resurrection fern

giving thanks for our food

When we give thanks, we do not just say a few words over our food.

We reflect on our eating of life as small participants in the larger circle of life. . Thanksgiving becomes the means through which we elevate and hold before each other this miracle of sustenance.  We acknowledge that the food we share is a precious and costly gift that is to be cherished, protected, and celebrated.

 

 

 We had to move our meal indoors due to the below freezing temperatures in the evening. I used a vintage barkcloth curtain as the table cloth and just managed to finish sewing up some resurrection fern fabric napkins just before the turkey was ready.

The only down side to the meal was that my son wasn't apple to make it home for the weekend having just started a new job. We really missed him but managed to back up a meal and send it to him via a friend.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all of our friends.

pumpkin crowns

Want to make a crown or seasonal wreath in minutes without the use of glue, sewing or wire? In fact all you need are some embroidery hoops and some colorful fresh leaves. If you are fresh out of colorful leaves you can create your own out of paper or stiff fabric.  I made my first one out of the colorful leaves of the 

staghorn sumac.

 This bush is one of the first to turn red in Ontario and it does so in gradients. I removed the leaves from a few stems and sorted them by color.

 Open up the embroidery hoop and lay the inner layer down on a flat surface.

 Now place the leaves around the hoop overlapping the ring by about one inch.

 When you completed the circle and with the outer layer of the hoop opened to its widest setting place it carefully down over the inner layer and the leaves. Tighten the hoop and admire your colorful display.

I bet you won't want to stop at making just one. 

My little wild thing liked the paper leaf crown the most. He said it really complemented his grey coat. 

Edgar is always close by when I am working on the porch. 

I think he agrees the colors, textures and aromas of autumn are very special. 

I might just have to add professional pumpkin photographer and stylist to my resume.

By the way happy apple picking bench monday to you all!!

apple picking between the showers

It has been raining most of the weekend so far. In a brief moment of clarity in the sky my daughter, her friend and I went apple picking. Sunflowers, bees, a duck named elvis, pumpkins and of course lots and lots of apples.

I used to be a Cortland apple girl through and through but I had a bite of Gravenstein apple fresh from the tree and I think it might just be my new favorite.

falling softly

One of the things I have noticed most about this autumn compared to most is how softly and slowly it is transforming. Usually we go from summer to winter in the wink of an eye where hard frost and a fierce rain storm brings the leaves down almost all at once. Not this year, or at least not yet. When I was taking my regular walks in the forest this weekend I stopped in one of favorite colorful spots and just listened. It was then I heard it the  symphony of gentle breeze, colorful leaves twirling as they fell ever so softly down to the earth and a faint intermittent popping sound that I later discovered was the exploding seed pods of the jewel weed that grows down by the narrow stream. I was on a leaf collecting mission for some ephemeral art projects I had envisioned. This little outing also inspired my banner for the kitchen. A room I spend a great deal of time in when it is too cold on the porch. I used some vintage sheet music paper and some onion skin sheets that the letters were printed out on. I layered them and then sewed them onto a length of kitchen twine. 

The raspberry corn from the farmer's market was as delicious as it was beautiful. 

Edgar and Arwen both are liking the exact same spot of the porch.

Today is yellow day in the poppytalk week of color. I hope you will all play along.

Here is my contribution to the day. 

My motto for the week is going to be " it's worth the effort".

It all started with this adorable vintage clothesline I purchased from a sweet young boy at a garage sale for 25 cents. He didn't know what it was and was apologizing for the cord being all tangled. I spent some time untangling it and I removed the old soiled cotton cord in order to wash it. I will put it back once it is clean and I am going to put this to use as a retractable indoor clothesline. I just haven't decided on the location yet but it will probably be close to the corner stove in the kitchen. 

Oh, I almost forgot, when I was looking through my stash of old paper I rediscovered on of my favorite types of paper, velum graph paper. I used it to make the little clothesline sign and also to line the tray for the colors of the day collections this week. It felt good finding an old friend.

Raspberry and Lime

There was a definite color theme happening for my weekend away from home where nature echoed perfectly the fabulous colors chosen for the wedding of my niece. The pictures say it all!!

i thank You God for most this amazing
day;

for the leaping greenly spirits

 of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;

and for everything
which is natural which is infinite

 which is yes

ee cummings

Wishing you both infinite love and

a greenly spirit

filled life 

xxoo 

Margie

our love for colorful leaves and milkweed is hardwired

My love of september is nothing new. In fact I think most of my family has shared in this love over the years we have been together. Our love for colorful leaves and the subject of yesterday's post, milkweed is nothing new. I must apologize because for some reason I assumed that everyone knew what milkweed was and how important it is in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Thanks so much Sonia for reminding me that what grows in my front yard may be not very familiar to some of your.

When my children were young it used to be thought of as a noxious weed and there were actually local laws against having it grow in your garden. My children loved them and even then knew of their magical importance to the ecosystem. 

