Falling into Fall

"Mare's tail" clouds above the metal roof of the log home on HeartSong Farm.

Fall has always been my favorite of the year's seasonal cycles.  I love the feel of the air as the temperatures begin to change, cooling down from those of the summer.  It is crisp and vibrant, matching the colors of foliage beginning to change into a fall wardrobe, and the fragrance of fall produce like apples, pears and oranges.  There is the hint of wood smoke in the air which brings a smile as I look forward to being inside for the next few months where I will spend good times baking and making soups and stews.  It is the Autumn time that makes me feel most domestic, a feeling that carries over into the winter, until the seed catalogs arrive and I begin to plan my spring garden.  And, of course, it is the time of football.

One of many butterflies that have passed through on their fall migration this year.

But, more than anything else, Fall is a time where I look back as well as forward, before the hibernation of winter sets in.  I look around and see what I have accomplished and what I have left unfinished, what the future holds and what parts of the past I can finally put aside.  There is excitement, joy and sadness.  I always get a bit down and depressed as Fall approaches during the last weeks of Summer.  This year was no different.  I have to let it all wash over me and play itself out, trusting that on the other side of my intense gloom is that blue sky, the crispness in the air, and homemade soups to be enjoyed.

During this time, I lean heavily on dear friends, and on the following quotation attributed to Julian of Norwich, a mystic of the British Isles who lived from 1342 to 1416.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." 

One reason for my depression is that September is the month my first son was born 37 years ago.  He has been away from home, on his own, since 1997, and I have not gotten to see him even once a year since then because of where he has lived and worked.  We talk often, usually for an hour or so, but it really isn't the same as seeing him, hugging him, or cooking for him!  September also brings back other memories that haunt me and are not for these pages.  

Recently, my friend, Elik, shared a Navajo prayer chant with me that has really touched my soul. When I step out onto my back porch, feel the fresh air around me, and look out over my back pasture, I cannot help but know its truth:  "All around me, my land is Beauty."  I am blessed. 

The back porch at HeartSong Farm.  The door next to the porch swing leads to my bedroom.  The

door to the far left goes into the den and kitchen.

As I look towards the back pasture, the back pasture looks back at me!  That's Texanna in the forefront, with Moonshadow on the left, and Armando on the right.  Reading their thoughts is quite easy:  "Does she have the white bucket of treats with her? Huh?  Huh?"

The goldenrod is blooming, attracting butterflies first, and later, finches and
cardinals will enjoy the tiny seeds.

Cardinal vine, morning glory, and coral bells bloom on the arbor near the

back porch, inviting bees and hummingbirds from late summer into fall.

During this past week, as the official beginning of Fall arrived, I was brought out of my depression by two things. First, there was lunch with friend, Judy, who is a great listener and is always supportive.  She is also talented at making me laugh even when I think I can't.  Second was the first sighting in town on Monday, and later in the week outside my bedroom window, of the annual blooming of "naked ladies"!  Some people know them as spider lilies, but many of us in the South grew up calling them "naked ladies" because they pop up almost overnight and have no visible leaves.  

Spider lilies, aka "naked ladies," outside my bedroom window.

I love how they appear magically.  How can you not smile when you see them?!  Especially when you have completely forgotten they are there until, all of a sudden, there they are!  And they are so joyful-looking!

I have a wonderful memory of these Fall flowers that centers around my Daddy, who had a very wicked sense of humor.  When I was about 5 years old, in Shreveport, Louisiana, my Daddy said he wanted to show us something after church.  Something, he said, that he had seen on Friday on his way to and from work.  

My mother rode in the front seat of our old "Woodie" station wagon, dressed primly for church as usual, while two of my brothers and I rode in the back seat.  We rounded the corner in an old residential area and pulled up in front of a charming white house with a yard completely covered in spidery red flowers, so many that hardly any green grass was visible anywhere.  It was what we would label "totally awesome" today.  And my Daddy said:

"Have you ever seen so many naked ladies in all your life?!  I know I haven't!"

And my mother hit him with her purse and said:  "Take us home right now, Edwin!"  My Daddy turned around in the driver's seat and grinned.  My brothers and I giggled in the back seat all the way home.  

Fall is here on HeartSong Farm!

My retreat to Lone Oak Ranch

I have been back from my first retreat with the Chix Packin Stix gals for over two weeks and I am still riding high on the energy and creativity inspired by the gathering!  One of those "natural highs" that I love!  

The location for the retreat was the Lone Oak Ranch near Gainesville, Texas, and that was five hours from where I live.  I was not sure how I would survive the ten hour round trip and still be able to show up for work on the Monday morning afterwards.  Not to worry!  I was Energized!

