Spring Has Sprung

March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 / handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

The signs are all there now, the crocuses are blossoming, random garlic is coming up. I say random because I didn’t plant any last fall so there must have been bulbs that I missed. A pleasant surprise. The leaves are coming out on my strawberries which I had given up for lost since they had been totally taken over last year. I figured it being their first year they had been choked out. It gives me an opportunity to weed all around them and mulch, we’ll see what happens. No asparagus yet but the rhubarb is coming out of the ground.

The robins are back and I have to tell you there is nothing like hearing their sweet, sweet song. I always forget how much I miss it until I hear it. There is no more obvious a harbinger of spring for me.

Sugaring is over, the last boil was this past Sunday. I was afraid I was going to miss it altogether and had threatened to boil syrup on the stove to make sugar just so I could smell it. The syrup made over the weekend was my favorite, dark and robust as the grading system now tells you. If I’m going to eat maple syrup I want it to really taste like maple.

Things here are coming back down to a new normal. Everything was in place so the transfer of property was seamless. My father’s name has been taken off of everything. The utilities don’t make anything easy to transfer but in my mind I figure if it all takes a month that’s okay.

Dad’s memorial service is next week. The last thing to be taken care of. Looking through hundreds of photographs over the past few days has given me a greater understanding of what it means to have a good life. Sometimes he didn’t see it but he was charmed.

We all need to look through our lives like they are photographs I think. We only take pictures of the good things. The big family events – births, weddings, graduations. Vacations or jobs well finished. When it all comes right down to it it’s the little moments that make up that whole grand life. When I go I want someone to look at the snapshots and say, “Wow, her life was pretty great.” I know I feel as though it has been and I think it’s because I can drop the bad stuff by the wayside.

Live for the moment, don’t dwell on the past, you can’t change any of it. Just remember all of the little gifts because that is what a good life is made of.

25 Random Things About Me

February 19, 2016February 19, 2016 / handmadebyjo / 3 Comments

Anyone who has ever been on Facebook has probably been tagged in one of these schemes or another. A fairly new thing that pops up on my Facebook page is called On This Day. What came up was the 25 Random Things About Me that I wrote in 2009. Upon reading it I was struck by how relevent it is today so I thought I’d share.

25 Random Things About Me

1. I live in two worlds – urban and rural. I’m sooo in love with the rural and try to make my urban residence feel as rural as I can. I’m one of the fortunate few in Enfield to actually have more than a postage stamp yard so I have large perennial gardens. We used to sit in Adirondack chairs every night and pretend it was quiet and peaceful (with the traffic going by and the jets making their landing approach to Bradley). Now we have inconsiderate neighbors who let their dogs out into their postage stamp yard abutting ours and they just sit and bark at us (the owners stay in the house). Sometimes people are jerks.

2. I’m currently unemployed but I have a long list of jobs I’ve had beginning with picking blueberries for Jack Cable in Heath. When I think about it now – that job would kill me. I’ve worked as a bookkeeper for Lamson & Goodnow, a photographer for at least 4 different studios over the years as well as owning my own for about 5. I worked as a Nuclear Engineering Clerk, a waitress – which is one of my favorite jobs, sad as that is. I’ve been an Activities Assistant in long-term care, worked in hospice and with people with dementia. I’ve set up offices, been in Administrative Support and was an Executive Assistant to the CEO of a large corporation (if you’ve ever seen “The Devil Wears Prada”, that was totally my job). My favorite job has been mom to my two girls and a fine job I did (with Bill’s help of course).

3. I love dogs, all kinds of dogs. I could have 20 of them but my family keeps me in check. Someday you will read about the lonely old lady who’s house was condemned and they took away 30 dogs.
4. Gardening is a passion. I think I got it from my mother. Flowers mostly and I photograph them all the time.

5. I prefer to drive a standard shift car. One with power.

6. I’m a pile person. I keep my papers in piles. I have a very good memory and know where everything is unless someone touches something.

7. I can multitask like you can’t believe – kinda scary sometimes.

8. I’ve been working on the genealogy of the Alix and Semanie families for over 8 years. I love social history but my kids get scared looks in their eyes when I tell them I can make history come alive for them.

9. I photographed over 4,000 historic quilts for the state of Connecticut’s Quilt Search Project (and made many friends along the way).

10. I collect vintage cabinet cards (old photographs made between 1880 and 1900 or so but only with children and dogs on them. It’s a little surprising how many other people collect them as well.

