Have you heard the news? My mother-in-law, Marilyn C. Masters, is having an exhibit at the Marcellus Free Library. She is so talented and if you live nearby you are SO fortunate. GO. See her work… beautiful, loose, detailed, ethereal, important. I wish that she had a regular venue/outlet for her work/paintings/sketches because then you could view/purchase what she creates… naturally. I’m just saying… It’s lovely. Her background, her experience and her gift.

Marilyn’s show at the Marcellus Free Library goes through the month of March 2013.

Marilyn C. Masters ~ Impressionist Artist
Huntington High School Long Island, NY Graduate
Pratt Institute Graduate
NYC School of Visual Arts Graduate
NYC Textile Designer
Upstate Medical Center Graduate
Art Exhibitor throughout Central NY

Junebug and I taking Paley and North for a ride.

I finally got back in the saddle… because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t.

The last time I lost a horse I was a freshman in college and I didn’t ride again for 10 years. It was too emotional and I was used to loving and having a relationship with the knowing beast that carried me around.

I got back in the saddle- on my gelding North who seems lost and displaced since we said good-bye to my mare Paley. She’s been a dear friend to me for the past 18 yrs.

I haven’t been blogging because I have been grieving with the knowledge of having to let her go (and then adjusting to “after”). I felt an undercurrent of sadness that rose to the immediacy of calling the vet to come as soon as he could.

Family life, farm life… it’s what I write about. It IS my life here as an artist. But I couldn’t talk about what was happening. I couldn’t give my name to the receptionist at the vet on the phone. I couldn’t trust myself to speak when the vet came to the farm. Farmboy had to be there all the time. I didn’t know if I would sob, be silent or speak.

So. On a cold and windy Thursday in Dec. we said good-bye… Farmboy, my sister-in-law, me, the vet and North. It was both beautiful and heart-breaking.

One day I will write about that experience, what my vet insisted on to allow my gelding to say goodbye and how it changed what was happening. He was wise and right and I am thankful for his years and insight. The picture in my mind haunts me and reminds me of something that I always considered as one of the sweetest and saddest things I’ve ever seen.

Paley and North saying hello for the first time. He was very malnourished- only off the track a couple of days.

I got back in the saddle to help North find a different purpose than being her companion and to help me connect because he and the pony Queenie have been second string- the supporting cast.  She was my priority. I feel like I could walk away from riding right now. My spark is gone. She was my etch-a-sketch. When we went out, I came back shaken up… erased. Fresh and new… mentally and physically. My step was lighter and I could conquer much.

I got back in the saddle. It’s a start, right?

The day we bought Paley.

Our first ride in the hunt field with Cherry Valley Hunt. 

I’m updating my website today. Oh my, what an undertaking. I completely forget all of the ends and outs of the software… but I am planning a sale soon (woo hoo!) and I want to make sure all of my designs are available on the guest towels (hint, hint).

The Clothesline Festival was fabulous in spite of the fact that my sister and I had to hold the tent down in the wind/rain storm that blew through. No fun. Nothing was damaged, thankfully, and it seemed that most of the people that were put off by the forecast on Saturday did come to shop on Sunday. It was wonderful to make new friends and see familiar faces… I have the some of the NICEST customers!

Recently framed paintings and drawings for the show.

There was an exhibit at the gallery titled “In Company with Angels- Seven Rediscovered Tiffany Windows” – it was exquisite. After having read “Clara and Mr. Tiffany” this past summer- it was such a thrill to see some of the exhibition lamps that Susan Vreeland wrote about. If the exhibit comes to town near you… you must go see it! You’ll be glad that you did.

The kids are back in school. Whew. Sigh. Yippee. Can’t quite ever decide. I supposed its a bit of everything. The first week in September is always a challenge- prepping for the show, Labor Day weekend and back into the school routine. After two full weeks LaLa was home sick today with a cold and fever. My how quickly THAT begins. : (

We used to call the school bus “the big yellow dog” when I was growing up…

Our “little yellow dog” passed out in the yard after a walk and a swim at the pond.

I am embracing the peace and solitude of Fall. The dogs are happy to go on their daily walks and my body, mind and spirit are thumping their collective tails with gratitude too. I occasionally hear the Canadian geese flying over and am reminded that it will soon be time to dig out the coats, scarves and gloves.

My favorite sugar maple is starting to turn. It is one of the first and I feel the immediacy of soaking the color in before it’s gone.

The fact is- Summer wears me out. Does it you? Is there more gazpacho and salsa that really needs to be made? My food processor has gotten a better work out this summer than my body has and I’m ready to put that thing and the garden to bed.

The Black Krim, and Brandywine tomatoes were delicious this year!

… except there are those tulips, crocuses and lilies that I promise myself every year that I will plant more of when Fall rolls around.

It’s time for planting and painting. I’m excited… and doing a Happy Fall dance. : )

Ahhh. I do believe that Fall is in the air! The kids are back in school and I am finally back in the studio with uninterrupted time…yippee!

Our little kitchen garden has been as faithful as ever- bursting at the seams with tons of vegetable goodness. So happy to see a nice crop of fancy pumpkins-  just in time.