The flyer said that we would be playing with a peg loom, sewing a blue jean bag/purse, knitting washcloths for charity, making a wreath with yarn and perhaps felted balls, and having a wonderful time just being with fiber friends.  It all sounded just wonderful to me, especially since I had always enjoyed the company of the two organizers/instigators, Cyndi and Joyce.  All materials were to be provided and the peg looms were ours to keep!  We could do as much or as little as we wanted. There was an online sign-up sheet for choosing what to bring for the Friday night pot luck supper and the snack island in the Activities Room.  Alrighty then, sign me up!

I was excited, too, because the venue was within a few miles of the university I had graduated from in 1970, North Texas State University in Denton.  Maybe I could visit the campus on the way home and see just how much it has changed in all these intervening years!?  

The drive was quite nice and very easy, with great highways and little traffic (until I hit McKinney!). As I left the hills, red clay and pine trees of the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas and headed north and west, I passed through open fields, flat land that changed to rolling hills, and eventually to areas of scrub and mesquite.  Pastures changed from cattle to mostly horses ....  gorgeous horses ... and in one, there was a herd of bison!  The area north of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area where I had attended college had turned into horse country with lovely estates scattered across the rolling green countryside!  Crepe myrtles appeared to be the landscaping tree of choice, in shades of pinks, reds, purples and white.  It was all quite lovely!

Landscape of North Texas, with a lovely buttermilk sky!

Upon arrival, I was greeted warmly by new and old friends, and noticed that everyone was already having a great time. Some gals were at the sewing machines making purses and bags out of blue jeans.  Others were moving into their rooms in one of the buildings, bringing in their contribution to the potluck dinner on Friday night, or just sitting around in the air conditioning knitting and visiting!  

This is the Charles Goodnight House which was my "home" for the weekend. 

I thought this stoop with the horseshoes was kinda cool!

I dropped my things off at the little house I was assigned to, which turned out to be where Cyndi and Joyce were also staying.  That would turn out to be even more than a lot of fun!

Then I gathered up my "stuff" for the retreat activities.  This included my knitting bag (full of needles and hooks of all manner of sizes in metal, plastic and wood, straight and circular and double pointed, along with pens, notions, scissors and notebook), and a bag of yarns and projects in progress.  Once those were deposited near the seat that I had chosen in the Activities Building,  I looked around and breathed in the Wonderful Air of Creativity! Yes!  I needed this so much, and I was so very glad that I had decided to make the trip to the Chix Packin Stix Retreat.  It was around 4:30 pm, and Life was grand!

The Activities Building at Lone Oak Ranch

Chill-laxing with new and old friends at the second Chix Packin Stix Retreat.

Not long thereafter my arrival in the Activities Building, I was introduced to a sweet lady about my age who was in need of some knitting tutelage so that she could get started on the pattern for the washcloths we would all be making to benefit the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.  The washcloths are given to cancer patients who have just recently finished up their chemo and/or radiation therapies, to symbolically wash off the lines and marks of the battle they have just fought so courageously.

Hand knitted washcloths are fun and quick to make out of cotton yarns easily available.  They

make a really nice gift along with some special soap.

As we were getting acquainted during the next hour, Liza asked me where I had gone to high school in Houston.  I told her Robert E. Lee, and she said:  "ME, TOO!"  It turns out that we were in the same grades at the same schools in 7th and 8th grades, and then again in 10th and 11th grades, but there were so very many of us in our grade that we really didn't know each other.  We did, however, have some of the same teachers, and knew some of each other's friends. How cool is that?! To finally meet, after 47 years!!!  She grew up as Betsy and is now Liza;  I grew up as Sally and am now Sara. Small world, indeed!  I couldn't wait to get home and find my year book.

My new high school friend, Liza

After a delicious pot luck supper, I found myself sitting at one of the 4 sewing machines working on my blue jean purse.  I picked out my pair of jeans, some red print cotton fabric, and a bag of various brown, purple, white and red yarns, cut to length and chained together.  I also picked up a pretty silk scarf that I thought might be useful, but later put it back.  It didn't seem to go with the way my creation  was developing, after all.

I cut the legs off of the jeans, seamed across the bottom, and then sewed the red fabric into a lining. Next I twisted the colorful bundle of yarns into a shoulder strap and attached it to each side of the blue jeans' waistband.  I tried this and that with some ribbons, admired what others had done with theirs, and decided that I was happy with what I had done so far, but would need to get home to my stash of "this and that, bits and pieces" in order to finish  and be pleased.  I find that I have to think about my projects, even agonize over them, and I rarely finish something at a class or retreat.  That is just how I operate!  I think way too much, and have difficulty making decisions, but I am working on improving!

This one is full of Bling!

This pair of jeans was turned on it's side, with the zipper on top, 
 and appliqued with flower prints and gingham leaves!  

And a very stylish bag with handmade flowers of ribbon and fabric!

Around 8:30 pm, the "early to bed ladies" went to their rooms while the rest of us stayed and worked and visited and relaxed a while longer.  By 11:00 pm, all but us certified night owls had left the building and gone to their beds, and the 10 of us that were left ended up "partying" until 1:30 am before retiring as well.  We were still full of energy, but we knew we needed to get to our beds and catch some sleep before morning and the activities planned for Saturday!

