Winter Day in January

Brrrrr....at 4:30 a.m. the F temperature was 4 above zero; at 7:00 a.m. it was 7 above zero and at 11 a.m. it was 14 above. I'm not sure it got above freezing today, sure didn't feel like it. The wind wasn't so bad, only 10 to 15 mph but wind of any speed chills to the bone and sucks out what little warmth a body might have or hope to have.

Last night, the bedroom was frigid even with the small heater on medium and the mattress pad on high and the ceiling fan swirling. A two dog night if you know what that means. There's a clock thermometer combo in the bedroom and it read a little above 50 degrees. Again, not so bad except for the wind and the wind was howling last night. Wind chills were well below zero and the curtains were kept flitting most of the night.

The Workhorse battery died and we went to the farm equipment store to purchase a new one. We did call first, they assured us they had the battery in stock and charged, ready for installation. So...I hurried through chores (so cold, so very, very cold) and we headed to Lebanon only to find out, nope, wrong battery after all. So the owner's son calls around and after we decided to not jury rig the battery in stock, he finds a battery that could be delivered to the store tomorrow. I really dislike jury rigging anything, but especially a piece of equipment that, should something go wrong, will leave me with no options other than to discard it and start over. That's money, time, energy and effort wasted and for naught when the job could just as easily have been done correctly the first time.

There we stand. The right battery is due to be delivered some time tomorrow and by tomorrow night the Workhorse should be up and running again. I use the Workhorse on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day, to carry and deliver hay to the horses and sheep, to check hay supplies in the pastures, to run fence lines, pick up trash, etc.

When we got home late this afternoon, I had to move horses from one pasture to another, lock them in, get out the tractor and move a round bale of hay. Round hay had to be put out for the mares and gelding and that meant riding on an open tractor, being in the freezing, below freezing really, cold, wind and snow and being frightfully careful because it's so icy and slick. I put the dogs in the farm truck to keep them from under wheel, turned the engine on to keep the battery charged and off I went. That particular chore took almost two hours of outside work.

The mares and gelding are now in the alfalfa field, side pasture where I placed the round bale of hay and they have access to the back pasture. They have plenty to eat but I'm concerned about their getting enough water. When it's so cold, the water freezes where there's no de-icer and it's harder to drink icy water than warmer water. By warmer water, I mean water that's not frozen. So...tomorrow I'll switch the stallion out to another pasture, turn the mares loose so they can get to the "warmer" water...it's a never ending battle of "switch the horses". Hopefully, some folks are sending a check for one of the stallions and, in a month or so, he'll move to his new home. That means no more playing "switch the horses". Right now I've two stallions and they must be kept apart or they fight; not good at all.

I'm hugging on HayJ, the American Curly x Percheron stallion and Danny Boy, his sire, is to our right. Everything was fine in "Eden" until, two years ago, mares were delivered to Danny for breeding. Gosh, did that ever change life on the farm forever! HayJ was an unproven three year old and by the time the mares left, he'd figured out why he had the equipment. He and his father fought then, fight now and all I can see in their future is a lifetime of fighting. Which, as you might imagine, makes it a trifle dangerous for anyone caught in the middle. As I can attest as I've been caught in the middle twice now. Fortunately, these are Curly horses and they listen well.

Once in the afternoon when son and father were fighting across a fence, all I had at hand was the shirt on my back...literally. So, I whipped off that shirt and started waving it between them to break their concentration. After a hard fought few minutes, they decided to stop fighting and I was able to lead Danny back to his pasture. I had left a gate open because I, stupidly, thought Danny would stay in his pasture if he had his nose tucked into some hay. And so he would have, if he hadn't smelled some mares in season and then he was off!

The second time they fought, HayJ managed to pushed down a fence and a gate and make his escape. That morning, at 1 a.m. I'm standing in the road with shawl in hand, nightgown and slippers on my body, and telling HayJ, "go back to the barn NOW you black beast! NOW, I SAY, NOW!" Thank You, God...HayJ listened. I'm not sure how cold it was that morning but would venture a guess of around 40 F above. Cold enough to get my attention but not cold enough to do serious harm.

So...anytime anyone asks what it is I do on the farm I'm, frankly, at a loss for words. How do I tell someone of the adventures, the perils, the misadventures? How do I explain to someone this life is the only one for me, the only one I've ever wanted and known so since I was six years old?

How do I explain racial memories...of baking bread, of delivering lambs, of tending a garden, sitting at my spinning wheel, knitting...so many things that are simply right for me and this life; knowing God has given me this gift, this desire of my heart...this Thistle Cove Farm. Knowing I am living the life He designed for me; having spent bitter tears in years wasted, years the locust had taken but seeing His promise delivered to me. He has given me the years the locast has taken, He has added life to my years, He has blessed me beyond my deserving and all He asks is my miserable life in return.

We both think we've gotten the better end of the deal and we're both right.

Bless God. Bless His holy name.

Winter Cold

Winter is here...finally! and Baby, it's COLD! At 7:45 this morning it was 23 degrees F above zero and two hours later it was 19 degrees F above zero. There's snow on the ground and we're expecting four to six inches before stopping. The poor Earth doesn't know what to expect nor what to do. Trees are budding, flowers are beginning to bloom and now cruel cold.

