JourneySeeds

::Writing::

 
Another reason that I sell vintage tyepwriters!  This is a fabulous idea.  Funny coincidence...we were just talking about long bike trips and the plans about making them...

Oh, Irene...

We faired well in the storm.  Of course we had a bit of a downpour in the house until the the tarp was ajusted correctly.  The shingles continue their slow progression up the roof.  We never lost power.  The outage maps said our town was completely out...as was all of eastern CT.  But, somehow we never lost power.  We were prepared.  We kept waiting for it to happen.  But, it did not happen.  We went to see our river.  It was raging as it always does in these storms.  It's really impressive.  

 
Behind our house.  This is normally pretty shallow by now...you can walk around on the rocks.

 
Down the road from us is a popular white water kayaking place that folks from everywhere come to practice in.  No one was kayaking on Monday.  We have seen the water much higher than this.
 

 

 

 

Farmers Market...Coventry

 
After a day of pressing apples in the new fruit press...

 
Getting some winter work done

Sights and Sounds of The Coventry Farmers Market
 

 
Beautiful Sarah selling her wares at the market

 
Sarah Winter Clothworks....I love these bags! Sarah's taking orders again...

 
Wallets, travel cases, satchels, hip belts

 
Hurricane Farm sign

 
Ericka and Violet of Hurricane Farm.  Violet is often found visiting next door at Mark and Sarah's booth Clothworks.

 
Hurricane Farm...Loofa!

 
Meiklemkilnworks

 
The Dreadnaughts

 
A goat on a leash...

 

 

First Pizza....

 

We tried out the wood-fired pizza oven tonight.  Emma made a spinach, goat cheese, garlic and tomato pizza.  It was delicious!  We still have some finishing to do on the oven but, we were anxious to try it out.  It was a pretty chilly New England evening here...fall has finally arrived. 

Finished!


Autumn Banner....

 

  
Coventry Farmers Market

 
 

 

  
We ran into some old friends at the Farmers Market...

 
Oyster Mushrooms from Maggie's Farm...these made it onto the first pizza.

 
End of the day at the Willimantic Food Coop Fair.

Flowers, Farms & Cob Ovens...

Sweetpea

 Sweetpea Essence

 Coreopsis Essence

 White Yarrow Essence

 Motherwort Essence

We went to Hurricane Farm today for a tour.  Ericka was a wonderful tourguide.  She shared her family farm with us and we got to hear about the ins and outs of being a new farmer.  Here is a video of their homestead.

The NEW Farmer's Voice from MEdiaJezUS on Vimeo

We are thinking about our cob oven.  We have a form built to make a foundation base for the top of the rock base we already have built from the original cob oven.  Once one begins doing more research and looking at all the beautiful ovens out there...alot of discussions ensue. We have even toyed with the idea of making an Alan Scott brick oven.  This would be an entirely different story.  I think the brick and clean lines of these ovens are beautiful.  I love their immense presence as well.  It becomes a sort of altar to breadbaking on your property.  I think we'd like to attempt one of these at some point.  The challenge seems to hard to resist.  Oh, the pizza parties that could take place.  Perhaps a regular thing? 

We also love cob ovens.  We love the simplicity.  The low-tech quality of them is very appealing to us.  The idea that anyone can have a bread oven in their backyard speaks to us on a very basic level.  They are pretty quick to make.  Aside from whatever base you decide to make...an oven CAN be done in two days.  Of course you need to factor in the gathering of the clay and other materials that you don't have on hand.  Clay in our area is not always easy to find.  So, it is early in the morning and the sun is thinking about showing up here...and I'm in a hurry to build an oven.  I think in this early hour I choose a cob oven again. 

Here's a speedy version of a cob oven being built in Costa Rica.  A creative venture....

 

Weekend Walk...

 

 

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 


  

  

  
 
 

 A walk through the weekend.  The old cob oven is being dismantled today.  

Mother's Day...with the flowers...

 Dandelion Lady with her dandelion baby....I sculpted this for the Across Mediums class.

Mayapple Mother Essence brewing....

Mayapple Flower Essence

Gathering dandelion flowers for tincture making.  

Basketful of dandelion flowers...

Dopapod at The Farm...

Mother's Day toast....

 
Mother and Daughter

Ta da!

gyspy wagon.....

A friend made this beautiful gypsy wagon a few years back now.  I was thinking about them today because they were giving away some of their Oberhasli goats.  I found them a person that wanted to take the goats. I know it wasn't an easy decision for them to give them up.  Animals do that to us...whether or not it's a goat or a dog.  They are a part of our circle.  So, I wanted to show you a beautiful photo and link to the creation of this gypsy wagon that Kevin created.  It is a work of art indeed!  When we think of making a gypsy wagon for our travelling selves this is what often springs to mind. 

Gyspy Wagon Photo Album of the process of creation....simply beautiful.

Astoria Scum River Bridge...

Sometimes when i am feeling uninspired I try to look for a new project to work on.  It's always best for me if there are others involved in the project as well as that there is excitement around the project.  It lifts me up to have a common goal with others.  It is good to go about my days knowing other folks are thinking about a similar thing.  I love the beginning stages of an effort...the vision...the dream.  The challenge often is keeping with a project while others interest fades...it effects me.  I get discouraged when others drop back. 

So...I was very inspired when I saw this video about doing a small effort in the world.  I like it that there was an issue...a simple effort was made...and a huge result happened.  It's what making working on things seem so hopeful.  So, enjoy this small effort made.  I'm going to think about what little thing I might do. Instead of looking for the bigger project, perhaps just making the small differences around me would better suit me right now.  I might feel more satisfied and more little projects might just happen around my world.

Astoria Scum River Bridge from Jason Eppink on Vimeo.

Banner Making...

Our local social justice center is having a Grand Re-opening.  To celebrate... the collective is hosting an anti-valentines day party.  It's being called "Valentine's Day is a Drag!".  The idea is that Valentines Day isn't always great for everyone, it's stereotypical for most of the world and looking at gender issues is one thing the center wants to celebrate and explore. A gender issue workshop will be held, there will be a dance party, a dj, food, art projects and costume wearing. Everyone is welcome! Here's a photo of a banner I made for the event.  I used upcycled fabric and leftover buttons I had lying around.  The photo doesn't do it justice as it is of heavy upholster-like fabric so it has a nice weight to it.