and my work life, probably because I ran the business from my home for the first eight years and my family have grown up Barefoot. The pace is fast and the days are long, and the work doesn’t stop when I leave the office, but I don’t really mind that.

My days are really varied, and a nice blend of creative and business. A typical day could include anything from brainstorming with our content team on the new publication programme or our latest digital app project; to discussing improvements to our Ambassador model and developing strategy with our sales and marketing team; to reviewing cash flow projections with finance; to designing our new Oxford Studio and reviewing the menu for our Storyteller’s Café!

SouleMama: What's your favorite part of your job? The most challenging? 

Nancy: Over the years, the favorite part of my work has been the wonderful feedback and words of encouragement that we have received from our community that has been most personally fulfilling.  It is so rewarding to have created more than 500 beautiful books which will make a difference in children’s lives, and to work with such a talented group of writers, artists, musicians, editors and designers.  I have met a lot of wonderful people over the past 20 years in all areas of the business and forged many great friendships.

 I love the creative process, whether it is making a book, designing a catalogue, or creating one of our flagship Studios.  I love the energy and excitement of running an entrepreneurial business, of taking risks in a relatively traditional industry, and carving out a path not yet taken. I love the idea that we can harness the power of social media and combine it with a grassroots, community-based distribution model, including a network of home-based Ambassadors as well as retailers and schools, to create a global lifestyle brand around the concept of living Barefoot, and bringing art and story to children from all walks of life.

Most of all, I love seeing our books brought to life in our Oxford and Concord, MA Studios – what we think of as ‘hubs’ in our global community, where we have events like storytelling, arts and crafts activities, African drumming, puppet shows, yoga and even a family café serving healthy and organically produced food...all part of the Barefoot lifestyle and all about connecting families and nurturing creativity, imagination and diversity.

In terms of challenges….wow...after 20 years it is difficult to know where to start!  I have certainly had my fair share of setbacks – everything from books being printed upside down, to 100k mail order catalogues sent out in the middle of the Anthrax scare, to bankrupt distributors. Overall, the biggest challenge for me has been running an innovative, creative business producing an important and wonderful product, where we know our customers are out there, but it has been very difficult to reach them through conventional distribution channels.

Publishing is a very traditional industry and a pretty tricky one; children’s publishing is even more challenging, and high-quality children’s publishing is harder still.  And some might say that, in 2011 in the current economic climate, when the digital age may eliminate books altogether, running a premium children’s publishing business is pretty much impossible.  Books are being replaced with e-books and apps, publishers are scrambling and trying to work out which way to jump, and large distributors like Borders are falling by the wayside.

With these changes comes plenty of opportunity if you are prepared to think-out-of the box; the magic is deciding which path to focus on.  

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

Nancy: I can’t decide between these two:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.

Nancy: Barefoot Books is a diverse, global community of moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandparents, artists, storytellers, musicians, independent retailers, librarians, teachers, scientists, poets, potters, gardeners and cooks!  What they all have in common is a shared commitment to raising happy, healthy and engaged children and who believe in the pivotal role of imagination, diversity and creativity in children’s lives.  

We also have a very vibrant and creative community of Barefoot Books Ambassadors who market and sell our books and gifts in their community – at farmers’ markets, school fairs, fundraisers, cultural festivals, home events and online, bringing art, story and adventure along the way!

SouleMama: How do you balance work and family?

Nancy: As any working mother will attest to, the constant pull between work and family is always challenging. Because of the demands at Barefoot, there are situations and times when I have to be away from my kids or can’t spend as much time with them as I’d like. My husband and four children are at the centre of my life. But I also love my work and believe in what I am doing… so it can be tough sometimes fitting everything into the days and weeks.  The end result is a very busy, often chaotic, but always fun and energetic family dynamic. I also have four very independent children who, if they choose this path, will certainly be well-equipped for an entrepreneurial career themselves!

In terms of finding “sanity” time, my family goes every summer to our house in Southwest France, which we bought many years ago when we lived in England and had four tiny children. I work full-time when I am there, but my kids, and more recently their friends, are around all the time, running in and out of my office, drawing, reading, and having fun. I always stop for lunch every day (which I don’t manage to do in Cambridge!) and share time with family and friends, which is incredibly relaxing. Being in a different environment with a different view and a fresh perspective is a great way to recharge my batteries and get the big picture back. 

For today's giveaway, Barefoot Books is generously offering the following to TWO winners:

~ one book each of their choice to enjoy with their family!
(Choose from among all of our 500+ titles at www.barefootbooks.com)

In addition, Barefoot Books is offering all SouleMama readers 25% off all purchases on the Barefoot Books website. Just enter Special Offer code Soule Mama at checkout, using this link. Offer expires May 31, 2012. 

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 To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed!

Thank you to Barefoot Books!

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***Note: There was an error with the link to the 25% off for Barefoot Books, so I'll be leaving the giveaway open one more day, through Monday at 8am EST. Follow this link, or the button below to explore Barefoot Books and receive your discount. 

The winners are:

Beautiful illustrations! thanks for sharing! 
Posted by: Cate

What an inspirational business and such beautiful books. Thank you for the chance!
Posted by: Bronwyn
 

{this moment}

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{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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at Brimfield

Excuse my radio silence here yesterday. Typepad - my blog hosting service - apparently had quite a rough day, and my pre-written and scheduled blog post got sucked into the abyss of the internets, never to be seen again! In seven years of blogging with them, that's never happened. So there you go - a perfectly understandable hiccup. 

But the quiet of yesterday is now replaced by the 'noise' of today's photographs....for I have sights from my Brimfield adventure to share! Oh me, Oh my. Brimfield. (Christine just wrote a lovely post about her own visit, full of great tips.)

With the lovely Ms. Brenner at my side, and no children on our backs, we walked and walked and walked and walked (I can officially declare my Aurora Shoes to be my most comfy of all), and looked at as much of Brimfield as we could in a day.  We found things both beautiful and bizarre, wondered if perhaps an extra zero was accidentally placed on the price tag a few times (of course not), and simply marveled at all the stuff - in the arms of shoppers, in the tents, and well, in the world, really. Wow.

We arrived home late last night, a little bit tired but very happy and content. Grateful for inspiration, eye candy, and and the company at my side. I did find a few utilitarian, sweet and affordable treasures that came home with us. I'll clean those up to share soon enough. But for today - I thought you might like to stroll with me through the aisles for a tiny little peek of Brimfield. (And you don't even need your comfy walking shoes on!) Enjoy....

 

the backyard bee quilt

I must first give props to Steve, for his quick eye, handy truck, and faith in my plans. For it is he who picked this set up roadside. A vintage patio glider and three matching chairs, all in a rather sorry state of rusty, squeaky, tippy disrepair. 

But never fear, for as my grandmother always said, "there's nothing that a little bit of imagination, elbow grease, and a can of paint can't fix". I don't know as though she said those words, exactly, but she certainly lived them. I try to too. It's just the treatment I gave this set - a good and thorough scrubbing with stainless steel to remove the rust, some sanding in the rough patches, a few coats of grey paint, and a bit of oil in the gliding parts.

Of course, it needed something soft and comfortable too. Rather than making a cushion that would stay on the glider (and be limited by 'outdoor fabric'), I used some existing pillows that we often bring in and out anyway. And to that, I added a new blanket - a Backyard Bee quilt!

(Yes, the dress multiplied! It kept raining. What was I to do but keep sewing summer?)

In a really big way, I stumbled head over heels in love with these fabrics when I spied them from Holly Ward Bimba's Woodland Collection (available at Spoonflower). Love, love, love. The "quilt" top is the three different prints cut and arranged in just a few strips, really. I added a light layer of batting, backed it with a brown slub linen, and tied it all. It all came together in one (really late) night. It's really all about those fabrics and keeping it simple felt best. Most especially in that those fabrics found their way off my studio table in the blink of an eye, and outside where they belong to be properly enjoyed by all those in need of a little backyard bee quilt.

:: right now ::

RIght now, I am...

:: feeling rather sleepy from the late night, early morning news of my newest niece's arrival.

:: thinking I'd best get those needles clacking soon. (It's a good thing newborn babies are small.)

:: appreciating, very much, another day of sunshine and warm temperatures now that the ground is properly soaked from last week's rain.

:: anticipating spending much of the day 'out in it' as we say.

:: reminding myself to find a shearer this week for Cinnamon.

:: wondering what on earth I'm going to do after that. (I must try out some wheels soon!)

:: hoping to get most of my new "kitchen" garden planted today (herbs right outside my kitchen door). 

:: getting very excited about attending my first Brimfield later this week. (Recommendations? Advice?)

:: planning on fiddlheads for dinner again. Just because, they're so good and the season is so short.

:: loving watching the honeybees soak up all that dandelion goodness, and Harper too, who can't pass one by without stopping.

:: looking at my studio desk, freshly clean and sparse for a Monday morning start with just a cup of tea and the final edits of Taproot, Issue Two in front of me.

:: hearing the stomping down the stairs (there is no pitter-pattering here) of at least two waking up children.

:: remembering that we're out of oatmeal, yogurt and bread.

:: wishing Steve well (from the closed door of my studio) convincing them that eggs for breakfast would be fun.

:: knowing that this week will be a flurry of activity from baseball games to dance rehersals to travels and deadlines.