Oh, it's not bad and, in fact, welcome when in due season. But, out of season just makes it cruel. I'd rather winter be here Dec, Jan and Feb with a teaser in March and spring in April. But, I'm not in charge and who asked me anyway.

Sheep and horses have shelter, food and warm water. Water tanks have de-icers and that makes for warmer water which means animals drink more which means less chance of colic. Colic, as you might well imagine, is a bad thing...a very bad thing.

I didn't make it to church today; the only place I did make it was to the barn but I was dressed in church clothes. I thought I'd do my chores then head for church but it was so icy & it wasn't worth hitting black ice and spinning out. So, I headed back to the house and stayed in for the most part.

Supper tonight was lovely...pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes with garlic and cheese, green beans, fried applies and biscuits. A neighbor feasted with us and we all over-indulged. It's hard not to when it's good home cooking!

Back to knitting my lovely purple wool shawl and hope to have it ready for wearing by the end of this week. I've still to finish putting the top, middle and bottom of my quilts together so I can begin hand quilting.

There's Fiber Femmes and FF blog work to be done; a meeting with Leslie...the week is looking full. Now, let's hope the weather cooperates and I'm able to do those things and more.

middle of January

When we moved to Thistle Cove Farm, it wasn't officially named. It was called by the name of the carpetbaggers who moved here after the War(Any Southerner worth their salt knows which War) whose name was "White". The White family bought a two-story brick house and stable, barns and other outbuildings for $300, the sum due to the county for back taxes. The White's owned this farm, including a few hundred to a thousand acres, until 1948 when a man named Gillespie bought it. I don't know how much he paid for it but, over time, the acreage was sold off until just the homestead and 28 acres were left. That's what we bought in 1995.

Names are important and powerful, as are words. I try to be careful, some times more than others, on the words I use and how I use them. I believe, against what some call "reasonable doubt" that everything already has a name but I have to figure it out. All the animals here have names that are specific to them; they also have nicknames specific to each animal. Naming the farm was no small deed.

Dave and I worked on it for a couple of months and had many names we liked but didn't ring true. Until "Thistle Cove Farm" came to mind. We had a bodacious crop of thistles, we're in the toe of the Cove and it's a farm...bingo! It fit then and still does and we love both the name and the farm.

People have told me it "sounds like a fairy farm", "it sounds warm and cozy", "I want your life" and they do want my life...in the summer.

When I talk about chores in winter, my life becomes less appealing. Breaking ice and carrying water are hard tasks but necessary for the survival of the animals. Right now, Lightly has a mild case of founder; she's such an easy keeper it's hard to keep weight off her. Like humans, the more weight, the more health problems so she's in a "short dry lot"...all of which means she's getting a smidgen of hay each day and all the fresh, cool water she can drink. The thought is if she drinks a lot of water, she'll flush the toxins from her system. Please God, let this be so!

When chores allow me to return to the house, I settle in with knitting a purple wool tri-shawl. It's the basic dishcloth shawl but with some extras thrown in to make/keep it interesting. I enjoy simple design work but it has to be something I can pick up and put down easily enough. On a farm, emergencies seem to crop up frequently and randomly so knitting, sewing and other hand work need to be kept simple.

My Turning Twenty quilts are coming along nicely. I'm sewing strips of squares together today and have the backings and battings for both. By Thursday night's Quilting Bee, I hope to have everything ready to be pieced together so we can meld top, batting and bottom together.

I've been reading the biography of Norman Vincent Peale and enjoying it greatly. He was such a positive man and had a huge impact for good and God during his long life. I'm also reading Mason Dixon knitting and getting some good design ideas bouncing around.

The weather is cold, windy, snowy, icy - a good day for staying inside warm and cozy; a pot of soup sound like just the thing to round out the day.

Quilting and Sewing Machines

My Quilting Bee group, graciously, allowed me to bring home one of their sewing machines to sew my quilt squares. I'm working on two "Turning Twenty" quilts, already have them cut out and need to sew the squares so I can piece the quilts together.

It's been decades since I've touched a sewing machine and my sewing machine is a black Singer model that sews a straight line but it can do it in reverse as well. I've been trying to finish a camera lens holder (for Deborah and I'm only a few months behind schedule...but that's a whole 'nother story) but can't figure out how to make the machine work. By that I mean, I can't figure out (neither can Dave) how to get the back off it so I can thread the needle. Apparently, this newer model (newer than my fifty year old machine) has to be threaded "inside" the body, over the needle. Therein lies the problem...how to get the cover off so I can thread the needle.

sigh.

I'm going to have to go to Quilting Bee tonight with NO sewn squares! I told Dave, "you know what this means...I'm either getting my sewing machine repaired OR I'm buying a new one!"

Anyone have comments on what kind of sewing machine to buy? I'm convinced that any machine made in the last twenty years is going to be smarter than I.

Why oh why did I tell my family they were getting quilts for Christmas this year!?

Snow and Seeds

The first major snow storm of the season is falling and we've a couple of inches on the ground. Vision is a few feet, only double digits, and we're expecting six inches...depending upon neighbor, television, radio or computer. More than likely, one of them will be right.