11. I make hand bound books with photographs and stories for my family.

12. I’m a very good cook. We entertain every Saturday night in Rowe. I love it because it gives me an opportunity to plan a great meal, serve great wine and have a fabulous dessert and I have the whole day (usually) to work on it. It’s actually very relaxing for me – and then we have people over that make us laugh until we’re sick (isn’t that supposed to be therapeutic?).

13. I’m a little obsessed with having my own chickens and making cheese these days. A little concerned about where my foods coming from. I’ve been cooking from scratch for a very long time but now I think about growing my own ingredients. My family thinks I’m a little weird.

14. My favorite flowers are lilies.

15. Lake Winnepesaukee is just about my favorite place on earth I think. We usually go there once a year and stay on Bear Island. We never see our truck for the entire time we’re there and do everything by boat. We have a view of Mt. Washington on a clear day and the water is spectacularly clear.

16. I like the idea of community – this may be because I live in an urban area. When we’re in Rowe we are really surrounded by family and friends. Work gets done as a group. Cutting a spitting wood, putting up a building, painting, demolishing and redoing a room, there are always people there to help us or we’re helping them. This is the way life should be I think.

17. I had a rather odd childhood because my Dad is a bit of an eccentric. Someone was laughing the other day when I told them how many times we had our pictures taken on the backs of trains, trolleys or anything that had anything to do with tracks. Train wrecks – oh the excitement of visiting train wrecks.

18. I have about 3 books in me right now but I can’t get them down on paper. I’ll bet everyone else does too they just won’t admit it.

19. I am the laundry queen – no one goes there.

20. I forced my kids to sit and let me photograph them more times that any of us can count. Now I’m glad I did – except they are all in boxes and not sorted out.

21. Wow, 25 things is a lot. Let’s see, my kids are begging me to write down my story (like every kid begs their parents), I just didn’t think I was that old.

22. I had a total knee replacement in December – I’m doing okay, a little freaked out about having a prosthetic and a metal card. Another reason I felt old – everyone that was on the ortho floor with me was over 80.

23. I love walking in the back forty in Rowe.

24. I have big plans for Middletown Hill Rd. A lot happened this year with minor set backs. I think Bill’s a little scared sometimes at the scale of the whole project.

25. I love winter when it is sooo cold the snow crunches under your feet when you take the dogs out for their nightly constitutional and the stars are so bright you can’t believe your eyes.
There, that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about one of your bloggers. Practice this yourself, write down 25 things, be honest. Put it away for a few years (like a time capsule). When you bring it out into the light again, if you were honest, things are probably very much the same. I’ve learned that life – the big picture – really works in slow motion. We want things, we work towards things but everything takes its time. The problem we have is wishing our time away when all we really have to do is work towards what goals we have or be our authentic selves and things slowly unfold the way they should. Maybe that’s the key, stepping away and taking a look at how everything is unfolding. It’s not a race, we have to enjoy the ride.

The Return of the Sun

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 / handmadebyjo / 2 Comments

I read with interest yesterday an article about Candlemas, celebrated on February 2nd, the day halfway between the winter and spring solstices. It is a holiday to celebrate the return of the sun. It was interesting because I was just noticing the lengthening of the days. It’s been easier this year because the winter has been so mild, the temperatures hovering around 50 this week makes it feel like we should be tapping the trees.

This is also when my to do list becomes extremely long and I dare say unrealistic. There is a need to clean out, pare down, remove the cobwebs, air the rooms. It’s like you want to shake off the past year.

I also notice a ramping up of creativity. I just pulled a project from the loom and have three lined up on the table waiting to go on. I have other looms and am seriously thinking of warping all three with different projects. I’m not sure how productive that might be but it’s a thought.

There’s also the rug I continue to hook, the sweater I’m knitting, the teddy bear nearing completion. There are baskets to stain, rooms to paint, furniture to build, cookies to bake. Uhm, yeah, I’m out of control here.

In addition to that a case of wanderlust has come over me. I just want to get into the car and drive, preferably to water (I daresay I’d have to drive to the ocean because everything here is still covered with ice). I don’t even know why the water part matters, I want to visit fiber stores and quilt shops. I want to wind my way through New Hampshire to Maine touching handspun yarn and fine woolen fabric. Looking at looms and shuttles. Changing up the scenery, dreaming up big projects (like I don’t have enough already).