That is a picture I found and scanned of my eldest daughter, Tamara, almost 20 years ago spreading the magic milkweed seeds. She called it fairy dust and was so fond of collecting and spreading it that I even made her a very special little pouch to keep it in. We recalled yesterday how she was scolded by a few unhappy neighbours that obviously had no understanding of the plight of the monarch. 

These mommy made special items of childhood become lasting treasures for them even into adulthood. Just in case any of you are ever wondering whether it is worth the effort. Just ask Tamara and she will tell you it definitely is.

The other affinity that is genetically hard wired in our household is our love of colorful leaves and especially those of our native maple trees.

Here is a little blast from the past to show what I mean.

That is Tamara, Rebekah and I up to our necks in leaves. 

Here is the result of some leaf play on the weekend after a walk in the forest.

That last one was taken just before the sun set. I just love how it illuminates the leaves and magnifies the colors.

I am reassured that no matter how much the world changes somethings will remain constant bringing vividly colorful reminders to seize the day.

I made you a starfield to wish you a happy birthday

Lord of the starfields
Ancient of Days
Universe Maker
Here's a song in your praise

Wings of the storm cloud
Beginning and end
You make my heart leap
Like a banner in the wind

O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning.
Lord of the starfields
Sower of life,
Heaven and earth are
Full of your light

Voice of the nova
Smile of the dew
All of our yearning
Only comes home to you

O love that fires the sun
keep me burning 

bruce cockburn from circles in the stream album ( 1977)

Today is my daughter Rebekah's birthday and as I am writing this post she is slowly making her way back home from Peanwanuck and Polar Bear Provincial Park in Northern Ontario. I can't wait to hug and kiss her and hear of her amazing adventures in the land of the polar bear. I have never been that far north but she did travel with one of my covered stones so at least I feel like a little part of me has. Happy birthday my darling. I couldn't send a cake to you so I made you a starfield instead.

The porch awaits you and we will be sure to have some refreshing beverages to celebrate the day. All your favorite golden yellow flowers are in bloom and the mushrooms in the forest are even golden and I found one that had a beautiful natural smile. It reminded me so much of you.

Showers and Flowers

It has been raining again almost steady for the last day or so. Soggy  shoes, wet basement, damp kitties and mud everywhere got me thinking that I forgot to post about a different sort of shower, a wedding shower and the not you typical shower gift I gave. My beautiful  niece is getting married this fall in the Muskokas. 

On my last trip back "home" family and friends got together to celebrate.

My gift to her was a bright green market collapsable market basket, gardening hand tools, a pair of the most comfortable bamboo gardening gloves, the awesome book Garden Anywhere and a indoor/outdoor planter with culinary herbs already planted in it to get her started.

I almost forgot the most important part of the gift was a framed photograph of a totally adorable little couple at a wedding long long ago. In some ways she hasn't changed a bit:)

This time her little twin nieces will be the flower girls and I will be sure to capture that moment on my camera:)

Forever and Ever

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery Today is my eldest daughter's birthday and it is about time I thanked her for all her patience over the years in explaining and teaching me things what must seem to her to be forever and ever. I came into this very important role of motherhood, young and unexperienced and over the years my children have taught me so much.

I made this next poetry stone to give her for her birthday.  As the daisy so aptly predicted we LOVE YOU , forever and ever.

The daisies are always in bloom just before her birthday and she spent many days over the years picking beautiful handfuls in the meadows. We share a very deep love of flowers and I have even managed to win her over in the snail adoration department. Not hard to do when the little creatures try so very hard to be loved.

Here is her birthday wish snail making this quite evident.

So today we will wake up early, hop in the car, stop at starbucks for a little early morning nourishment and take a short birthday road trip. I have a few gifts ready for her to open in the  car on our way. We will be back home on sunday but don't fret I have left a few little posts to keep you amused until then.

oops please excuse my sweat pants and keds :)

liberty and lace makes for some lovely wrappings.

Please rest on my garden bench if you want to. I promise to be back shortly.

my day

My day started gardening with Edgar.

I think he thinks of this as the kitty version of a hot stone massage.

We found fern tucked under the lavender plant.

He has made a new friend.

Fantastic day for hanging clothes on the line. I finally got around to washing the treasures I found in Austria a few weeks ago.

My daughter's made the most wonderful lunch of corgette carbonara a la Jamie Oliver,  baguette with garlic butter and to top if off a key lime tarte.  The entire meal was so delicious. The tarte tasted far better than the one I had at Demel's in Vienna. 

The table was decorated with tiny flowers in small repurposed jars and key limes.

My son who unfortunately couldn't join us today sent me the most wonderful poem by email. I will share it with you later in the week after I find some pictures to complement it.

To top it off the magnolia tree was in full bloom. A pretty perfect day I think.

I am trying to keep my promise of an etsy shop update for tomorrow, May 11th at 7 pm. but I must admit I had forgotten today was Mother's Day and I am more than a little behind in preparations. We will just see how things go.