The deer we saw on Cove Creek at the other end of Tazewell County. Dave's family owns land there and it's a good place to see wildlife, pick dye materials and enjoy a good view.

It's got to be winter because seed catalogues are arriving. One of my favorites is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, in Missouri, a rare seed catalogue. They have some wonderful seeds, both native to the USA and from around the world. I'd love to attend their Heritage Days, the first Sunday of each month, April through December; looks like it would be great fun, informative and educational as well.

A couple of years ago, I met Jere Gettle of Baker Creek, he's an impressive young man who is doing his part to change the world for the better. He's a proponent of locally grown food using sustainable methods; none of that gene-altered or mass produced food in his catalogue! He married last year and I wish he and his wife, Emilee, many productive years and happiness. I share my prayer with you...may God give you the strength to do the work He has set before you both.

Another favorite catalogue is Stark Bro's also in Missouri. Daddy has been buying from Stark Bro's for years and they have fine fruit, nut and landscaping trees. I'm eyeing the Northcountry Blueberry bushes, Arkansas Black Apple and Northstar Pie Cherry trees. The Barcelona Filbert/Hazelnuts look good as well as do the butternuts, chestnuts and pecans. Everything will produce in zone 6, where Thistle Cove Farm is located. I think a persimmon tree would do well here and the Prok American Persimmon looks good.

Bountiful Gardens, out of California, has heirloom, untreated, open-pollinated seeds. They say radiation in the harvest is reduced by 30% when biointensive composting and double-digging methods are used. Their catalogue isn't as flashy as the other two but, still, some good and useful information.

All the sheep and horses have been fed for the night; everyone has shelter from the storm. It's best not to brush the snow from the backs of the animals, snow acts as an insulator to keep them warm. Winds shouldn't be heavy tonight, just 10 to 20 mph, everyone should be fine. Barn cats have wooly fleeces to sleep upon and they curl up together so no troubles there.

There are three loaves of bread rising in the oven and we'll have creamed chipped beef over home made bread for supper. I make the bread what I've got...today I used wheat, rice, white and bran flour with all sorts of seeds, nuts and grains added. It's a wonderful, dense, chewy bread and popular with friends and neighbors. When used for fried bread and topped with butter and fruit, honey, jelly or maple syrup it makes a fine breakfast.

Stay warm and safe; may God give you the strength to do the work He has set before you.

January 2007

This is the view coming in from Rt. 19, Wardell. It's lovely and I always pause to admire God's handiwork and thank Him for the blessing of living in the Cove.
This is an agriculture area, mostly cattle with some sheep and horses. I believe I've got the largest flock of colored sheep in southwest Virginia as well as the only herd of rare, hypoallergenic American (Bashkir) Curly horses. All my animals are raised to be companion animals; I'm too old to waste time in hospital because I've broken a bone on a peckish horse. It's imperative my horses be gentle and calm. A few weeks ago, HayJ, the son of Danny Boy, broke out of his pasture, just after midnight, and was pestering his father over a gate. I went outside, clad only in a nightgown, slippers and shawl and spoke sternly to HayJ. "You! HayJ! Go back to the barn, stop this nonsense NOW!" He turned to look at me, I flapped my shawl at him a couple of times and he turned and walked back to the barn.

By the way...HayJ is a Curly x Percheron, about 18 hands and almost 2,000 pounds. See what I mean about raising companion animals? They must be raised and trained to bend their will to mine; there's absolutely no way I can "make" an animal that large do anything they don't want to do.

There used to be turkey drives in our valley - no kidding...but now it's only cattle, sheep and horses. We have a very small farm, the smallest in the valley and our neighbors all have acreages of one thousand acres or more. Not all their acreage is contiguous and they move animals from pasture to pasture as needs dictate. These cattle were being moved from a pasture to their barn lot where they would be vetted. Most people around here do their own doctoring and only call in a vet when it's a huge emergency or the last effort.

Thursdays nights are reserved for my Quilting Bee; a fine group of women who gather together to help one another, share stories and touch base with each other's lives. Most of these women have known each other for decades but they have made me feel very welcome. They helped me finish a small block lap quilt and we took photos, signed a card and are sending it to a service person who needs remembering.

I cut material for two quilts at a time; makes it easier and it's no more trouble than cutting for one. I've cut enough material for two quilts and materials already purchased for the next two after these. I've decided to give quilts for Christmas this year as friends/family members have a knitted scarf and/or hat. It's time for something different and a "Turning Twenty" quilt is easy enough for my limited skills; at least, I've been assured this is true.

It's time for a HOT shower; my back feels like it's seizing up...probably because of the large rocks I moved today. They were in the way of where I wanted to put the truck. Danny Boy's has a run-in shelter but he likes standing in a spot where there's no wind break on one side and, silly me, I like to think he's not suffering when the cold winds blow. So, that meant moving the rocks that were blocking the path of the truck; now that means a hot bath, ibuprofen and muscle rub.

Dave thinks I'm crazy for working as hard as I work but I love it. I count it all joy to live here, to work here and to be a steward of this piece of heaven on earth.