Feels like a serious case of spring fever to me, or maybe just an effort to shake off what has been a harrowing month. Then again it could be something like a mid-life crisis only well beyond the mid-point. Let’s see how this all shakes out.

Review 2015

December 31, 2015December 31, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 3 Comments

Every year I post a year in review that is largely visual in nature. It seems that this year may prove to be different. There have been so many profound changes that the photographs would only just scratch the surface. I’ll throw a few in for good measure though, I can’t resist.

After living with my father for a year and a half I put him back into assisted living. It was a huge learning curve for me – but I learned that I cannot live with negativity day in and day out. Living under a black cloud only drags you into that black abyss and it becomes more and more difficult to climb your way out. In my heart I know it was the right thing to do for everyone involved yet on some level it feels like failure. I’m working on getting over that in ways that feed my soul.

Living here helped me maintain my sanity. The close proximity to nature was a balm many times during each and every day. Being able to see magnificent sunrises so many mornings began my days in a positive way. It was a summer of rainbows – every day it seemed . Hiking trails at the park, new trails in old familiar places brought discovery and appreciation anew. Let’s face it, it’s quiet here, it smells good and nobody bugs you. What more could the introvert in me want?

Then there were weddings, lots of them. My favorite was the marriage of my daughter – here. Ten people, surrounded by my gardens in full bloom. My favorite moment – the family humming Pachelbel’s Canon in D while Amanda and her father walked down the little makeshift aisle, thanks Cait for getting it rolling. Although Amanda and Yusuf have been together for 9 years and we all knew this was coming it still felt like we were giving her away. It was a line for me, both joyous and sad.

As if all of this wasn’t enough November 11th was the birth of our first grandchild. A boy who dear husband Bill never thought he was going to see (and now has big plans for). Another shift in my life – from mother to grandmother. I’m not sure how it affects other people but the generational shift has always been a profound one for me. When Amanda was born it took me a while to wrap my head around going from daughter to mother, I’m still getting use to the idea of going from mom to grandma. He is wonderful and I’m enjoying watching them grow into a loving family.

All through this the constant has been craft. The ability to make and do things with my hands is the thread. It feeds me – no, it is a necessity. If I wasn’t able to create something, on a daily basis, I would have sunk into that deep, dark hole long ago. It sustains me. It seems odd to me in some ways to admit this. I have been a crafter all of my life. My modus operandi is to learn a new craft, work it to what I deem the best I am capable of (more of a plateau really) and move on to the next craft. This year was all about weaving – again. It was the realization that I’ve been searching my entire life for what my hands knew how to do. Weaving has connected me to my past, to people I remember and loved the most. It is something that will probably take the rest of my life to move towards perfection. Meanwhile it calms me and helps me to reflect on daily life, meditation. Something we all need and I daresay find in little things we do. We just need to recognize it.

The new year is promising in so many ways. Growth is what it’s all about. I’ll keep on sharing my skills and insights. I’ll watch my family and friends embrace the changes in their lives and hold them all close because really, that’s what it’s all about.

The Love of Handwork

October 29, 2015October 30, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 3 Comments

Fall has come and gone up in the hills – we are now entering the halcyon days. Days with that feeling of urgency to get things done before the snow flies. There are a handful of projects that I really should get done before dark today but a post from a friend struck such a chord with me this morning I needed to share it.

Screw Finding Your Passion by Mark Manson was a post that was music to my ears. It’s something I’ve known intuitively my entire adult life yet I’d bought into what others had told me. I needed a plan, I should find what I love to do and make a living doing that. In the back of my mind I was sort of calling bullshit because my passions are many. They are always evolving. I am one of those people who moves from craft to craft but will only move on when the obsession has brought what I consider perfection. I will work a skill to its highest level I know.

I’ve been this way my entire life. Focus and move on. The problem is that as far as society is concerned what I’ve focused on has never been a way “to make a living”. I think the reality is there are many ways to make a living and without a passion for something it sometimes doesn’t seem worth it. I’ve almost always worked a job that was less than exciting while I pursued my passions.

I’ve recently begun weaving baskets again after a twenty year or more hiatus. Basketry goes hand in hand with weaving textiles – all have the same structure, just different materials. Baskets are 3 dimensional, practical and the materials are fairly inexpensive. I could go harvest things in my back forty to weave and it’s been just another reason to go for a walk about to see what’s out there. Always a different way to see.

