It’s that time of year when the sun stops for a moment in her course. It’s that pregnant pause at the top of the roller coaster just before you cascade down the other side of that first huge hill. We’ve been busy celebrating the season, and visited Lake Huron with friends this weekend. I found a holey stone, which made me smile. In case you don’t know, if you look through a stone with a hole in it, you might... Read more

I’m challenging myself to make some paintings in a small size. These canvasses are only 8″ x 8″. It’s weird working with smaller brush sizes to create the abstract parts of the painting, and then working with truly tiny brushes for the details. I think I’m going to do a theme of elemental women. I think the first one is going to be a mermaid. I’m finding it interesting how quickly I can achieve a nearly finished work. The one... Read more

Back from my hiatus, I have things to share with you. I’ve been writing poetry and painting, and living life a little, along with the usual round of daily life: cleaning, cooking, helping friends and family heal, gardening in my little yard. First I’d like to share a little poem I’m working on. It’s about the earth, and my relationship to her. How I interact on both the physical and emotional level. I feel your pull, earth mother Each and... Read more

I was struggling this week with what I could share with you. I didn’t want to just rehash someone else’s work, and I’ve been so busy in the yard I haven’t had a lot of time to craft. So I decided to just let it go and paint. She’s not finished yet. Deer Woman Scents the Hunter Acrylic on canvas Painting really just fills my soul up. The feel of the brush on the canvas, the explosions of color I... Read more

I’ve been working in my garden since mid February, when we got a warm spell and I turned the compost (stinky!) and cleaned out last years dead plants from the raised beds. I started planting in late February (see, I really am an optimist!) and early March. Peas, lettuces, radishes, spinach, asian greens, collards, and kale. In April I planted carrots, more lettuce and radishes and leeks, and this month, so far, I’ve planted more spinach and lettuces, parsley, sconzera... Read more

I wanted to share the apron I made for my mom for her birthday! I particularly like the teeny tiny pocket on the larger embroidered linen pocket. I love layering pockets, it’s so fun looking and practical for storing bits and bobs. Happy Birthday, Mom! I wanted to share an image of my sauerkraut all bottled up and ready for the fridge. I made myself a lovely sandwich with gluten-free bread, Munster cheese and fresh raw sauerkraut. Yum! I love... Read more

I’ve been spending maybe a little too much time staring at my computer screen lately, but my loss is your gain, because I have a couple of really neat things I want to share with you. First is an online magazine from Canada, called Antler. They have five beautiful issues out now. Lots of dreamy eye candy and neat stuff. My favorite issue is #2, Wunderkammer. Lots of sureal images, taxidermy, and weird old stuff. Yay! Second think I wanted... Read more

Recently I’ve been on a sewing kick. Aprons to sell, aprons for presents, baby presents, clothes for the girls and for me hopefully, though everyone else goes first. I picked up some wonderful vintage tablecloths at Goodwill recently, and some really nice fabrics. My favorite ways to find fabric at thrift shops: Look through the linens section. Sheets and curtains can provide quality cotton prints for shirts, dresses, and aprons. Damask valances make neat vests, and the stiff fabric can... Read more

The green world has been calling me again to go outside to smell the earthy spring air. Spring flowers are finally making an appearance in my yard, little honey scented crocus bulbs, scilla, and the first siberian irises are blooming. I’ve been starting plants inside as well, a long list of them: indigo spinach kale collards lettuce salad burnet snapdragons stock Goodies to eat, goodies to smell, and goodies to dye with! Since so much of my time is spent... Read more

So today was my spring saurkraut making day. I make it every spring and every fall now, about 25 lbs of it. And now you’re thinking, “What could that woman be doing with that much sauerkraut?” (check out my new apron, I just made it!) We do eat a lot of sauerkraut, but we give a lot away too. It’ll happen to you too if you start to make it. A friend, a parent, an in-law, they’ll try it, and... Read more