Happy New Year - may the worst of 2007 be from the best of 2006!

6 weird things & Fiber Femmes

Leslie has a 6 weird things about me thing going on at her blog and I've decided to join in. I had to look up weird though; wasn't sure I knew, exactly, what it meant. Weird comes from Middle English, wyrd, and means fate, destiny, magical, unearthly, mysterious, odd, unusual, spooky, eerie. Hmmm...not sure how that applies to me but here goes.

1. I'm an 8th generation shepherd and farmer living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of southwest VA at Thistle Cove Farm.
Daddy's family came to this country in the mid 1600's and made their way to, what is now, WV and settled. Myrich heritage includes shepherds, farmers, preachers, teachers and lawyers.

Well! this answers how weird applies to me...I don'tmuch believe in fate but I do believe in "God things". For example, it's a God thing I'm a shepherd. I've wanted to be a farmer since I was 6 years old but didn't find out my Daddy's people were shepherds until years after I'd become a shepherd.

2. I read, almost, too much. I've gotten into the habit of reading before sleep...in fact, I almost *have* to read before I turn out the light and go to sleep. Sometimes, if I have to get up in the night I'll read a chapter or two before going back to sleep. (At least it's not checking e-mail!) Speaking of sleep...I have to have eight hours or I can't function; less than eight hours and I'm just about worthless.

3. I love having a clean house but I hate housecleaning...I'd much, much rather muck out the barn than run a vacuum. I'd rather do almost anything than clean house and will take it in small chunks in order to try and keep up.

4. I love to travel but would rather be home than any place on earth.

5. I've developed some pretty spectacular recipes - shortbread, bird seed bread, soups and am a dab hand around the kitchen.

6. I read the Bible through every year and, what's more, enjoy it.

We've been working on the latest issue of Fiber Femmes and it's pretty darn great! Leslie just keeps coming up with some wonderful ideas to make it even better. I've enjoyed my Fiber Femme partnership with Leslie and am looking forward to many more years of Fiber Femmes.

Christmas Holidays

Christmas has come and gone for another year leaving us at Thistle Cove Farm releaxed, refreshed and renewed. We choose to not get caught up on the trappings of the retail part of Christmas, choosing instead to focus upon Christ and His birth, the trip to Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt and the return journey back to the land of His parents. The actual day was spent just the two of us, surrounded and cozy with all the animals, wonderful ancient church music on XM radio and lovely munchings as opposed to a sit down meal. The horses had flakes of alfalfa with corn and carrots as a side dish, the sheep were given hay and corn, cats were given tuna and dogs given chewies. Christmas is always a big hit with the animals and the humans.

Just the week before Christmas I went to two workshops...one on stained glass and the other on books. I've always wanted to make books and have now had my chance. It was loads of fun and my small journal is definitely a keepsake as is the stained glass butterfly hanging in the kitchen window.

Last night we had snow and now, two days later, it looks like the "traditional" Christmas. It's cold, finally, and the temps are in the 20's and not expected to climb much higher.

I've been working on the Jan/Feb issue of Fiber Femmes and e-mailing things to Leslie to put into our e-zine format. If you'd like to write for Fiber Femmes, please visit our e-zine for submission guidelines. We would like not only articles but guild reviews and photos of fiber animals, folks, events and happenings.

Best wishes for a happy 2007; may the worst of 2007 be from the best of 2006!

Appalachian Crafts

There's a new shop in the county, Appalachian Arts Center, and it showcases crafters and artists from a wide area of southern Appalachia. I'm especially proud of the name for I suggested it and feel it suits our area and representational crafts of Appalachia. The AAC is on Route 19, west of the county seat and just before reaching the line between Tazewell and Russell Counties. Sarah Romeo is the director and she uses the old country store to present the wares in a comfortable and cozy setting.

Several times a year, special exhibits display talents and offerings such as this quilt exhibit. All quilts were made by a woman who lived in the Cove Area of Tazewell County which is where Thistle Cove Farm is located. There's a continuity in a quilt, the work of women's hands. So much of what we women do is fleeting but absolutely necessary to the survival of the species. A meal cooked over an open fire or cooked on a stainless steel stove takes days to think about, buy the ingredients, prepare the food for cooking and baking and then the actual stove time. A quilt, lovingly made, one stitch at a time, with time enough to pray for the people who will sleep under its warmth. Mrs. Elswick made clothes for her family and the scraps were saved for quilting. She would pour over Grit or other family and farming magazines and find pictures of patterns she liked. Her husband would take those tiny pictures, sometimes nothing more than an advert in the back of the magazine, and, painstakingly, with pencil and paper make a pattern to size. Mrs. E. used a quilting frame on ropes and during the dark winter days she would lower the frame, stitch on her quilt and, when it was time for bed, the frame would be raised to the ceiling until next time.

The work of her hands, her legacy to her family, loved ones and even those she never knew, lives on and we are all grateful beneficiaries.

Other women made dolls for their girls, another time honored tradition. These dolls are hand crafted beginning with the muslin cloth which is dyed with tea or coffee, and ends with the giving of the name. Each doll is given a name, the name's meaning and signed by Ica. Each doll is a work of art down to the hair which is wool from the sheep on my farm.