With so many years of crafting under my belt I have found now that my real passion is for teaching others to do these things. I feel everyone should make something with their hands – to feel the satisfaction of a finished product unique to them. Learning a craft expands your way of thinking, exercises your brain. As we get older I think we all need to continually learn something new.

I’ve begun teaching people to weave baskets, of all kinds. I started by conning my daughter and grandson into making one. Making these things is an all day affair so it’s not always easy to convince someone it’s worth doing.

Yes, they were smiling here but by the end they were grumbling. I look at this as planting seeds. I was asked why would they need to know how to do this? I told them they now had skills – if they ever needed a vessel they would know how to make one. And their vessels were beautiful and I think they both walked away proud of that they accomplished. Maybe some day they will want to make another.

I put out a message on social media that if anyone wanted to learn to make a basket to contact me and we would do it. People responded and I am teaching which is good but there has been a huge unexpected bonus.

Weeks after I shared I’d be doing this I was contacted by a dear friend from several lifetimes ago. I had not seen or spoken to her for over 18 years. She was visiting her sister and they wanted to make a trip to Fort Pelham Farm to make a basket.

The results speaks for itself but I have to say that the passion for weaving baskets has changed from the crafting of the basket itself to the crafting and cultivation of friendships, new and old. Honestly, that’s something I can truly be passionate about.

Projects Ending and Beginning

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 5 Comments

I just realized how very long it’s been since I’ve been here. Life is full.

The room renovation is almost complete – crown moulding needs to go up and to do that I need to learn to cope. Fortunately there are only really the four corners to worry about. We’ll see how that goes. The room is so much better. The bad juju has all but disappeared. Funny what a lot of paint will do.

My latest krokbragd is off of the loom, I’m currently doing a woven edge. It’s slow going – more so because there are so many other things that need attention. First a couple of comments on this project. I used rug wool from Brassard in Canada for the weft in this. It worked up quickly but didn’t pack as well as the last krokbragd I wove using Harrisville Shetland. The heathered yarn in this is beautiful though. I thought I planned this project well as far as color was concerned. I had everything lined up and numbered, bobbins wound, I was proud of myself because I’m such a wing it kind of person. Well, none of it really went according to plan. The time came to change over to the next color and I would just pick something different. I’ve decided that these mats/rugs are to be woven in a more organic way. They evolve while on the loom. I planned on 8 colors, bought 11 colors from Brassard, then a third of the way into it picked up some rug yarn elsewhere to work in. Because of the weight of the yarn this is definitely something I can see on the floor. All in all it’s quite lovely – I can live with it. All of you creatives out there know what I’m talking about, that’s really high praise.

My tomatoes, cucumbers and squash plants are at the end of their hardening off period. I will probably till the garden for the second time tomorrow (around the rows of potatoes) and plant the beginning of next week. The weather here has been kind of crazy. Hot, no rain save a torrential downpour a couple of days ago. I hate to plant things and have to water them everyday. Other years it’s so wet and cold I’ve planted things multiple times. It’s never perfect. How dull life would be if it was.

Enough

March 24, 2015March 24, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 4 Comments

Sunrise this morning looks the same as most of the sunrises have for a while. It was 9 degrees. Yesterday’s high was 27. The sap has yet to start running (other than possibly one afternoon last week) but everything is ready to go. The snow has compressed some so the wind that has been blowing for the past few days is not whipping it into your face when you’re outdoors.

My chickens went on strike over the weekend. At first I was worried they were eating their eggs but there was no evidence. They are simply sick of the cold as well, I’m sure. They started laying again yesterday, much to my relief. I didn’t think I would worry about my birds as much as I have this past winter.

It feels as though I am in a state of suspended animation. I know spring will get here but at the same time I wonder if it really will. I’m waiting for the lamb part of March and we’re getting dangerously close to the end of its days without it really feeling like spring. I haven’t even planned the garden. I’ve been asked a few times these past few weeks what it will look like this year. I have a vague idea because there will be some big changes this year but haven’t commit anything to paper. Haven’t ordered my seeds, haven’t even checked out what I have. Guess I should do a germination test on some.

I think today I’ll do that, get out the seed, draw out the plan, dream about summer. The sun is brightly shining and quite possibly I could see some mud in the driveway before late afternoon. When I feed the chickens this morning I’ll close my eyes and listen to the birds singing their spring songs and dream about hummingbirds and orioles at my feeders. With that I may even start some tomato seeds just to see something green growing, even if it’s only on the window sill.

