The final market day of the season came and went today. Goodbyes have been said; gifts, tokens, and phone numbers have been exchanged amongst farmers and artisans. Kind and genuine words were shared in a brief closing ceremony. I've enjoyed my place in this community over these last several weeks, and I look forward to returning next season.

How did we fare on our final day? It was windy! It is the one thing that I find difficult to deal with when it comes to setting up shop in the great outdoors. Perhaps it's because I've seen one too many tents over the years be swept up into the air and thrown down twenty feet away in a twisted heap of metal. We all made it through, with messy, wind blown displays and very patient customers as we wrestled tissue paper and business cards flying out of hand. Tents were dismantled before they became airborne, and cheeks were seriously wind burned. It feels fabulous on top of my recently acquired poison ivy, but that's another story.

There are  a few remaining items that I will load into the shop here and there over the next few days, so check back as you'd like.  What I am really looking forward to is time  to finish up a few things; a friends shower gift, a housewarming gift for another friend. Starting on holiday goodies, a list that is growing each day! For the last several months I've continuously filed away new ideas, using my time to keep a plentiful stock of current designs. Patiently I've waited for the space in my schedule to play with  a few new ideas. I'm looking forward to some serious free time in the studio, and hope to have many fresh creations to share over the next month or so.

These are the first two from my stock to find there way into the shop. Hope your week is off to a wonderful start.

And if you are a farmer, thank you for all that you do.

I opened an email the other day from my yoga teacher asking if I'd be interested in teaching at one of her studios. To say I was elated is putting it mildly. It's hard to believe it's been six months since classes here ended. I really miss teaching, my practice has felt incomplete without it. 

Judith Lasater once said that she practices for her students and teaches for herself. I really get that. In the spirit of the tremendous excitement I'm feeling, how about a little giveaway...

This handmade bag (some of those scraps are yours Grace) will soon belong to one of you! That's right... get a little, give a little... leave a comment here and sometime on Monday I will draw a winner! Whoever wins will undoubtedly keep the mojo flowing and make someone else's day... no need for it to be blog related. Whatever good rises up for you, just pass it along. Simple!

Leave a comment, that's all!  Check back here on Monday (not sure of the time) and I'll announce a winner and will also have a shop update.

Have a lovely weekend.

Last night Emily and I made these little clothes pin dolls as samples for a drop-in homeschool craft afternoon we were hoping to attend later today. It's held at a community center nearby, each family brings supplies for a particular craft, enough for about fifteen children. They have tables set up throughout the room as stations and the children move about as they wish, making the crafts that appeal to them. We thought these would be a fun project, accessible to a wide range of ages. I particularly love Emily's little lad with the linen pants... but why did mine turn out looking like Phyllis Diller? Yes, all the way to the right, oh my.

But this morning arrived with chills and a sore throat, so it doesn't look like we'll be making it. Luckily the craft afternoon takes place once a month, next time Emily. Instead there will be extra blankets piled on, extra chapters read to pass the time, and extra tea to warm the hands and soothe the little girl. 

The way things were...

Sweet mother of parental gods... how did this happen to us? We made a "deal," that's how. This could have the potential to go down in it's rightful place in that big parenting file labeled "what were we thinking?" But it turns out our newest addition is very, very sweet, relatively quiet, and has moved right into Emily's loving heart. 

The deal? A while back Emily began asking for a guinea pig. Now, I know how this goes... she's a kid, she loves and wants all cute, friendly, and fuzzy creatures. I was a kid. I held meetings with my sister after dinner scheming ways to convince my parents to get us a goat. Yes, a goat. Not the same cuddle factor I realize - I just liked them, still do. My pet goat never did arrive which I completely understand now, definitely for the best.

After a few weeks passed following Emily's initial request and the idea was nowhere near fading, we decided to make a deal with her. If she took on full pet care responsibility for our current pets, Sukha and Hazel, for a full month, she could have her pig. The responsibilities included morning end evening feeding and watering, daily brushing, and taking Sukha out twice a day for exercise and other needs. Not too hard you might say, you could get your child to do the same.

Here is what we (parents) thought was our ace in the hole; this all had to be done without one single reminder. Did you get that? I can hear parents of nine year olds everywhere lifting us up, the choir is singing, sunlight has parted the dark clouds... what a brilliant plan, allowing her own actions determine the outcome. Removing the big parental "NO" from the equation... all the while believing there is no way this will work, there is no way a furry rodent is coming to live with us. We thought a nine year old couldn't go an entire month without being reminded in the least to take care of their responsibilities. I'm not saying that to diminish their potential, no no no, Emily's a good kid who is always happy to help. I'm just saying that we thought (and many of you parents might concur) a month is a looong time for a kid to go without a gentle nudging, that's all. 

As you can see from the pictures, we were... um... totally wrong. Alice moved in two weeks ago. A deal's a freaking deal.

Sweet Alice, as it turns out, we were wrong about a few things. You do bring your own special addition to this household. Your personality is brighter than I had anticipated, and your gentle affectionate self is impossible to resist. Even if you are a rodent. Which I mean in the nicest possible way, of course.

Our homeschool blog is ready for visitors! Please stop by and say hello, we are slowly moving in and setting things up... so look for subtle changes in the weeks to come. I am most excited about this being a blog written by all of us. Adam and Emily will be posting hopefully as much as I will. I have gone ahead and kick started things with a few introductory posts, so please visit when you have a minute, Life Is For Learning, see you there!