November 5th

Getting closer and closer to First Fire... the holiday in between Halloween and Thanksgiving for us. It is on this day, when the last leaf has fallen, when we stare out to miles and miles of naked forest and give thanks for all the life it has brought us and say farewell to the tree spirits that are off to a winter's sleep. Its filled with food and stories and song and whiskey. And that evening we light our first fire of the season. You're of course welcome to join in this celebration if you wish it!

I am quite the slow reader, but have selected this book, Ireland's Women, Writings Past and Present with works selected by Katie Donovan, A. Norman Jeffares, and Brendan Kennelly as my next read. And on the cover is one of my all time favorite portraits of Lady Lavery by her husband Sir John Lavery. I try to paint it in someway and in some different form of medium each year.

The water levels around here are so low and I do hope the frogs and fish and other animals that drink from this water will have a safe winter.

I went out to the meadow today. To look out onto the forest. I meditated and twirled. Twirling is such a special feeling to me... I feel my spirit drifts so far away sometimes... and when I go out to an open space like this and twirl... it truly feels to me as if I am spinning it back in... taking all my surroundings in with it. I feel a part of everything when I dance in nature and it is more healing to me than many things.

The forest was bustling with chipmunks!!!! Out for a late harvest I imagine, they were leaping and climbing and squeaking all over the place! This kind gent was nice enough to let me get close for a photo all though we did play a bit of ring around the rosy for a while to finally get it. If chipmunks can giggle I'm most certainly sure he was joining me in the laughter.

I'm a huge fan of our neighbors barn and beehives. Everything seemed to be blanketed in bittersweet and it was just a lovely sight. I do love a grey day.. the sun can block so much out for me sometimes and I feel as if there is just so much more to see when it's cloudy.

Well! That is all for now. It was a wonderful morning!!! Below is a video of my little day if you'd like to see... I am so very fond of the words to this Opera.... I'll play them here and hope you'll enjoy them! It's a song titled "The Lonely One in Autumn" by Gustav Mahler.

"Autumn fog creeps bluishly over the lake.

Every blade of grass stands frosted.

As though an artist had jade-dust

over the fine flowers strewn.

The sweet fragrance of flower has passed;

A cold wind bows their stems low.

Soon will the wilted, golden petals

of lotus flowers upon the water float.

My heart is tired. My little lamp

expires with a crackle, minding me to sleep.

I come to you, trusted resting place.

Yes, give me rest, I have need of refreshment!

I weep often in my loneliness.

Autumn in my heart lingers too long.

Sun of love, will you no longer shine

to gently dry up my bitter tears?"

November 4th

Took off on a solo adventure to one of my favorite places in the Quiet Corner. It's always such a great escape and delight to get tucked away into the the most comfortable corner of Ms. Bridge's Pantry. I'm always sure to bring a favorite book and order my usual order with their wonderful celtic music playing, their yellow wallpapered walls, and the cozy decor. It's a true pleasure each time I go.  And as a bonus it is tucked away into the woods next to two of my favorite antique shops.

 Their tea room is always warm and cozy. The fireplace is lit, the leaves outside are bustling. Their store front here is filled with UK treasures from clotted cream to teas, candy, and biscuits.

I almost always order a pot of their Welsh Brew.

And their salmon cucumber sandwich.

I find that almost every time I come Lord of the Rings music starts playing in this little barn, so I always bring my trusty warn out copy of the book and skim through my favorite parts.

Their warm rice pudding with strawberry jam is always such a treat and warms the soul!!!

Next door is the wonderful shop, the Primitive Crow. The woman who curates this lovely place does such an amazing job and it is always filled with the most wonderful New England treasures.

Scranton Antique Shop lays just in front and has hoards of amazing finds!!! 

Just down the street is the amazing Roseland Cottage!!! I actually have not visited this place yet as I was saving it for a special occasion, however I got lost on my way to the nearby park and wound up right in front of it as I pulled over to see where exactly I was. Such a beauty and I cannot wait till the end of next spring when all the local folks get together dawning white clothes and play croquet out in the yard!

 I wound up staying here and watching the sun go down. The stars were beautiful tonight and that little sliver of moon stole my heart away.

It was a lovely drive home and I was lucky enough to follow the moon most of the way. Coming home to this sweet girl of mine is always a treat. Now that my heart and mind are filled with such inspiration of this lovely day its off to draw up a little something in my little room. Wishing you all a pleasant weekend!!!!!

November 3rd

November has come, but Hallowtide celebrations are still happening here.  Feasts, with a hard days work in between. Watching the jack-o-lanterns cave, watching the weather go from a snowy winter to spikes of hot humid days filled with bright red trees. I've been illustrating a lot of my days here around the cottage and hope to keep up this series! 

The forest is filled with berries and the way the trees look with the falling sun looked so beautiful by our stream that I had to go out and take some photographs! Also, my grandmother sent this jacket to me in the mail and requested that I send her some photographs. I love its soft velvet and the way it looks like it could have been made years and years ago. She's always sending me the nicest little packages and I am so incredibly grateful! A wonderful woman that deserves much celebration!!! 

 The meadow by our house and just next to frog pond always takes my breath away. Just through the trees is a path down to another stream where I collect golden rod and joe pye weed by the bushels!!!!

Frog pond from up on the hill. 

I so love this spot.... It feels so old to me, and in the summer I love to lay under this tree and cool off from collecting herbs by the pond. I got a grand sunburn this June from spending hours and hours just near here collecting as many wild rose blooms as I could!

Our November home. This little place holds everything that I hold most dear. A house of rabbits, indeed. I think sometimes if you squint just right you can see giant rabbit ears sprouting from the top.

I didn't take photos quick enough for you to see them freshly carved! But here they are, slightly saggy, this years pumpkins.

 And of course Lady Saoirse our pride and joy.

I hope you all had a pleasant halloween and are enjoying your early November!!!

November 1st

Hello all,
What a year it has been, and I do apologize for my absence. It’s the completion of my first year as a full time artist and I am still trying to find my rythym and balance. I have dreams of Monday, sketching, Tuesday, Painting, Wednesdays, shipping, Friday’s write a little blog. But alas, it is quite all over the place and I haven’t written since July!  It was a lovely summer... it really seemed to come and go so quickly... It feels like yesterday that the violets were blooming. I saved some along with some rose petals from the summer garden. I placed them between paper towels and put them in the freezer so that I can break them out for those mid winter blues one oft time gets. I snowless winter can do that to me.. and I so hope New England will be coated in a thick white blanket of snow for the majority of this one! I am surely going to try and post more!!!! I’ve struggled because everytime I work on a craft, or whip up a recipe I am so happy and in the moment that I hate to break from it by styling for a good photograph.. But I suppose the few of you that do read this wouldn’t mind seeing the reality of a good kitchen mess in real time! I shall give it a go.. and hope to see you more often! For now I hope you will enjoy the very few pictures I did manage to catch on my camera! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween... and even though winter doesn’t come for some time yet, I still always celebrate its coming on the first of November. Soon we will be celebrating our personal holiday of First Fire! Where we say farewell to the tree spririts that will soon fall asleep for winter, we plant bulbs into the ground for spring blooms, sing old folk songs, and drink whiskey around the very first fire of the season with our animals gathered all around.  I’m hoping for a good many things this winter... like finally starting a sure schedule and sticking to it and to start making my own clothes! Have you any hobbies you’d like to start or keep up with while you are stuck cozy inside for winter?

With love,
G