strawberries and smocking

A phone call last evening from my neighbor, it is the last days of strawberry picking, an invitation ensued. We headed out to the fields this morning and I came home with a gallon of the ending season's bounty. The strawberries this year have been deliciously sweet, and I have found a way to make them have a longer life if kept in the refrigerator with a few simple tips. Place unwashed berries in a Tupperware container, or any such container with a tight fit will work fine, then layer the berries with wax paper on the bottom and a paper towel on top. Tighlty secure the container's top and place it into the refrigerator. I was pleased to find the berries lasted over a week when prepared in this way. Since today's berries are the last of the crop, I do not expect them to last as long, but tomorrow I have big plans for them anyway.

The gentle art of smocking a garment keeps me happy. A pink batiste gown was completed and Charlotte is enjoying wearing it to bed at night. We are venturing to the Green Mountain State next Friday and Charlotte has asked if I might have her robe smocked and sewn so she will have it to wear. I was right on schedule, until I realized I had pleated, blocked, and smocked two right sides. Woe! I sat outside on the back porch and ripped out the gentle smocking, consoling myself that this was only a minor setback. Grace was applied, the pleating was completed, the blocking was done, and I plan to begin to smock once again his evening. Only a small kink!

Right?

signatures of May

May comes with a pomp and a circumstance...leaving many signatures of activity that must be consciously enjoyed in their simplicity.

*cherry red geraniums potted for the front porch
*co-hosting a bridal shower with Claire, for her sister
*sweet strawberries to pick in the fields
*smocking a robe for Charlotte
*a barred owl to observe in the woods
*fermented lemonade set to brew
*listening to Elisabeth Elliot reruns
*suppers on the patio
*end of year testing
*preparing a trip to Vermont in early June
*visiting and shopping with Rose
*harvesting sage
*piano recitals
*a garden dance performance
*a strings concert in the backyard
*checking the bee hives
*graduation parties to attend

the plum...yarnalong

Reading and knitting equals a wonderful time to join with Ginny's yarnalong this day in May.

It exists because of the snow. My husband drove me to the yarn shop in late February so that I could  purchase some wool with this project in mind. It was very cold outside and predictions of more snow were in the forecast. Of course, there was the other matter of me desiring to improve my continental knitting and the exercise of knitting a sweater for my daughter appeared to be a sensible thing to do. My local yarn shop did not carry Classic elite yarn in her shop, so it was suggested I try Cascade yarn. Other than reworking the gauge and going down two needle sizes, all went well with its sizing.  Since I thought of plums as I knitted the sweater in the multi-colored yarn, I named it as such.

A very good childhood friend of mine first introduced me to J.R.R. Tolkien when we were about eleven years old. I was not impressed with this trilogy even though she praised Tolkien and shared parts of these books with me. I could tuck myself away for hours and read, but fantasy or science fiction of any sort were always put aside for other classic novels or a well-written biography. Then I entered adulthood, and while science fiction still stirs no interest whatsoever,  I have discovered the delight in the pages of other books  included those written by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.  Frankly, I am not sure I would have grasped the gems of some of these novels back then as a child. Because I have read to my children throughout the years, I am taken away to places I missed as an eleven year old, and the journey makes me happy. Charlotte and I have been reading the The Hobbit together. 

"You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!"

from my window

Upstairs I sit today. And I wrote a post you may read here.

A Simple Woman's Daybook...April 2015

 Outside my window...
the greenness awes me, if I could count the different shades of green the list would go on and on

I am thinking and praying for...
a dear friend that is having surgery today. Two years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and after chem, radiation, and now it has shown up in her other breast.

I am thankful...
 for merino wool rolags from Friends in Fiber which arrived at my doorstep today, dyed the most beautiful colors labeled English Garden, Dusty Green, and Nutmeg.

I am wearing...
a black linen skirt, a white linen blouse, and a cotton cardigan with a turquoise geometric shaped design running throughout it, oh, and Jambu walking shoes on my feet.

I am sewing...
a smocked pink nightgown for Charlotte.

I am going...
to do a little more cleaning, and then I plan to have a cup of tea and sit outside on the porch and read with Charlotte.

I am wondering...
if I should take advantage of April Cornell's summer cotton dress sale and order one of the dresses I have been admiring.

I am reading...
an autobiography by Reeve Lindbergh, the daughter of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Under A Wing.

In the kitchen...
braised chicken thighs with red potatoes and carrots, alongside beet greens sauteed in olive oil and garlic

I am looking forward to...
a day trip tomorrow to visit some local potters

                                                                          

                                                                                        Quote:

"Spring drew on...and a greenness over those brown garden beds, which freshening daily, suggested the thought that hope traverses them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps."

~Charlotte Bronte

                      And we did sit outside in the sunshine this afternoon with a spot of tea and a macaroon !                  

  Please join in and share your day with Simple Woman's Daybook.

the facts noted

"Sitting here with one's knitting, one just sees the facts"

                                                                                              ~Agatha Christie

And the fact is this sweater is getting closer to completion. I began this knitting project when snow was on the ground and the wearing of a wool sweater was a pleasurable necessity.
But now the fact is that the coming of spring makes one fully aware that this sweater will be added to next year's winter wardrobe. 
I will block this sweater well, and then hope it will still fit.

spinning once again

It has been twelve years since I lost spun, but today I began spinning on my Schacht Wheel.

I have quite a bit to revisit in relearning to spin, and she absolutely needs some TLC on her oily wood spots. But I am liking the gentle whoosh of this wheel and the feel of fleece in my hands once again.

what was I thinking?

My husband mentions at intervals set well apart in time (because he is such a patient man) that he is still eagerly awaiting a pair of hand knitted socks. Several years back I ordered some kettle dyed black wool yarn with the intent to knit a pair of socks for him. When the wool arrived, I picked up the black soft fingerling weight wool, rubbed it across my face and asked myself, "What was I thinking...knitting socks with black yarn?"
 But recently with the fortitude and the courage to what will seem like swimming the English Channel in a sea of inky waters...I begin the knit one, purl one ribbing on 2.5 double pointed needles.

Knitting in the daylight, outside on the porch works well. Yesterday, I sat by a window to gain as much of the day's reflection as possible, where I actually progressed to the K3 P1 pattern of this handsome classic sock. 

I am carefully making a plan to finish these socks by Christmas. This project will be pulled out throughout the long days of summer to add several rounds daily. As I knit my mind will think of the joy in his face when he opens this long awaited gift packaged in Christmas wrapping.

Then I will most definitely remember what I was thinking, with no regrets.

thistle

Put out the thistle and they will come...

Goldfinches at the feeder throughout the day, they feast determinately while we enjoy the females subtle beauty and the males vivid colour.

because He lives...I dance

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.

We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:3-4

a closing of a day

Night time rituals at my house have a way of hushing my soul inviting a settling down mood,  what I like to call a closing of a day.

* Oatmeal,  our morning's porridge, is put in a pan shortly after dinner cleanup to soak throughout the evening while we slumber.  Firstly, take 1 cup of dried oatmeal, 1 cup of water,  1 tablespoon of whey (fresh) and soak overnight. In the morning, drain and lightly rinse your oats, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the oatmeal; cook until done.
A note about whey. My preferred choice of whey is from fresh raw milk, but if you have no fresh whey in the refrigerator, lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar (I use Braggs) works wonderfully. What the acidic liquid is doing is breaking down the phytic acid in the grains which will make them more digestible.  An extra bonus is I find it adds to the flavor.
*Knitting time to soothe with its ongoing rhythm
*A hot shower, a lavender-scented lotion, a cozy gown and robe.
*A bowl of popcorn popped in a well-seasoned iron skillet
*A small kitchen tidy up; wiping down, dispensing all dirty dishes and switching on the dishwasher
*Night time prayer with Charlotte, and tucking in
*A devotional, Spurgeon's, Morning and Evening
*An easy read novel on the bedside table, until my eyelids can't stay open a second later

This is only a capsule of what the closing of my day might look like on a certain evening in late March,  the soft glow of our table lamps surrounding me before they are turned off and we sleep.

 Drawing the blinds, snuffing out the lights, shutting down ...

...making ready for the morrow.