Christmas Memories

The Sun is reluctant to show itself this morning, but I see clouds in the west with highlights so I know it is there. Finally the a red patch hits a distant mountain and I know we will have a sunny day. The shortest day of light has passed us by so I look forward to more light and the highlights of snow in January.

Yesterday I took a morning trip to visit my once baby, Footstep, now a grown cow, at a nearby farm. Unable to keep her I sold her to a family with a good farm and a daughter who takes good care of her. It has been hard to let go. Footstep was a tiny premature calf who took a tremendous amount of care to bring her to the age she should have been born at. I had not seen her for a long time and when I looked at the group of jerseys, was not even sure who she was. She had calved for her first time and being winter all the coats were long. I stood looking and examining and one cow near me looked back at me also looking examining. Something in her face was familiar, but her face was mostly black, unlike the Footstep I knew. I spoke questioning, "Footstep?" and she came right over to me. I scratched her under her chin and brushed her, talked to her, telling her how good it was to see her. It came time to leave and I told my once baby I loved her and then drove away. The soft light snowflakes of Christmas Day fell on the quiet farmland and set a mood of peace in our pastoral town.

I also stopped to see her mom, Steppin Up, in the barn where I help feed baby calves and gave her a special brushing. Then home, back to our little plot on the hill where our small tree had gentle lights cheerfully welcoming me home.

Cold Hands at November's End

My hands were quite cold in the morning breeze but my heart warmed as the sun crept across the fields, hedgerows and mountains. It is the last day of November and although the air is cool in this strong breeze, it is nice to see the sun. I practice Tai Chi high above my home and enjoy the vast space and feeling of freedom that this spot always gives me.

Back home I work on more batik and finish new scarves, purses , and the multitude of details required before any Art and Craft event. My batik helper, Singer, watches and then carefully inspects my work.

Last weekend I had my batik and other items at the Vermont Farmers Market Christmas Fair in Poultney, Vermont. A wonderful collection displayed their farm products and Art and Craft wares.

December 10 & 11th the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls will hold an Art And Craft Fair Open house that I am eagerly planning to bring my work to. The old Shirt Factory is on the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets

Garden Works in Salem, New York also has my prints and cards in their beautiful barn store and Larac's Lapham Gallery has a tremendous selection of artisans work displayed in their elegant Gallery of which my work is a part.
All of us are bustling as the Christmas Holiday approaches!!

Awesome Autumn!

The day shone brightly in the morning sun with snow covering everything. The first snow is not welcome in October, yet the brilliance of light was uplifting to me after the previous week of dark, foggy, damp and raining mornings. I grabbed my camera, dressed warmly and climbed the hill behind our house, capturing what I could of the unexpected beauty.
The snow had fallen on many autumn trees and there were glimpses of color revealed across the broad expanse of farms , fields, woodland and the majestic Adirondack Mountains in the distance. It was the first time in a week that I had climbed here to practice Tai Chi and feel the freedom of the vast expanse before me.
The jeweled emerald green fields were hidden under the snow which fortunately we had only a small accumulation of. My cow Steppin Up emerged from under the big Pine tree unscathed by the snow and ready to eat hay.
As the day went on, the snow quickly melted and throughout our county, herds of cows horses, sheep, lamas and goats were happily scattered over the fields greedily eating as if the imminent arrival of winter had signaled the end of grazing.
Dyeing my fabric was also a bit cold, but I tried to do all I could because soon I'd be forced indoors to do my batik for the winter months.

Spooooooky Time of Year

Dragons, The great god Pan summoning wood creatures, Gandalf and Shadowfax, the Ent Trees from The Lord of the Rings, The Archetypal Mask, The Black Riders. These are all batik images of the mysterious side of life that comes to life on Halloween!!!!!!!!!

October is a Wonderful Time for Dyeing

The air has been crisp, and the sky bright many of these October days as I begin my day high up on the hill behind my house practicing Tai Chi. The hills have had their phase of mad wild color celebrating the end of harvest season. The mountains a multidude of color accented dramatically by the abundant clouds. I have enjoyed absorbing the warm air and sun rays to start my day, but lately the morning have been darker, damp and cool, hopefully giving way to sun as it climbs higher in the sky, the angle of light changing daily.
Not too hot, the mosquitos and flies gone, it is a wonderful time for dyeing cloth! I have my tubs of dye and the rinse sink out next to our home and can drip to my heart's content. All kinds of fabric items are being dyed now from batik hangings to scarves and various sizes of puses.
Our faithful jersey cow, "Steppin Up," is home for a short vacation, (her dry period, getting her baby ready the last weeks before calving), before going back to the barn where she milks. She watches the proceeding with a calm interest. You will notice the fence is used for a temporary clothes line for my items to drip dry. I am grateful for this time to expand into the yard and do my batik in the warm sun.

After the Rain!!!!!!!!!!

The rain has been continuously with us since Irene hit and devastated so many of our neighbors. The hot sunny mornings have vanished into mornings of gloom. Still there is lots of beauty in my surroundings as the water gives it's accents to the cherry tomatoes, asparagus ferns, rasberries, trumpet vine and roses.

The colors are also beginning to come to the fall change and there are hints of yellows, reds, oranges and browns.

The Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival held the end of September at the Washington County Fairgrounds was filled with beautiful animals and so many fine things. Lots of wonderful people visited and I had fun talking with customers and neighbors.

I brought many of my small prints and cards to Gardenworks this week. What a gorgeous store it is! The big old barn filled with flowers, plants, unique farm oriented gifts and a lovely gallery upstairs amidst the dried flowers below the massive old beams. I love to have my work there because it is in farm country, 1055 route 30, Salem, New York. And yes, Amity Farm Batik has lots of "farmscapes," garden scenes, as well as horses and some unicorns also have been known to appear. It is the perfect place for my work to be.