My friend, Charlie, makes the lap dulcimers and they make beautiful music as well as being beautiful. Lap dulcimers, like the banjo, are supposed to be truly Appalachian in design, but with the roots in other countries. Lap dulcimers are said to be similar to the stringed instrument played by David in the Old Testament. Banjo roots are in Mali, Africa; I believe that's the correct spelling.

I don't know who the painter is but I like the detail and it makes me think of John Henry, the steel driving man. There's a statue just across the state line in West VA; John Henry was a real man who is now a legend and difficult to separate the legend from the man. This painting does him justice, I think.

Crochet is lovely work and one doesn't frequently see work as beautiful as this. I know doilies aren't popular but I still like and use them. Antimacassars came into being because people didn't bath everyday. Water and time were precious resources and women would use antimacassars to cover the backs and arms of sofas and chairs to protect from body oils and dirt. Antimacassars used to be more solid in design in order to offer the most protection from dirty shirt sleeves and hair. Doilies came about as functional decorations and were used to protect table tops from being scratched by coffee mugs or ash trays, etc. Now they deserve to be framed and hung on the wall, a reminder of gentler and harsher times.

On my way home, I passed a barn with a Christmas wreath...just lovely! I adore when people use simple decorations in honor of the Christmas season. Simple decorations add dignity and deorum, a sense of orderliness and propriety that enhances the season and keeps one focused upon the reason we celebrate Christmas. No, I dare say Dec 25 isn't the day Christ was born but it's as good a day as any to celebrate, to hold near and dear those in my life I cherish, to share the joy as well as the reason for Christmas. To believe, not in Santa, but in the life everlasting first brought to us by a babe in a manger. Please, slow down this Christmas season and stay true to those things that matter most in life...family, friends, Christ.

As I top the mountain, "my" valley is cast before me in all its beauty!I always have to stop and admire the view and think about the verse, "I cast mine eyes unto the hills from which cometh my help". No matter where I rest my eyes, there's beauty and more to see and share. If you live in the mountains, you're lucky enough!

Merry Christmas!

Donna Druchunas, Fiber Femmes Guest Blogger

Blog readers are in for a treat...Saturday, November 11, 2006 Donna Druchunas will be a guest blogger at Fiber Femmes.

Donna, author of The Knitted Rug, 21 Fantastic Designs has a new book.

Arctic Lace: Knitted projects and stories inspired by Alaska's Native knitters is now available and features fifteen beautiful projects and photographs. Donna writes of her visit to Alaska in search of one of the world's most luxurious fibers, qiviut, fiber from the musk ox. She also writes of The Oomingmak Knitter’s Co-op, the Yup’ik and Inupiat People, the Musk Ox Farm and designing your own patterns.

Her article ties in with her blog which you'll want to visit...the sooner the better!

Make a note to return tomorrow and read Donna's guest article

Julia Roberts & Knitting & Crochet News

The buzz in recent news articles says actress Julia Roberts has signed as both star and producer for the film, "The Friday Night Knitting Club". Her production company, Red Om will tell the Kate Jacobs story of a single mother who raises a teenage daughter while running a Manhattan knitting shop.

"New School Knitting: The Influence of Elizabeth Zimmerman and Schoolhouse Press" and other knitters of renown will be at the U. of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology's Gallery of Design. Molly Greenfield's exhibit also chronicles women's history, the women's movement as well as the history and design of knitting in the USA.

In Canada this month, a biotech enzyme fiber process has been developed by Naturally Advanced Technologies. NAT provides sustainable, environmentally friendly fibers and fabrics and has developed CRAILAR and will launch it in 2007. CRAILAR was developed as an alternative fiber to fiberglass and cotton and is designed "to unlock the economic potential of industrial hemp".

United Kingdom fiber news - Rachael Matthews has a new book, Garden of Eden, with design items including candle stick holder w/candle, fruit, tea cup, saucer and spoon...all made in wool yarn.

The Wool Clip is located in Caldbeck, UK and is a group of 15 women including farmers, spinners, dyers, knitters, crocheters and other fiber artists.

In Hassocks, a new shop has opened: Catchpenny's Wool and Gift Shop and offers classes; among them "the Happy Hassocks Hookers workshops - sounds like Fiber Femmes FUN!

Do you have knitting, crochet, dyeing, spinning, weaving or other fiber arts news articles? Let us know and we'll share the news.

Fiber Femmes, SAFF and autumn fun

Fiber Femmes November/December 2006 issue is now on-line with interesting articles, fabulous photos, great reviews and loads of fun!

SAFF has come and gone. Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair is the only fiber festival in the southeastern region of the USA and it's the last one in October. SAFF has grown quite a bit since the Winston-Salem, NC days and it now boasts a fine collection of vendors as well as some excellent contests and a great place for folks to show their animals. It's small enough so one can easily get around to visit every vendor and, if one hasn't dawdled too much, another trip can be made before day's end. Even so, more than 5,000 people visited this year and plans for 2007 are already in the making.

Carolyn Blalock and SAFF volunteers deserve accolades for a job, most exceptionally, well done!