:: wanting to treat it all just like a wave, and ride it. 

:: thinking it's time to get to it.

:: sending you wishes for a lovely start to your own week, friends.

{this moment}

. . . . . . . .

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . .

outside/inside

Outside ::
Sogginess and spring showers, a blessing for the dry earth and all those new plants.

Inside ::
Sewing for summer. (Smocked Sundress from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing with fabric from Anna Maria Horner's LouLouThi.)

Seasonal goodness, right on queue.

in my kitchen

This week, in my kitchen, I have...

:: brought in a lot of eggs.

:: welcomed the return of rhurbarb, bought at the local market.

:: wondered, as I did last year too, just how it is that on this two-hundred year old farm, there is no rhubarb growing. (And then I planted some.)

:: dreamed a bit about fiddleheads. I think it's time.

:: danced the tricky dance of either very early or very late family dinners as baseball games and practices and dance recitals and rehearsals are in full swing for all.

:: embraced the slow cooker as some help in the matter.

:: savored our lunches together just a little bit more.

:: stopped to stand still as often as I can amidst the blur, to really notice all the love and happenings in the room.

:: eaten eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner as the girls are laying like wild, as Calvin decided to get out of the egg business, and as we wait for the new homes for some of his hens to be ready with friends of ours.

:: ensured that there is always a jar of the yummy and versatile Cilantro-Lime Cashew Cream Sauce on hand. Perfect for the top of nearly everything - from turkey chili to fried eggs. 

:: had a child revolt on my hands when I went back to raisins after a stretch of adding carob chips to the much loved Leftover Oatmeal Muffins.

:: handed a dozen eggs to anyone walking into my kitchen.

:: with the return of some warmer days, welcomed back the daily lunchtime green smoothie that we seem to fall out of the groove of doing in the wintertime.

:: brought dinner outside as often as inside. The balance is tipping.

:: fallen quite in love with Monday night's Pizza By Calvin.

:: remembered how fabulous eating outside is for newly eating babies (and her clean up crew).

:: gathered with friends for a meal where we shared the last of our applesauce and they shared the last of their parsnips. 

:: did I mention the eggs?

It's a busy place, this kitchen of ours! 

What's happening in your kitchen this week?

May 1

Welcome, May!
And welcome (and welcome back) to May's newest Sponsors!

   

   

Ace & Jig - yarn-dye woven fabric women's clothing

Sarah's Silks - silk for imaginative play

Simplicity Parenting Ecourse - an online course from Kathy of bliss beyond naptime

Christopherus - Waldorf-inspired homeschool resources for parent and child

Elves & Angels - heirloom quality wooden toys made in Maine

Sweet Skins - organic apparel for men and women

planting time

We are deep in the work of planting right now. Having picked up our annual tree order from FEDCO this weekend, it is a pile of trees, shrubs, and bushes that are the work of these particular days. The order placed what seems like long ago in the quiet days of January, now is in our hands and making its way into the ground here. It feels so good - this setting down of more literal roots in this place we love, the work of breathing fresh air and living with dirt under our fingernails, the promise of goodness to come as these trees mature.

This year we add more apple trees and pear trees to the orchard; more raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry stalks to the ones we began last year; and we plant a big patch of strawberries where the veggie garden last was. As always, there are lots of helping hands in various degrees of involvement in the process. The youngest ones closest by, and the older ones in and out. Ever-ready to dig, to carry buckets of water or compost, or just play in the dirt ("it's SOIL, Mama!" Adelaide corrects me), we have a lot of helping hands.

It will be years still before most of these trees bear any fruit that we can enjoy, and this fact amazes my little ones. It seems so far away - three, four, five years. They do the math to figure out how old they'll be and how old their siblings will be when that Cortland apple tree begins sharing fruit with us, or when we'll have a snack from that Bosc pear tree. They giggle, as if it's just too impossible to imagine that someday they'll be seven, ten, twenty years old. The strawberries they understand more, for it will only be next year that we'll hopefully be enjoying their fruit. Counting the seasons till then, instead of years, they can imagine that much easier, though it still seems far away in their minds. We help them do the math, count the seasons, and smile bittersweetly, knowing of course just how very quickly it will be next spring again, five years from now, and then ten.

But for now, we are here. Moving at the pace of an almost one-year old, a three year old, a six year old, a nine year old and an eleven year old....weaving through the needs of us all within a day. It goes slowly, this work with so many hands. But it is good work, and we are grateful - even if we must remind each other from time to time - for the pace that is required of so many helping hands. A pace that demands we stop to admire each worm; notice the slow, but fast growth of plants (and people); appreciate each tree we place in the ground; and celebrate in the joy of doing it together.