Happy Halloween, I think

One of my children's most favorite holidays and my least favorite holiday is finally here. They successfully have constructed costumes out of things they had or things from the thrift shop. My only purchase of Halloween glop was a bottle of *hopefully* wash-out purple hair dye.....

E announced this morning that she was looking forward to the Candy Sprite visiting tonight. I have never heard of this little creature, but apparently the Candy Sprite has visited other children in her class, leaving items such as American Girl Doll clothing in exchange for candy. Harrumph. I'd like to leave a big bowl of beautiful veggies in exchange for the candy. Think it would work??

I brought back the masks they are wearing from New Orleans. They are not wearing them tonight, but tomorrow night at a neighborhood party.

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Waxing Leaves

We waxed leaves today. I love having a stash of leaves preserved for our mantel at Thanksgiving. I save all my beeswax candle stubs throughout the year and then add them to a big juice can of wax. I also have an old pot that I use because it is inevitable that wax will get on it and in it. It's my own little double boiler system for wax.


Once the wax is hot, I move it to a table covered with newspapers and let the kids have at it. Some of the leaves were pressed, others were fresh.

Aren't they beautiful?

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The Sunday Drive

When I was young, my parents often packed us up with a picnic and a frisbee and headed off for a drive in the country. I remember playing frisbee on village commons, browsing too many antique shops, and lying in the back of the station wagon watching the trees fly by overhead. My Mom says that she used to go on Sunday drives when she was young.


Our family calls these Sunday drives "Rambles" and yesterday we went on one. It was a warm, sunny autumn day and the leaves were just GLOWING. We seldom have a destination in mind. We always bring our Gazetteer which lists every tiny road in Vermont as we try to get off the beaten path. Our only destination, really, is a beautiful or funky spot for ice cream or coffee at the midway point.


What autumn ramble can be without a stop at a farm stand? Here the owner of this little old farm was selling butternut squash for .25/lb. I bought about a dozen to roast and freeze.


In our family, the most perfect ramble includes a little community bookstore. Yesterday's find was a combination bookstore, coffee shop, and drumming jam. We had a luscious time sipping our coffees and hot chocolate, checking out some new books, and listening to the drummers.


The end of our ramble included driving over one of the mountain gaps to get back home.

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Despair and Hope

This week I traveled to New Orleans for a conference. I've been trying to find the words to describe it all and words fail me. First I saw the French Quarter, once so vibrant and full of musicians and life...faded. Faded is the word I found because there was music in the air and some tourists in the streets, but also many buildings for sale and many under renovation.

Moving every so gently downhill toward the water, the city is no longer faded. It's devastated. I saw miles upon miles of empty homes all with the "New Orleans Tattoo." In this house here, the AZ crew couldn't get in as the water was too high (thus the NE--no entry). After the water retreated, they found someone in the right apartment. The roof as an ax hole where the residents on the left had managed to get out.

It's two years later and still the homes sit empty, some still full. There are entire strip malls sitting empty with grass growing up through the parking lots. There is just one grocery store that opened only a couple of months ago. The only store open amongst all the big boxes is....yup....Home Depot. The hospitals sit abandoned. The schools remain abandoned.

The people of St. Bernard's Parish are still living in travel trailers. This photo is of their community-- a parking lot around a boarded up city hall.

Two years later, you can still see scenes like this. There are signs for trauma counseling and many, many real estate signs.











There are signs of hope. Habitat for Humanity has built dozens of these homes in the lower 9th Ward. I've always had respect for Habitat for Humanity, but now I see the incredible work they've done here.

I have learned a lot on this trip--I've learned how historically significant New Orleans is to the story of our country. I've learned how important this major port is to our Nation's economy. I've learned how politicized our nation is over protecting the environment. Most importantly, I've learned how much the people of New Orleans truly love their city and somehow seem to have found the strength to continue on even after the rest of America has allowed it to fade from the national consciousness. Somehow America has to remember again, be made aware of what still needs to be done and what is still very much threatened. If we don't, our past, present, and future will become a muddy swirl.

I sit here in an airport with one entire terminal darkened. No shops OR COFFEE. A 1/2 empty plane. And yet, there is hope and joy, great music and food, and incredible passion for this city.

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October in Vermont brings...

color to our hills

romps in the woods

apples to be picked

antique shows to peruse

and one happy dog named Odin.

Hope your autumn weekend was as wonderful as ours!

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Deep in the Earth

In an effort to follow my own Michaelmas advice, H and I spent several long hours planting bulbs last weekend. It was hard, grunt work as our soil is rocky and needed extra attention. Planting bulbs has always been a very satisfying experience for the children--the image of life emerging after such a long, dark time underground is an important one. Perhaps this is why they have read and read The Story of the Root Children.