Fiber Femmes sponsored the Skein Competition this year and there were many lovely skeins of hand spun yarn on display.

The Southeastern Felter's Guild had a booth and several people demonstrated wet and needle felting. Some members had wonderful felted items for sale and display. Cynthia Mollenkopf had felted Santa's britches...very cute!

Leslie, of Greenberry House, Chris of Wooly Buns, and Linda of Goin' Up Cripple Creek and I had a delightful visit at SAFF and are already planning for our 2007 meet-up. Next year, we'd like to rent a house and have a huge p.j. party; that would be icing on the cake! I was reminded of elementary school when we would "show and tell" but this time the "show and tell" were fiber purchases and we each were winners.

Leslie, on right, and Chris at the *beginning* of SAFF...this taken just a short while after they arrived! Those gals looked TOO tired but it had been an exhausting drive from Meadows of

Dan. They reported it rained buckets all the way but it was a safe drive and that's a blessing.

I visited with the gang from Columbia, SC and while they knitted, I plopped. I was exhausted from teaching "How To Increase Farm Income" so I just enjoyed their company and caught up with their lives. Millie, knitter extraordinaire, took a "spirit woodworking" class and started carving a walking stick. The best news...Nancy is recovering from cancer and looks great!

It's finally getting cooler at Thistle Cove Farm and I'm getting caught up on winter prep chores.
Linda and I are getting together to do some natural dyeing. I've got walnuts, Osage Orange sawdust and fruit, fungi and I need to get some sumac fruit. Linda is my apprentice for the Virginia Folklife Program; I'm teaching Traditional Fiber Arts, and we've several visits planned over the course of a year.

Life is always good on the farm and each season brings a joy of its own. Life is cyclical and revolves around the seasons and the animals. The sheep are growing some mighty fine fleeces and I'm looking forward to making felted chair pads from some of the 2006 clip. I'm doing some charity knitting - Red Scarf project comes to mind - and enjoying the time allotted to me.

Mom called last night and Mrs. C. passed away. She was a lovely woman, 94 years old, and every time I saw her she had thankfulness in her heart and praise on her lips. She was always looking forward to "going Home" but enjoyed her earthly days as well. I saw her two Sunday's ago and she told me of God's goodness in her life and exhorted me to "keep the faith". I'm sure that today there was shouting and rejoicing in Heaven the likes of which haven't been seen for a while. She was a blessing in my life and my life was richer for having known her.

Two things are brought to mind when I think of her...she gave me her iron frame double bed many years ago. I had told Aunt Bonnie I wanted to sleep in an iron frame bed so Aunt Bonnie checked around. Mrs. C. had an iron frame bed, that she and her husband had bought as their marriage bed in the late 1920's. Just as soon as they could afford a "nice wooden bedroom suite" the iron frame bed was put in the shed and stayed there many decades. When Mrs. C. heard I wanted an iron frame bed, she graciously gave me her bed. I've slept in that bed for about twenty years and always thought of Mrs. C. just after snuggling in and just before sleep.

The other thing I think of was what she told me at church one Sunday. She had gotten sick and had to go live in Maryland for a short while...just until she recovered and could return home. She lived at home until a few days ago when she became ill and had to go to hospital. She was praising God for getting sick and having to go to Maryland. She said, "Why, I never would have gone to Maryland on my own so God sent me there. He knew those people in that home needed to hear about Him so he sent me. Isn't that wonderful?!"

What a lesson...always be ready and always be thankful. Mrs. C., you and Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Clarence and Grandfather Lipscomb save a seat for me. Sooner or later, I'll be coming on home.

Romania & Autumn

Life on a farm is hectic most days but especially, or so it seems, during the autumn months. Getting everything ready for the snow, wind, rain, cold; making sure the animals have shelter, getting the last of the hay put up. All this and more take up time, lots and lots of time, and still everyday living has to be scrunched in there as well.

The barns are almost finished being re-sided and they look great. The stables dates to before the War Between the States while some of the other buildings are a bit newer. We're quite pleased with the results and are now working to get some lofts ready for hay, a small fiber studio prepared for winter, some run-in shelter's for one open pasture and a few other things.

One things for certain, work on a farm is never completed. One just reaches a stopping point and then...stops. Rest, relaxation and worship are just as important as work, perhaps more so when one is weary or faith is wavering.

Leslie and I traveled to McLean, VA for a small festival last weekend and it would have been a much nicer venue had the weather cooperated. We had cold, wind and rain and the turnout was quite small; probably fewer than 500 people...much fewer. It was disappointing, especially considering the twelve hour round trip drive, week of preparation, loss from home and job and all the other things that go lacking when I'm off the farm.

Last week I dyed some of the Romney Shetland blended yarn, some Romney Shetland Mohair yarn and some plain, as in down breed, yarn. The natural colored brownish gray Romney Shetland blend had the richest depth of color. The brown, gray and black blend from both the Romney and the Shetland sheep had such a sheen and lustre and the light virtually dances across the yarn. For most of it I used Jacquard dyes but for two skeins I used walnut with an alum mordant. That result was simply beautiful! There's a dance going on with the various browns that leads the eye on a merry chase.