Whining (Like Everyone Else)

February 20, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 5 Comments

This is the scene outside of one of the windows facing north. I love the way the shadow of smoke moves around the snow-covered yard. That being said the other feeling that pops into my head is exhaustion. Yup, I’m tired. Tired of the snow, tired of hauling wood in, tired of being cooped up in the house with the subzero temperatures making it decidedly unpleasant to be outdoors.

Damn it’s been cold. Not only low temperatures but the wind chill has been brutal. Yup, we have the best snowshoeing I’ve seen in years but the wind just makes it impossible to enjoy. Sigh.

The wood stove has been a blessing, a wonderful respite when returning from the cold. Stand and slowly turn in front of it, like a rotisserie until your jeans are so hot you can’t stand it anymore (and sometimes I wonder if I’m not risking second degree burns – it would smell before I spontaneously combust, right?).

The way the weather has been my wood supply will last through March (if I’m lucky). There are two other piles outside but they are under 3 to 4 feet of snow so I’d have to want it pretty bad to get it. We had over 6 cords in the fall, down to a cord and a half.

Spring is coming. The sun is so warm and we’ve been seeing it a little more often. It might be below freezing but the ice is melting on the south side of the house and it’s doing its springtime job of heating the house in the morning. Those builders knew what they were doing when they situated a house in 1790, passive solar.

Snow in the forecast for tomorrow. Wildly fluctuating temperatures for next week but c’mon, March is almost here. So I’ll soak the sun up through the windows, keep the stove loaded and plan and dream about the gardens that are awaiting me under the snow. They’ll be here, they always show up.

Dead of Winter

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 3 Comments

My plan to photograph the sunrise every morning from the same spot has run into a little glitch – the window will soon be completely covered with snow. Maybe if I stand on a chair it’ll work unless we get another couple of feet of snow.

The storms keep coming. Three Mondays in a row we have received over a foot of snow. The small “dustings” during the middle of each week have been more like 8″ to 10″inches. It’s beautiful, light snow since it’s been so cold.

Things are seriously buried. The lump on the left – the table on the patio. The other mounds are piles of snow we’ve moved to make room for more. Always planning for the next storm, that’s the mode we’re in now. The banks are pushed back and piled high waiting for the next storm. The town crew wings back the banks keeping the roads wide and the visibility good. I always took that for granted until I lived in an area that apparently doesn’t own a wing plow. The roads get more and more narrow with each storm and eventually a 4 lane highway is down to 2 lanes and the traffic is insane. Not missing that I can tell you.

Along with the plowing there are things that needed immediate attention with the forecast of yet another couple of snowstorms for the end of this week. The roof on the shed needed to be cleaned off. Although this building was constructed using posts and beams the weight of the snow could easily overwhelm the structure. Better to be safe than sorry.

A phone call made and help arrived. The neighbors dog enjoyed this whole thing quite a bit more than any of us. Dogs and snow are a wonderful combination and they always seem to lighten the mood of winter. They always see the play potential, we could do well to learn that from them.

Looking at the chairs warmer weather seems pretty far off but the sun has been out and the skies are blue. You can feel the difference. The plants know spring is coming. Sugaring will be happening in a few weeks – it always does but when the snow keeps piling up it sometimes seems as though it’s months away.

Aftermath

February 3, 2015February 3, 2015 / handmadebyjo / 5 Comments

As much as some people hate winter I have to tell you that yesterday’s snowstorm was pretty amazing. This morning is one of those bright, clear, blue sky days. It’s really cold. It’s really beautiful.

We have a red squirrel that seems to love looking in the windows of the house. There’s a pile of snow in the corner of the house and the ell that is above the window now and it looks in on us several times during the day. This morning I looked out as the sun was coming up to see the evidence of its peeping. I love how even its tracks to the table are.

I know how incredibly destructive these animals can be but must admit I also think they are one of the cutest rodents there is. It’s a special treat to me to look out the window and have one staring back less than a foot away. Of course it’s not so good when the dogs see the squirrel at that close a range. They tend to be loud and rather destructive to the woodwork. Fortunately they are oblivious most of the time, not expecting to see a squirrel that close while in the house.

Surrounded by wonder and beauty, that’s so much of what happens here on so many occasions.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: