Monday, January 31, 2011

Deep Thoughts~

The Summer Day

Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

sniff.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Goodbye Sweet Angela~ RIP

Yesterday our dear Angela passed away in her sleep.
Needless to say, we are all very, very sad.
I, for once, am simply speechless.


Her husband John posted this in her blog:
Angela unexpectedly passed away some time in the morning while asleep.
She leaves a very large void in the many lives she touched.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday Feb 2 at:
Heffner Funerial Home
1551 Kenneth Road
York, PA
Viewing 5PM-7PM with the funeral to follow the viewing



Angela co-founded Material Whirled with me in 2005 and we ran it together until I moved across the country in 2007. 


The pics below are from last March when I went to PA for a visit.


Angela leaves behind her best friend and husband John and 3 boys... Orin (21), Alex (19) and Jay (7).
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Delicious Ambiguity

Home~ in progress

Here is a photo tour of the kitchen and living room as they are today.
Pig cutting board (made by my late grandfather.. bobblehead cat and troll planter with fresh new wheat grass hair coming in (one of my fav things in my entire house)

Allen Designs cat clock and my new anthropologie plate.

Comb from my hive... we recently lost two hives :(


ignore the dust

New kitchen table light...

New light over kitchen island...

Allen Designs clock... vintage spoon and fork and a rug hooking made by my great-gram Emma.

Kitchen sink window sill...


Living room as-is today. Still need to paint new trim.
Ignore basket full of Mt. Fold Me~




The room you see through the doorway is my future studio workspace. See the new front door lying on the saw horses? It's stain is drying. Once it's clear coated Mr. Danny will return and install it in that front room... after THAT I can SET UP MY WORKSPACE! So close. So excited.

Sofa table detail... 

Our new Ikea sofa table... 

Old dresser from my grandparent's home.
Ignore box of insulation (oops). 

  Living room shelves...

 Hallway/area that leads into bathroom, bedroom and office.


That is all for now... just feeling the need to document the progress.
XO

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Still on Hiatus~ Remodeling~

So we are still at it. 9 weeks in!
The remodel of our new(to us) house has taken on a life of it's own, as I am sure every remodel does.

Today I saw some light at the end of the tunnel!
Actual BOXES got unpacked!
So exciting.
Here are some quick shots of the office, it is coming together!
The office/lair is really bedroom #4 all lined with shelves and houses the computer and printers...

This is a view from the back corner, looking out the door to the LR.
See the new trim and door??? I am in love.
Shelves to the left of the door house Paul's work papers and parts of the household library.

Shelves to the right of the door house art books and supplies.
Most of this will get shuffled and dispersed between here and the studio (which is almost ready!)

And here is the woman. The computer.
She lives in the lair now, not in my studio space.
Too much distraction. 

Stay tuned for more pics as I plug along... SO MANY more things to unpack and fit in!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

1-1-11

Hello 2011~!
This morning was a perfect one. quiet. coffee. knitting.
Time to think. Purring cat by my side, the sun peeking over the mountain into the window.


New Year's is our favorite holiday. We love the new beginning, talking about plans and goals and wondering what this fresh new year will bring.

I was inspired by Ali Edwards this year to choose a word to focus on for the year.
The list I created to choose from was...
Listen
Nest
Focus
Celebrate 
Be

We decided on "BE".
Just Be... and listen.
Be... and nest
Be... and celebrate
Be thankful. 

It's been years of planning and sacrifice and hard decisions to get us here, on our magical farm and in such a good place mentally and spiritually. 

It feels so good.