I'm in process of gathering more walnuts which are abundant around here. There are several trees within a mile and all I have to do is take a bag and gather the nuts before the squirrels get to them.

A closing teaser for you...the photo of the Granny spinning from a distaff on a drop spindle was taken in August 2006 when I took a fiber trip to Romania. I'm working on an exhibit of historical fiber artifacts such as antique drop spindles, shepherd's vests, distaffs and other items with photographs to travel across the USA. Stay tuned for more photos and a travelogue on Romanian Fiber Femmes and, if you're interested in taking such a trip to see a quickly vanishing way of life, let us know. We're in process of putting together an intimate Romanian Ukrainian Fiber and Craft Tour for August 2007.

Please visit the September October 2006 issue ofFiber Femmes. While you're there, sign up for our FF Newsletter and talk about Fiber Femmes on your blogs.

Fiber Femmes & tip

What Works for Me Wednesday has a good idea about Wednesdays being used for tips and hints.

The major hint I have (for me, actually) is...fit some time in to update this blog! I'm woefully behind and have lots of lovely photos of Romanian women who are spinning (using drop spindles and distaffs), weaving and doing all manner of fiberish things. The photos are downloaded, now I just need to update this blog.

In the meantime, Fiber Femmes is current (thanks Leslie!) and is our "second-best issue".

Ahem...to the task at hand...speaking of tips, we're entering Autumn here in the beautiful Appalachian mountains of southwest Virginia. I farm and have rare breed, hypoallergenic American Curly horses and rare breed Shetland, Romney and Merino sheep. My hands are usually a wreck but there's a mini-spa treatment I give myself that not only makes me feel special, my hands receive the majority benefit.

Into a cupped palm, pour two or three tablespoons of sugar. On top of the sugar, pour two or three tablespoons of olive oil and scrub. The sugar acts as a mild abrasive, wearing away those, hopefully, small bits of torn skin and worn cuticles. The olive oil acts as both lubricant and sealer making the skin soft and smooth.

In the winter I use this treatment several times a week, sometimes once a day. It just depends on what kind of day I've had. If I've had to break ice in the horse/sheep water troughs, this treatment quickly makes my hands feel warm and loved. I usually wear gloves but there are some things that have to be done with naked hands...cutting twine on bales of hay for example. No matter how careful I am, I usually end up scratching one, or both, hands on stubbly hay.

That's my best tip, for today at least. God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands and heart.

Incommunicado

Good Sabbath one and all...

It's a beautiful day here at Thistle Cove Farm --- the sheep and horses all graze peacefully on the hillsides; the kitten is playing with his toy, the dogs are taking naps and the older cats are snoozing or keeping watch.

A kitten update...one would think, with as many livestock as I've helped castrate, I would know a male from a female. And I do, except when I'm in a hurry it's terribly easy to make mistakes, some of which are drastic and others just funny. This is a funny mistake - the kitten, Rascal, isn't a girl. Rascal is a boy...all boy. We took him to the vets to have his first shots and an examination. The vet flipped Rascal on his back and proclaimed, "a nice boy you've got here." My eyes widened and I took another look, this time not a quick peek but a slow look. Yep, Rascal is still a cutie and he's a boy.

At any rate, some mistakes are funny, some are drastic but they all provide fodder for the mill stone. The men are here delivering more hemlock lumber and the barns are looking great! It's nice to watch pros at work and know these old barns will still be here when I'm long gone.

I'm out of pocket for a while and it's unknown if I'll have computer or internet access. If I do, your Fiber Femme Foreign Correspondent (thanks Leslie!) will send a note from here and there to yon.

At any rate, be safe and live with God's blessing.

VA Highlands Fest

This weekend is the 58th Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon, VA. The first festival was held in 1948 on the "Marthas' " (Martha Washington Inn) front porch in conjunction with the Barter Theatre (State Theatre of VA) founding. Robert Porterfield wanted to celebrate the cultural heritage of Abingdon while preserving at the same time. The Highlands Festival has grown into a regional festival and is touted as one of the top 100 festivals in the USA. Throughout the year, more than 100 volunteers beaver away making this Festival one of the finest in the country.

The Fiber Arts & Quilt Show is one weekend only on July 29-30 and Leslie Shelor and I will be in the Grand Hall at the Virginia Higher Education Center.

This is a fabulous festival, run by dedicated volunteers, and is always a great time; come on out and visit us at the Higher Ed Center and then go to downtown Abingdon to see the rest of the festival. You'll be glad you did!

Unicorns

The unicorn is the symbol for lost and wayward animals. It's said anywhere a unicorn is, other animals know that place to be one of Sanctuary, Peace and Rest.

There has to be a Unicorn residing somewhere on Thistle Cove Farm! While it's true human eyes have yet to see this Unicorn, nevertheless, it's here. Just ask any of the many lost and wayward animals who have made their way here and are now happily ensconced members of the family. Like this kitten whose name we believe to be Rascal. She came strolling up the walkway one dusky evening last week just about the time the household was being put to bed. Dave was the first human she saw and that had to have been planned by either Rascal or the Unicorn. Dave is the one who has final say in whether an animal stays or goes; he's the one feeding us all so he gets the majority vote.

