Spring is supposed to come at 1:49AM this Saturday morning. I may have to get up, don my sunglasses and shorts, and stand on the back deck to welcome it in. That would be, of course, after I shoveled the still mounting snow off the deck! If I don't stop frowning about all this drated snow, I fear I will have a 3rd wrinkle added to 2 crows feet in the middle of my forehead. Yes, I know. I do realize it is only mid March and we are in northern Michigan after all. Beulah, last fall, mailed me pictures she had taken in the yards here with plush green grass, and full bloom daisies, geraniums etc. One of them is on the screen of the computer when I turn it on. Others are available with a click of my mouse. I look at them often now. I find myself contemplating the search of the frog croaking tape I made several years ago at the swamp behind the barn. You know me and swamps! Later in the spring, the sound of the frogs is almost deafening. I love that sound. Did you know that folk lore says that the frogs freeze back in 3 times before spring is finally here. While I find that lore disappointing, it usually stays true. That quote, by the way, comes from Ron, the old farmer, who knows all such things. Or so he tells me.
When I told you last time about my suicidal ladybugs, I got a mail back from many of you, including Angie from Missouri. I had to share this with you. While never talking personally to Angie, each mail from her has the most intoxicating southern lean to it. (And I mean that in the nicest way!) She uses terms I don't hear often if ever. She lives on a working farm, with her husband, and girls ( 2, I think, maybe 3) and she has a cat that must have used up at least 30 lives so far, often due to one of the young girls. Her cat stories are hilarious! I thought I had kept what she wrote me but old fast finger here must have deleted it, as I looked for it this morning and could not find it. Forgive me Ang, if I don't get the age right. Either 4 or 6 year old Gillian is deathly afraid of bugs. Runs screaming from them, but is strangely not afraid of ladybugs. She lets them crawl on her arms. To stay off the explanation of where babies come from until a later age, Angie has told her young girls that babies are kept in heaven, until they choose the family they want to come to, and then they go into Mama's stomachs. Gillian told her mama, that "before she was borned, it was her job to put the spots on ladybugs for God". I sat her several moments rereading that, my eyes swimming with tears, and the hair on my arms standing up. Then I wrote Angie back and offered...what made her think that maybe Gillian DIDN'T put the ladybug spots on before she was borned? I absolutely love hearing from Angie. Reading about her life (which makes mine look tame!), what they do on the farm, the heat and no rain, what Duane is doing, that idiot cat, and the picture of her young girls coming to mind, surely brings a smile to my face. Thanks, Angie!!
On the ONE nice day (no falling snow or high wind) that was wedged in between the 3 days of heavy snow and wind, BrunieMae (www.saltboxfarm.com) and me headed off to Nashville for the folk art& antique show. This is the first time I haven't done that show, but experiencing withdrawal, we headed off in my truck, filthy from mud and salt covered roads. The truck that was, Brunie and me were clean! Good thing we took the truck. BrunieMae found the most awesome mustard colored drysink, which we brought home, from Olde Picket Fence. I restrained myself from furniture (on strong suggestion from Ronnie. Occasionally, not often, I do listen to his recommendations!), but managed to spend nearly all the money I took. Good friend Holly did the show, and her booth was awesome with folk art. We had a nice lunch and stopped at an antique place and shared our money with them. There was NO snow down there. Coming home, I dreaded driving back into snow country, but for several hours it was lovely to see bare ground. One farm even had clothes blowing on the clothes lines. My heart smiled. We had to cut my lines this winter to get the front load tractor thru the back yard to the shed to open a path. We couldn't keep up with the shoveling path there, and when the snow literally was crotch deep, we gave up and cut my lines. When the snow is finally low enough so I can hang things out, Ronnie will have to put it all back together again for me. I LOVE hanging out clothes. I ran into snow again about 20 miles south of here and here we still have some banks waist high. Oh, I gassed up coming home (the truck, not me!) at $161.9 . Down from the $172.9 up here, and that is down from the 178.9 it was a week ago.
Beulah got me a daisy flower plant last weekend to help ease my winter hating. A live plant! I passed over the live rosemary plants at the show Saturday, salivating the whole time, but knowing full well that bringing home a live rosemary plant would rank right up there with bringing home furniture from the "boss". So now, while it looks wonderful, this new plant will be my focus for the next several weeks to keep it alive. Should we start a contest to see who wins with the exact hour and day the last dried up leaf falls off? Actually I have been pretty impressed with myself that it has made it 4 days. However, the day is NOT over yet! OK, the purpose of this letter... www.crowsoup.com came out this morning. If you go in that way, you have to click on crafter market magazine in the top left corner to view the exhibits. We are at http://www.crowsoup.com/Market586.php We are showing 2 new dolls, very primitive black dolls. Miss Wilma, however, is already sold! And 3 of the carved roosters that Ronnie carves. The crow has gotten so big it takes awhile to get around on there, but let me suggest you visit http://www.crowsoup.com/Market688.php at primitive pastimes. click on her website banner at the bottom of her crowsoup offerings. Michelle has a great talent and her website is well worth looking at. Also another site that offers some great dolls is Grungy Gertie. I have one of her dolls and just love the face! We will have more dolls coming soon. I have bodies cut, sewed, and turned for 12 dolls . As most of our dolls now are rag stuff'd, that process takes longer. And can you just vision me, digging thru boxes of rag material to find enough materials to stuff these ladies? You would not believe how MUCH stuff it takes for ONE doll. About one full size bed sheet all torn into pieces to fill one doll body!
The shop reopens for the 2004 season with regular open hours on March 31. I have managed to fritter away my 4 months off, accomplishing little of what I had hoped to do. Logically, I could surmise I still have 16 days left, but we all know IF I haven't tackled it in 3-1/2 months, there is little hope to get it finished in 2 weeks. Humm. resolution 837 in the toilet! I have been VERY busy with orders though. Thank you SO MUCH to all of you who have ordered from us. We appreciate each and every one of you. This DOES keep me from having to get a "real" job, you know. Yah, like I would qualify for any marketplace job anymore. My used to being bare feet would never stand to be cooped up in shoes for any length of time.
In closing, I wish the VERY best to Bonnie K. in WI for her upcoming show this weekend. I would LOVE to be there for this show. I have seen pictures of her offerings and she will have one heck of a show!! To Miss Elspeth (aka Wendy Stys) the "mud, blackbirds & such" is joy to my heart. We had a red wing blackbird here yesterday. With flat out blowing snow in winds that knocked over the deck rocking chair, I suspect he was sorry he came this far north yet. Him, and me both.
Thanks again for asking to be a part of our farm life. I will keep you posted on the clothes line repair, the endangered daisy plant, and when the new dolls will be ready!
Until then, in fond regard,
Miss Clotilda www.highbuttonshoe.net
OH! PS (just when you thought I was done!) Beulah put up some other new things on our website this weekend. Look under "new items". New makedo's are on page 2. Also the 2004 calendar of events is up.