HIGH BUTTON SHOE
the farm update
High Button ShoeThe Tilda CollectionCrow Soup Sept. 15, 2007...I sit here missing my wood stove..the soft whirring noise it made as the wood burned heating the old house, and mostly the heat itself. It is a cold windy fall day here, and while the farmhouse is insulated well, and I love the old wood floors, they are not warm like my carpeted house was. I have on my old grey wool hunting socks, which are sizes too big for my feet, and just donned another long sleeved shirt to go over the other t-shirt I have on. The cold wind seems to seep into me today. I only ventured out once and fully intended to work in the barn, however have talked myself right out of that. Another day, when it is warmer, the wind is not so strong, and perhaps a bit of sunshine so I can see better. I can't wait long however, as all the garage stalls must be cleared and boxes moved into the barn before snow comes. My work is cut out for me.I will soon make a fresh pot of coffee and that will warm me. And as a treat for Ronnie I am going to bake some raspberry bars, and that will warm the kitchen. Best NOT warm my tummy!I just uploaded pictures to crow soup for their release tomorrow on the 15th..the purpose of this letter. Most likely later in the day, but please check out our offerings. Some you may have seen, some not. I am finding it difficult to make new items, time wise. But more often than not, I don't know where anything is. Even in my un-organized past life (pre-move), I at least knew what 'pile' things were in and what closet. It may have taken me 5 minutes to find it, but I knew the general area of things. Now, I know nothing! Having tried to keep all the shown sale items in a place I knew to find them, I must constantly refresh my brain as to where things are. Mostly it is futile, as there are boxes, boxes, boxes..in this basement, the pole barn is stacked to overflow, and Beu's garage (our old house) is still packed too. Moving a lifetime household is bad enough, add to it moving all the things I use to make primitives of, and it adds more confusion. And we well know, my often state of confusion as it is. Now, that I have a legitimate purpose behind that confused state, it is of little good to me, as the fact remains..I still can't find anything.I did however, find the missing vacuum cleaner wand. Yes, yes, I did. One of the LAST things to come out of the old house. It had fallen behind the old red cupboard I was leaving for Beulah. We have yet to find the expensive, thermometer that showed digital inside/outside temperatures. Forced for a while to go sit in my truck to read the temperature off the rear view mirror, we now have another thermometer in the kitchen window. For days unable to read its numbers, we now have it on an odd slant, but can see how cold it is. Perhaps I was better off not knowing.My rosemary plant, which has thrived all summer on the front porch has caused me some concern. After a night this week in the 30's, I determined I perhaps best be bringing that thriving plant into the house again by its growing position in front of the french doors. Probably later to be killed off by my acute attention to it, but remember I did keep it alive all last winter, so perhaps there is still hope... My talents with keeping a rosemary alive for more than a few months are almost nil. I should probably only whisper the progress of my plant, so as to not draw attention to it from mother nature and her wrath for my poor green thumb when it comes to house plants. But, I met an obstacle when attempting to bring this lush big now plant in. It's dirt has become home to a tree toad. So for the past few nights, I have moved the stand closer to the house on the porch and covered it, so it won't freeze. However, the tree toad has not relocated! OK. Yes, I know. I can move the tree toad. But somehow, have not had the heart for 3 days to do that. Maybe tonight I will. Tree toad move v.s. keeping my rosemary alive. Hardly seems like that should be a pressing decision. I haven't looked in several hours. Maybe he moved already. Then, there's the question of where to put him. He never stayed put this long in one spot before. Or not so I noticed. Drats.Beulah is just nicely settling into a routine at the old house and got her computer/internet back on line. She has been extremely busy with the move and kids back in a new school, games, practices, work etc. We hope to have some new things up to see soon. In the meantime, check out crow soup. We are found at http://www.crowsoup.com/Market586.phpI am exhibiting at the Keepsake Collection Show in Cadillac Michigan on Sept 29and 30. Taking fall drieds, antiques, the Gundrum greeting cards, and a host of primitive folk art and smalls. Email me for more info. I will be putting the information on the website too. I haven't been doing shows for some time. But plan to take some good things. AND my bittersweet grew better than any years in the past and I will have bittersweet there. I would love to bring lots of it into the farmhouse to string around on cupboards and such. But the farmer would be sure to notice and I believe I remember some instruction a time back of "ridding the farmhouse rooms of all those weeds"...or something to that effect. As a shop, the rooms were full of bittersweet, tansy, grapevine, honeysuckle, angelvine, sweet annie and some just plain weeds that dried nicely (I thought..), but as a farmhouse, the farmer made it clear, enough was enough. Perhaps if I used some restraint and didn't overdo it (un-huh, I caught that smile...) he might not be so against some bittersweet. I will keep you posted on that. I know. You will wait to hear...Ok, as it nears time for coffee, I better be working on those raspberry bars to accompany them. Won't he be surprised when he comes home to the warm kitchen and the smell of raspberry bars?Thank you to all of you who wrote me of Esther Gaffney. I was indeed blessed to have known her, if only briefly.Thanks for asking to be a part of our farm! If not, let me know and I will remove you at once.in fond regard,Tilda, dressed for wintersick of boxeskeeper of the rosemary