February 2nd, 2011

Finally! A new "View" and in February again, no less, how surprising! I promise to do much better this year! Although, I think I've said that before!

We've "toughed out" a hard December and January, spending more time in the barn lambing than in the house it feels! The boss and I have concluded that this will be our last "deep winter" lamb cycle as we find that once in the house with a bite for supper - the border collies are putting us to bed! Still - over coffee in the mornings, we agree that we're not doing too bad for 65 and 70!!

With over 60 lambs in the shed now, racing around and being silly, the below zero days, frozen water buckets and plowing snow to the barn moments, we hope, will soon be behind us.

When I go into the barn each morning now, I announce to the waiting faces of the 'girls',  "Only six more weeks, we can do this!" I'm not so sure who I'm trying to convince, but as we chop open the bales of hay to fill the racks, the smell of "green" lifts up around us and I know the sheep remember it also as they push their muzzles in to grab mouthfulls of "summer".

As the shed settles down to chomping contentment, I slowly walk from back to back imagining the feel of their fleeces in my hands at the wheel or counting the stitiches of lusterous yarn as it whispers across my needles creating garments so much appreciated in this cold right now.

Living Fair Isle patterns slowly form and re-form around me as we fill the feeders. My daughter and I smile with anticipation at being able to soon share the November shearing with all of you in our fiber community as soon as these "zero" days pass and we are back in the carding house.

In the mean time, we are gathering 'round the table in the studio with hanks, bundles and baskets of color and textures, stitches and samples hang everywhere giving us an ever present opportunity in passing to discover a new look we hadn't thought of before - what a great excuse for my ever present clutter! Ha, ha!

Well, I see the daylight coming over the ridge across the bottom so I had better put down the cup and pen and pick up my fashion statement barn attire.

I cannot close without letting you all know that as chaotic events shake the perimeters of our lives at this time, the shared strength formed in our community of art and handwork in bitter times will only grow more meaninguful as we gather our families and friends around us to reassure them that all will be well. Perhaps not easy, but I know you all, I have shared thousands of your friendships for over thirty years and I know It is our turn to rise to the "fear" as our mothers and grandmothers before us. Regardless of what evolves ouside, let peace and safety be at our  tables and let the new stories told, find us worthy of the heritage the women before us have passed on...standing together as a Nation, looking out and saying "Bring it On!"

And that, dear friends, is the "View from Fryer's Bottom."