Cyndi and Joyce, as organizers of the retreat, were responsible for making the breakfasts both mornings. Those of us who were lucky enough to be in the same little house with these two gals, got to help in the kitchen.  What fun making pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and breakfast casseroles with fiber sisters!

Making the batter for sourdough pancakes on Saturday morning.

Tasting committee!  YUM!

The finished product ready to be taken to the Activities Building for the breakfast buffet.

Saturday morning some of the ladies opted to sit and learn to knit from an experienced knitter.  For the rest of us who wanted to participate, Joyce passed out the peg looms with pegs that she and Cyndi had made for us, and then invited us to grab some chenille yarns from a big cardboard box for our next project. Talk about a mad scramble!  And, did I tell you that the peg looms were ours to keep?!

Joyce demonstrating how to weave on the peg loom, with help from Terri.

Joyce patiently gave us our instructions, and showed us some examples of items made from peg looms that she had brought:  scarves, bags, purses, and rugs.  There was a flurry of activity and we all got down to threading our pegs and then began to weave with these clever little looms.  Some of us caught on faster than others, and, as usual, I was one of the ones at the back of the class trying desperately to keep up!  But by late afternoon, even I had finished my little green and beige bag for carrying my Kindle Fire.  Some had already started on a second project! I began to think, what else could I try on this clever little thing?!  I am thinking maybe some new bath mats made with old towels cut in strips for the weft.  Stay tuned ....

My peg loom with weaving in progress.

This is my little bag for my Kindle Fire that I wove on the peg loom.  I
added all of the finishing touches after I got back home.  I made a macrame
shoulder strap, then raided my button jar for the perfect mix of buttons!

Lunch and supper were served by the folks at Lone Oak Ranch, buffet style.  The food was good and plentiful, and the conversation delightful. Food always brings out the best stories with fiber folk! The evening continued with desserts and snacks always available in the Activity Building. One new friend had brought an awesome banana pudding, and another gal made spongecake rolls filled with whipped cream and fresh peaches! We spent the evening visiting and finishing up what we had started at the retreat, or working on projects we had brought from home.  Some decided to play a board game and had us all laughing at their antics!

After breakfast on Sunday, Joyce showed us how to go about making a seasonal wreath out of a wire frame, some funky art yarn, and small felted balls.  The yarn colors I wanted to use for my fall wreath were gone by the time that I got to the yarn box.  Although there were plenty of yarns of other colors, I am very particular when it comes to color choice .... AND, the wreath is to be a gift for Matt's girl, Melissa, and it just has to be perfect!  So, Cyndi said she could order and mail me the yarn colors that I wanted so that I could make mine after I got home.  Awesome! The yarn arrived yesterday, and I just love, love, love the colors!  They remind me of the Texas Renaissance Festival.  Will take a photo when it is finished!

Joyce also showed us how to make some felted balls for decorating the wreaths if we wanted to use them for part of the decoration.  The process involved small styrofoam balls, soap, water and tiny amounts of wool, both natural and dyed.  We were running out of time, so I opted to just sit back and work on my washcloths and visit with those around me.  I needed to start winding up the weekend, and tie up some loose ends.  This was the way everything worked at the retreat.  No rules, just fun.

Sometimes we need a helping hand from a friend!

New friends working on their wreaths on Sunday morning.

It was time to pack up our things and head out in all directions for home after our lunch on Sunday.  I decided that I would save the trip to visit Denton and my old college campus for another time.  I already knew that I would be attending another Chix Packin Stix Retreat! So much fun!  Just what the doctor ordered!

I chose a different way back home in order to bypass McKinney's traffic, and was rewarded with more lovely horse country and the sight of a roadrunner along the side of the highway! 

Roadrunner!

I would often see one near HeartSong Farm, but not in the last several years. So, that was pretty fantastic, and seemed like a sign that I should definitely make road trips now and again to this area. 

I had no problems getting up for work on Monday morning.  I also had lunch with my friend, Judy, wherein I just about talked her ear off about the good time I had, poor thing.  She quilts, and I keep telling her she needs to go to a Quilting Retreat sometime!  She just smiled ....

This is my Daisy Duke Bag that I finished after I got home from the Retreat.  The inside lining is the red calico print like the "belt".  I am not overly fond of the light blue button, but until I find the perfect one, it will have to do.  I  want a brown or purple one, I think, but there were none in my button stash.  I think a trip to Hobby Lobby is in my future!  

It is sassy, like me!

The next Chix Packin Stix Retreat is already set for January 30, 2015 - February 1, 2015.  For more information and more photos of the retreats, go to their Facebook Page here.  I have already sent in my registration and deposit! Maybe I will see you there?!



I am now working on some previously abandoned knitting projects here on HeartSong Farm.