Snapshot

I see gray skies through the kitchen window.  Against the sky, branches are dancing, leaves waving wildly.

I hear the hum of a fan in the basement, urging away the damp that crept in with the last rain.

I smell breakfast in the skillet: turnips, sweet onions, and farm fresh eggs.

I taste morning coffee.  Hazelnut.

I feel blessed, content in the haven of my country home.

It was summer yesterday, warm and muggy.  I woke in the wee hours of morning to cold air blustering in the windows.  I closed the glass against the chill.  Suddenly, it is September.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you awareness of your blessings.

Farm Stand Reflections

When I went back to college a few years ago, I did not know it would lead to this...
 
    I am sitting on a hot day in August on the side of a busy highway.  In front of me, there is a table partially covered in a red-striped cloth.  A basket overflows with sweet Walla Walla onions.  Beside them is a display of yellow cooking onions.  So far, no one else has noticed them.  Traffic flies by.  Busy people are on their way to somewhere.  But to me, these onions tell the story of my year.

     In the winter, I ordered seeds and onions sets.  In spring, I planted.  All summer, I hoed and weeded and watered.  Now, as cool nights and hints of color in the maple leaves remind me of Autumn's approach, I have harvested and cleaned these onions.
 
  I think they are beautiful.  They are large, and for the most part, unblemished.  They were grown with nothing but nature and good old fashioned exertion.

    So, I sit here, alone with my thoughts, as the cars fly past.

     It strikes me that life is like a maze; full of twists and turns, false starts and dead ends.  It doubles back on itself sometimes.  I wonder... am I spiraling out, away from the center of things, or flowing in toward the heart?

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you a heart full of gratitude.

Sunday Stroll - Bramble Walk

Today, when I take a walk, I will head out through the deep woods to the clearing where the wild blackberries grow.  Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours picking, got wet from toe to hip because of heavy rain recently, and only got two cups of deep crimson blackberries.  They taste like a hint of heaven and their harvest is just beginning.  We will have to pick berries daily for the next week or two in order to keep ahead of the birds.  Having said that, there are plenty to go around.  The berry bramble flourishes here, with little interference on our part.

We will be planting a few blueberry bushes on the farm today.  We bought five plants from a roadside stand the other day.  The "blueberry guy" who sold them to us was country folk, pure and simple, and for over an hour regaled us with stories of growing organic produce and roses.  His description of how to plant the blueberry bushes was detailed and exacting.  I am going to attempt to follow his instructions to the letter.  He sounded as if he knew what he was talking about.  There is a special wisdom in people who work with the earth and growing things that I can't ignore.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you contentment and joy.

The Slow Down

Summer is flying.  I want it to slow down.  I begin teaching summer school next Monday, and suddenly I am realizing that this beautiful season will soon be gone.  I will love and embrace autumn when it arrives, but until then, I want to be gloriously and completely saturated by summer.

Let the deep rich joy of being in the garden permeate my soul.  Let the fresh air move through my spirit and brush away the cobwebs.  Let the colors and light lift me out of dull routines and sloppy habits.

Let me bloom and grow...

            hair down,

                 feet bare,

                       heart wide open.

Wherever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you fresh air and an open heart.

My Sanctuary

My sanctuary has thousands of birch leaves rustling softly,
Bird chatter,
And wind song.
My sanctuary has ancient apple trees,
Extending arms full of tiny green apples.
There are dappled pools of sunlight,
Flecked with black-eyed Susan, field daisies,
And tall grasses whose seed heads dance.

I do not need to pray in my sanctuary;
My sanctuary is a prayer,
of gratitude,
and wholeness,
and belonging.


Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you sanctuary and belonging.

Observations

So much of my life on the farm involves being observant.

I must notice when it rains, and when it has been too long so that I know when to water.

I observe the health and activity of my hens and their rooster.  Has one hen gone broody?  Has she been sitting those eggs too long?  

Will it get cold again tonight?  Are there any plants that I need to cover?  I know the sweet potatoes will not respond well to these 45 degree nights.

This morning, I took my usual walk to the chicken coop.  The rooster "assaulted" me several times.     Apparently, he woke up on the wrong side of the roost!  I also stopped to watch the new bee hive. It makes me very nervous that I observed nothing at the hive.   It may be that it is so cold they have crowded up inside the hive.  I will be keeping my eye on them today, watching for that bright flurry of comings and goings that I usually see as the bees hurry off to the field full of daisies, buttercups, goats beard, clover, and sweet delicate blue flax.

I have an all day event to attend today.  I will enjoy my time with friends, but I have to admit that I am wishing I would be at home on the farm, tending to gardens and livestock and cooking something with fresh, just-picked, ingredients.  

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you joy in the small things.

Photo of the grapeyard looking southeast down the long field, taken earlier this week.

Rainy Sunday

It rained all night and is raining still.  On this cool rainy day, I will stay indoors and catch up on some housework that has piled up on brighter days.  The garden is flourishing, but I hope some brilliant sunshine follows the several days of rain that we have had recently.

Where ever you are, whatever the weather, I wish you contentment.