Girls Gone Crafty - A Weekend to Remember

 This past weekend, I went away by myself for the first time since Lily was born. Even better was the fact that this first journey away was with a group of "girls," rather than for work. Thanks to our one friend in common, Abbey of Knit & Wit, our group of five young women traveled West over the mountains to Autumn House Farm. We began as individuals who had never spent time together as a group, looking forward to a weekend of potential luxury, antique and yarn buying, and industrious productivity as we anticipated lounging by the fire in the farm house we were to stay in. We ended the weekend as friends, bonded together by an experience that was nothing we had expected and yet was so much better. It was the type of experience that happens rarely, and can pass you by if you don't hold onto and embrace it. It was the type of experience that you leave feeling changed. I know that I did. (And Abbey's reflections confirm that the same was true for her.) I entered the weekend with anticipation and admittedly a few shy nerves, and left feeling so confident - in this group of women, in my own values, in the promise of my family's future.

This is a story that I struggle to tell, because it's a story about discovery and knowing. And our guide on that journey was a lovely woman named Harriet. Harriet is a truly unique woman. She is an artisan, expert in the fiber arts. She is a lifelong farmer, and an encyclopedia on animal husbandry - she has been caring for sheep for many years, but before that kept cattle. She loves her husband, her children, her people. She is an historian - she tells colorful stories of the people and artifacts of her past. And she is a self-appointed role model, deliberately sharing her very strong core values and the ways of farming and self-reliance with any who would like to learn. Harriet cares deeply about the future generations that will come after her and inherit all of the rich beauty with which we have been entrusted as humans. This care colored all of the conversations we shared in with her.

So did we relax in luxury? Rustic relaxation is more like it...

So did we do any crafting? Absolutely!                                

Painted Bird Houses

Finished Duck Bib

Did we sit by the fire? Of course!

Tending the fire

Did we enjoy awesome food, wine, and company? Yes!

Vegan Minestrone

Did we get to meet the sheep? Oh yeah!

With a lovely lamb named Mouse

I have a feeling this past weekend is going to creep into more than a few future blog posts, as I share with you all that we did, saw, learned, and accomplished. One thing's for sure. I am SO glad that I went.

The five of us with Harriet and her dog, Cap