Sunday Muse

“Among the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard anyone say came from my student Bethany, talking about her pedagogical aspirations or ethos, how she wanted to be as a teacher, and what she wanted her classrooms to be. She said, ‘What if we joined our wildernesses together?’ Sit with that for a minute. That the body, the life, might carry a wilderness, an unexplored territory, and that yours and mine might somewhere, somehow, meet. Might, even, join.

And what if the wilderness — perhaps the densest wild in there — thickets, bogs, swamps, uncrossable ravines and rivers (have I made the metaphor clear?) — is our sorrow? Or, to use Smith’s term, the ‘intolerable.’ It astonishes me sometimes — no, often — how every person I get to know — everyone, regardless of everything, by which I mean everything — lives with some profound personal sorrow. Brother addicted. Mother murdered. Dad died in surgery. Rejected by their family. Cancer came back. Evicted. Fetus not okay. Everyone, regardless, always, of everything. Not to mention the existential sorrow we all might be afflicted with, which is that we, and what we love, will soon be annihilated. Which sounds more dramatic than it might. Let me just say dead. Is this, sorrow, of which our impending being no more might be the foundation, the great wilderness?

Is sorrow the true wild?

And if it is — and if we join them — your wild to mine — what’s that?

For joining, too, is a kind of annihilation.

What if we joined our sorrows, I’m saying.

I’m saying: What if that is joy?”

~ Ross Gay from “The Book of Delights” in conversation with Krista Tippett – On Being

Sunday Muse

“…what if everything we’ve been told about human nature is wrong, and we’re actually very generous, communitarian, altruistic beings who are distorted by the system we’re in but not made happy by it? What if we can actually be better people in a better world?”

~ Rebecca Solnit in conversation with Krista Tippett, On Being

Weekly Wrap Up

The lineup of lamb cuteness just keeps on coming. We’ve had some challenges with these early babies and some of their mamas but we soldier on to overcome each difficulty. As you can see the rewards are well worth the effort. The barn is overflowing with lamb-love.

And speaking of soldiering on… although it is now the 29th, as in 29-Days, and we are both still on Day 16’s assignment, we are loving every minute we can devote to our secret object. No spoilers, please!

Several new projects in the fiber room – new yarn development and batt planning

To truly wrap things up – here is your moment of zen – compliments of Ivy’s little ewe, Darling.

Weekly Wrap Up

We’re eight days in to February and we are loving every moment of our 29 Days projects – bundle dyeing, slow stitching and so much more. We are looking at the next 21 days with great anticipation.

Lots of projects continue in the fiber room, including a custom project

And finally a little snow… a really nice departure from all the mud and grey-ness.

Weekly Wrap Up

The last week of January…

Big shop update – yarn, raw wool, washed wool, mini batts and more!

Jack and Jill Handspun yarn
Joyce’s beautiful fleece
2-ply fingering farm yarn

We made farm cheese and yogurt this week. We’re going to miss our dairy making chores while the girls are dry.

Our 29 Day projects with The School of Nomad Arts began on Saturday – so much to look forward to.

A little snow this week but not enough to keep the mud at bay. We’re all a little soggy from so much rain.

Highlight of the week – Lambing Season 2020 has begun! Charlotte, of the 2018 border leicester royal triplets, is the first to give birth. Welcome to the farm family beautiful little ewe.