I didn't actually see her until 4:00 a.m. when the dogs decided a bathroom break was in order. I let the dogs out, saw a silhouette and went on the porch to investigate. She got up, stretched and began purring as soon as my hand touched her nose.

Amazing! I've been owned by cats for more than four decades and this is only the second cat I've known to walk in from the elements, claim her home and her humans and put down stakes. The first cat was Rings, an old friend who lived with me for more than twenty-one years. Rings had a sweet nature and, willingly and lovingly, traveled with me, state to state, good times and bad and never once complained. She was always grateful to have food, shelter and companionship and I was grateful to her for her gift of love.

Perhaps Rascal will be a similar companion although I'm hopeful our roots go deep enough not to be transplanted from the farm. I've been asked if I'm a dog or a cat person. That's like asking which child do you love best. Love isn't love when it's divided; only when it's multiplied is it truly love and makes all parties whole and complete.

The horses are staying cool by staying in the barn during the heat of the day and going out early mornings and late afternoons. They are a beautiful sight as they race across the pasture.

More chores to be done, calls to be made and I want to get a dye pot going before dark. Work is never finished but we find a stopping point and then call it quits for the day.

Carpe Diem - pluck the day and make it yours.

Happy Sabbath...

Psalms 50:10 - "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."








Matthew 7:16 - "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"




Luke 12:27 - "Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Proverbs 15:17 - "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."

Psalms 121:1, 2 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

Genesis 1:11 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth."

Job 14: 1, 2 "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not."

Song of Solomon 1:2 "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."

Happy July 4th, USA

On June 28, 1787, the Constitutional Convention was on the verge of complete rupture. For over a month the delegates wrestled with the issue of representation with no breakthroughs, and now patience was wearing thin, emotions were on edge.

A somber George Washington, presiding over this assembly, began to despair of seeing success in the Convention. But the oldest delegate in attendance, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, asked for permission to speak.
This was unusual. The 81-year-old Pennsylvanian up to this point wrote out his remarks and had some one else read them due to his infirmity. But this time he was stirred to rise and address the delegates himself:

"The small progress we have made after four or five weeks... with each other... is a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human understanding... In this situation for this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding?

"In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor... Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
"I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire could rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it (Psalm 127:1)." I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages.

"I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning...and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service."

This speech marked the turning point of the Convention.
Within a year the Constitution was ratified by eleven states to establish the first Christian form of government in history.

Ref: America's Providential History, pages 171-173.

Creation

Emerson once wrote, "The man who has seen the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight has been present like an archangel at the creation of light and of the world."

It's an awesome thing to ponder upon Creation and the Creator. To know my mind is so finite I cannot comprehend, this side of the veil, what it must have been like there, at the beginning, when all was void. I close my eyes and see darkness and think, "is this void or is this only darkness?"

I've seen "the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight" and gasped aloud at the sheer beauty. In the summer I regularily get up at three in the morning to hear the mockingbird sing. There's a piercing sweetness at that dark hour that can't be found after the sun rises. There's hope for all mankind, peace for the moment and enough joy to carry me into the day.

Every day there's so much beauty a lifetime can hardly hold it and yet, it keeps coming, rolling like the waves on the ocean shore. Beauty and more beauty for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

I've come to realize just how much I need, crave, have to have my daily portion of solitude. It's a drug and I'm addicted; I only want more and never less. It's only when my cup of solitude overflows that I can be a help meet to my husband, a, sometimes, dutiful daughter and daughter-in-law, a good friend. There's so much clamor in the world, so much going to and fro it's no wonder there's a surplus of anxiety and stress in the world.

My life is a quiet life meaning there's very little non-natural noise. My life is spent surrounded by the voices of the horses, sheep, dogs, cats, cattle and birds. Never is the radio used and the television perhaps a couple of times a week. Voices are natural and not canned. I can hear at any given moment what is going on in my world...if the animals are peaceful or at odds with each other, if someone or something needs my attention. I live at life's pace, the pace of the seasons and usually have time to take the dogs for a walk or sit in the sheep pasture and knit. Most of the time we eat slow food, fresh food lovingly prepared and offered as a gift to our bodies. We attempt to treat our bodies like a temple and not a tent.

Annie Dillard wrote, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

In addition to the above, I'm now spending a portion of my days in partnership with Leslie Shelor, Greenberry House. She and I have begun a new venture, Fiber Femmes, an on-line magazine dedicated to supporting, encouraging, promoting and publicizing women the world over involved in the fiber industry and arts.

Leslie has great strengths in many areas, including web and blog design. She has a great talent for understanding computer language and templates and settings and high tech things. She's steady, patient, kind and a never-ending source of strength and, even better, believed, and continues to believe, in the dream of Fiber Femmes.

Leslie and I are the original Fiber Femmes and have united our trust and faith in each other and in a common dream and goals. We're encouraging, supporting, promoting and celebrating each other; in turn, the strength that is two can encourage, support, promote and celebrate Fiber Femmes the world over. Individual and united we're

Fiber Femmes - Great Women Building a Gracious World