Life as I know It

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San Luis Obispo, California, and South Bristol, Maine, United States
Author ~ Illustrator ~ Lecturer

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Take Peace–Take Joy


In unison, my grandchildren and I choose one special ornament to begin the decorating of the tree. This year my granddaughter Sara May chose the Christmas tree angel made by artist Julie Whitmore about 15 years ago. Sara cradled it in her arms then reached up and placed her as Asher, Ilyahna, and I hung our favorite things too.



Dear Friends,

"I salute You! There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much, that, while I cannot give, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take Heaven. No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant. Take Peace. The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take Joy. And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you, with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away."

Fra Giovanni (from a letter written in 1513)

This was sent to us by our friend Marilyn. I keep it inside one of my Mary Oliver books right by my bedside. I think it is wonderful.


Out came the boxes of ornaments...the dog and badger are bread dough by Julie Whitmore.

This is such an emotional time of the year for many of us. I can't help thinking of friends and family no longer with us, but as we hang their ornaments on the tree and talk about them with the younger members of our family, I can feel that invisible thread of tradition and love continuing, unbroken, into our futures.

The days will be at the shortest this week, but I don't dwell on the darkness. I think of the fact that from December 21st onward, the days will begin to lengthen. I am living in the scents of this season, but almost smelling the sea-scented air of summer time.


This thumb-sized snowman is an antique. I love him and look forward to nestling him into the branches every year.


Finally, after years of not being able to locate it (since we moved from Cambria), Jeff found the old Christmas tree fence for the base of our tree.



Last week a small package arrived from our dear friend Marilyn Brewer of Maine. Inside it were some old-fashioned clip on Christmas ornaments and this small stocking with the work "READ," worked into the knitting. This is a handmade piece from Christmas Cove Designs of Maine. Doesn't every author, librarian, and book lover need one of these?


This year when Jeff asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I said, "Nothing," but then I amended my words, "except I would really LOVE to have a fireplace mantel again." My wish came true. I found a four foot piece of virgin redwood in a dumpster outside an 1890 building renovation downtown. Think of it; they threw out a piece of redwood that was probably 3,000 years old when it was harvested in the 1890s. Jeff milled it, stained it, made the supports, and now I have it...and a place for my beloved German stick sheep that always graced my mantel in Cambria. My grands were so happy to have them back..."just like old times," my 13 year old said.


The fabulous wreath above the mantel is a gift from my talented friend Carol Umbarger of Creekside Farms, who supplies many famous retail companies with her handmade wreaths.


I know this is corny, but I love having the lights reflected against my pots and pans.


Tomorrow evening, eight special people in our lives will gather around the old farm table for a feast. Here is the wonderful thing, my friends know that I'll be working straight through the day for a deadline, and also getting ready for a small surgery, and so they are bringing the entire dinner. All Jeff and I have to supply is seating, etc.. So I just finished setting the table and will deck the center with fresh pine and cedar boughs tomorrow before they all arrive. What a great gift–friendship, a meal shared with people we love, candles flickering, a glowing fireplace, and the sweet scent of evergreen.


Above is my wish for you. Heaven give you many, many merry days!

Love,

Sharon

P.S. Lowe's posted two of my blogs...one on indoor plants, one on gifts for Christmas. Stop by the posting for a quick peek.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

"What's new?"



What a glorious surprise to find an envelope of handmade Christmas ornaments made and sent by my friend Suzanne Lamprecht (Down in the Meadow) of South Africa. Her card touched me deeply. Sometimes it is hard to imagine the deep and meaningful friendships we form with bloggers all over the world. Thank you, dear Suzanne, for the beauty you create for your family and friends. My family will treasure these for years to come.



Even the envelope is gorgeous!


Dear Friends,


Your sweet e-mails and gifts continue to fill my life with light and love, but the recent e-mail from my long time girlfriend Susan Branch made me realize that just dropping out of blog world isn't an option.


Sue's e mail (received last night) said, "I just went to your blog to see what you've been up to. So now I'm worried.  What are you doing?  Are you traveling??  Hope everything is OK and you're just having too much fun!!!  Let me know, what's new pussycat? Love you, Sue"


Ok Sue. I'm a flake. I have been wanting to write a post, but my life has been boring. Nothing but work and tending to some medical conditions. And about the holidays? YIKES! How will I ever do all the things that need doing, especially for the young ones in my life who expect a fairyland holiday?


My little bird book is time consuming, but lucky for me, my husband Jeff, who has the eye of an eagle and the grammatical finesse of his tough parochial school English teachers, is giving me some much needed help. In the next two weeks, I'll be finished, the book will be in the copy editor's hands, all art will be in the art and production department, and I will collapse and ask the next day, "I wonder who will buy my next book?" Which, by the way, I am working on in the wee hours of the morning and night.



Jeff talks with my editor.

What would I do without dozens of yellow legal pads? 


The kitchen table is our command center now.


Lists, lists, check lists, compare, make sure everything is covered.


Catalog all the tiny bits of art and tell the art department where they belong in the text.


We drink lots of water. To jazz up the taste, I slice lemon and lime and add spearmint. This container of water lasts a couple of days. I empty the container, rinse it, and add fresh lemon, lime, and mint. It is wonderful!

To keep myself sane, I stop working, run out to the garden and pick fruit and herbs, make arrangements, pick up fallen leaves to press...and then the voice bellows, "SHARON, where are you? Get in here and let's finish." He always gets me back on track.


My 'Bonanza' peach lost all its leaves last week. I wanted to save all of them, but settled on three!




The little niche in our hallway is where I do a daily display of beautiful bits of nature.

Okay, I got off track here. What I want to say is that I haven't had time to visit many of you, but that doesn't mean I don't care...or that I don't want to. So please bear with me and know that when my time is again my time I will be back on track.

Please take a moment to view my TV interview that aired last month on Central Texas Gardener on KLRUWatch the complete children's gardening segment, edited by the amazing Linda Lehmusvirta. Linda did a job above and beyond. It's a must watch if you are interested in school gardening. THANK YOU, LINDA.


Sending love across the miles and stay tuned. My first book Sunflower Houses is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this month. I will be doing a give-away after the holidays that includes an original, hard cover copy of SFH and some of my other books.
The original, hardcover, 1st printing in 1991
A true collector's item
The "new" 2001, paperback version now in its 13th printing on its 20th anniversary

Love,

Sharon