As we worked in the heat and dirt, I wondered what was going on in H's head as she seemed very satisfied and happy. She wanted to hollow out a tree stump and plant some bulbs in it. I told her that it probably wouldn't be warm enough and we might actually kill them by doing that. Silence.

Then she said, "We humans kill a lot don't we?" The conversation continued as we dug away and she came to, "Well, it's never OK to kill, but it's OK to die for something." We talked a bit more until we once again became immersed in our work. I think the conversation rested as deep inside her as the bulbs were deep among the dirt and leaves.

She's grown a bit beyond "The Root Children," but the work and the bulbs still did their magic.


THE CROCUS
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Beneath the sunny autumn sky,
With gold leaves dropping round,
We sought, my little friend and I,
The consecrated ground,
Where, calm beneath the holy cross,
O'ershadowed by sweet skies,
Sleeps tranquilly that youthful form,
Those blue unclouded eyes.

Around the soft, green swelling mound
We scooped the earth away,
And buried deep the crocus-bulbs
Against a coming day.
"These roots are dry, and brown, and sere;
Why plant them here?" he said,
"To leave them, all the winter long,
So desolate and dead."

"Dear child, within each sere dead form
There sleeps a living flower,
And angel-like it shall arise
In spring's returning hour."
Ah, deeper down cold, dark, and chill
We buried our heart's flower,
But angel-like shall he arise
In spring's immortal hour.

In blue and yellow from its grave
Springs up the crocus fair,
And God shall raise those bright blue eyes,
Those sunny waves of hair.
Not for a fading summer's morn,
Not for a fleeting hour,
But for an endless age of bliss,
Shall rise our heart's dear flower

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Wool Arts Tour

We had the most fun day yesterday. Southern New Hampshire was hosting a "Wool Arts Tour" with 5 different farms and yarn shops hosting spinners, felters, knitters, weavers, and other crafters. We met the wonderful alpaca above, ate a localvore lunch put on by a historical society, and drank in the beauty of the foliage and wool.



We ended up the day at an old renovated mill with local brews and potato skins. Can't get much better than that. We all (except for our fearless driver) accomplished quite a bit of knitting in the car as well.

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More Handmade Christmas

Meet Pix and Kathleen. I made these two dolls for the girls a few years ago. E still plays with Kathleen, but, sadly H has put Pix away. To make these dolls I used the Magic Cabin pattern. I have tried other patterns and have found this one to be easiest. I've also used the pattern to make big gnomes out of old sweaters.

There is something quite magical about making a doll. I love how the doll's personality slowly comes forth. I had intended the blond doll to actually be a fairy for H and the redhead doll to be for my redhead E. However, as the dolls began to take shape, Kathleen, the larger-headed blond, just seemed to want to be for E, and sweet little Trix just seemed right for H. I must confess that I have as much, if not more attachment to them than the girls.

I really don't like to make doll clothes. Luckily, these dolls fit into "Bitty Baby" size from American Girl so I look for clothes when I go to craft fairs.

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Take Back Halloween

I am something of a curmudgeon when it comes to Halloween these days. In our rural area, the children no longer trick or treat in their neighborhoods but are driven to town where hundreds descend. People from the outlying areas send candy to help. In the town near us, they close off several streets and there is something of a contest to see who can create the most elaborate Halloween displays--lights, sounds, those huge blow-up pumpkins, etc. It's a massive light and sound fest of imported plastic from China.

Our children have ALREADY decided with their classmates where they will meet and know which houses give out the best stuff--one house gives out big tins of Altoids to every kid, another distributes gift bags with pencils and stickers. It's all about getting as much as possible. The gesture is take, take, take.

Last year the children had so much candy that E's pumpkin handle broke from the weight. Our children actually don't like much candy and for years forgot about it and we quietly threw it away. Now they don't forget, and, while they don't really eat it, they feel like it is "theirs". So, one year they "traded it in" for a little toy. What's that all about? We buy the candy to give out, then we buy it BACK AGAIN, then we throw it away. Talk about ridiculous consumption.

So, I want to take back Halloween. In an ideal world, I'd have them make funky costumes out of fun stuff from the thrift store. We'd trick or treat to the 8 houses in our neighborhood. We'd come up with some funny tricks and our neighbors would all gather for cider and a potluck afterwards.

I'll have no problem getting them to skip the costumes at Walmart, but to skip the scene downtown? I have my doubts. Boo.

Edited to add: LOL my kids have no idea what this post is about, but were delighted to make up a costume and pose. I've decided to talk to them about this and see if they'd be into trying to create a neighborhood Halloween that's truly spooky.

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October

I caught a glimpse of this tree full of cobwebs while I was driving to school the other day. I had to stop and try to get a photo--seemed like a good photo for October 1st. To my girls October is all about spooky things. I feel otherwise and am most excited about the wool arts tour we're taking this weekend in NH.

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