So much to blog about! I have a number of great Fabulous Friday Find products to share with you as well as garden trips, tips, recipes and of course, new artwork!! So stay tuned. : )

What a beautiful weekend here in Central New York! Big sky. Gentle breeze. Great haying weather. Thankfully. Farmboy cut the field behind the house Thursday evening as the sun was setting. Once its cut… you’re committed.

Ryder reading with Toonces on the deck.

Friday was nice but Saturday was amazing. Farmboy brought over the older tractors to spin out and rake the hay. Ryder drove the tractor that Farmboy learned to drive as a boy. It was monumental and sweet. Having not been raised on a farm, I am fearfully afraid of spinny things and children being around heavy equipment.

Farmboy is a good, patient teacher. : )

La-La got a ride in with her dad.

Oliver is my right-hand man while documenting events.

Farmer Russ (grandpa) and I got the fancy tractor to bale in… complete with an air-conditioner and stereo. For the record, I did not run into anything large and metal. Although I did accidently back over a bale with the baler as I was practicing my backing up (who knew one fell out?). If you have seen me trying to back up my trailer at a show you will understand why I need to practice whenever possible. Parallel parking… no problem. Backing a trailer/implement… shoot me now.

The horses will be happy this winter… a little taste of summer.

How was your weekend? Did the Easter Bunny come to visit? This little guy had to find someone else to pull his wagon I’m pretty sure.

We had the opportunity to host the family dinner at our house- it was alot of fun as you will see. I have SO enjoyed Pintrest lately and seeing all of the beautiful Easter/Springtime decorations inspired me to do some projects with the kids.

This is what I was aiming for…

This is how it turned out including gummie worms, peeps, twizzlers and jelly beans. : ) The containers will be turned into terrariums later this week!

The kids and their cousin made some sweet tissue paper poufs to hang from the light fixtures for our family dinner. The children’s table looked very happy and inviting we thought.

After an early morning spent searching for Easter baskets, eating chocolate, breakfast and more chocolate we attended a beautiful service at Grace Chapel and came home to hunt Easter eggs. The dogs only ate 2, we think, although 2 others are still missing…

I love cooking for a crowd! Everything about it, coming up with the menu, the table settings, the smells, the noise and laughter of a house full of people and the memories that it creates for my kids. Farmboy made the most amazing Snickers Cheesecake Saturday night AFTER working all day at the farm. He is such a Renaissance man. The recipe for the cheesecake came from a recent dinner club featuring a “Seinfeld Theme”. Who knew there were so many food references on Seinfeld!? I’ll try to post it soon!

Here is the Easter Dinner menu for this year.

Appetizers

Banana Pepper Dip
Fresh Veggies and Dip
Deviled Eggs

Main Course

Whiskey and Cola Basted Ham
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Sides

Blanched Fresh Asparagus w/Lemon
Pennies From Heaven Carrots
Cheese Souffle
German Potato Salad
Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad

Desserts

Snickers Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
Strawberry & Raspberry Trifle
Strawberry Pie

 At the end of a long, glorious day I looked at beautiful family pics on Facebook that friends had posted from their weekend and something that my high-school English teacher (Don’t you love that about Facebook!?) put up made the most sense for me to share at Easter… because I KNOW grace, forgiveness and mercy and the beauty of those actions make a profound difference in this world and in the lives of other people.  : )

“”I serve a risen Savior-he’s in the world today-I know that He is living, no matter what men may say”. It’s simple, your wrongs are forgiven. Today, in honor of His sacrifice, forgive someone.”

It is the essence of Easter.

Lately the days are full.  Too full of work, abundance, tediousness, and the beauty of everyday life. The to-do desires that are left till the end of the day overflow into the next and so it goes. So please pardon my absence and try to keep up with the barrage of posts that are about to come. : ) That seems to be how I work best.

My seventh year at the Flower Show was wonderful, renewing and affirming. It was great fun to see our friends in Kennett Square, PA. Our family of 4  bombards their family of 8 for a couple of nights as I set up for the show. A needed time for our families to reconnect. Once the show is in full swing I head into Philly to the Hilton Garden Inn (love that place), Junebug (my mom) flies in to help and Farmboy and the kiddos head for home- back to school, work and the animals.

Junebug is my right hand during the show. She is on top of it all. Isn’t she beautiful? If I had a nickel for everytime during the week that I hear “you two must be sisters”… I’d be rich.  We discuss what books we are bringing to read a month in advance. (I was reading Sacred Hearts and Ellen Foster. Momma was reading One Thousand White Women.) Sitting in the hotel after the show with a book and a glass of wine is quite a luxury for me. Throughout the week we take turns checking out the displays and discussing what we think would work in our own gardens.

My new booth space was great. I’m amazed at the number of people that came in and asked if it was my first year- that they had never seen my work before! How can that be after 7 years? There is just so much to see.

I saw many familiar faces and had the opportunity to catch up on friends from the previous year. The new show layout was a challenge. I am used to having a corner and (ahem) spreading, just a bit. It was wonderful getting to know my new neighbors! Let me introduce you: Toni and Dave from Beekman’s C.O.P.A. Soaps. A great story/business- wish I had had more time to get to know them. I’m enjoying my cold press natural soap called Forest- lots of rosemary. I love it.

On my other side was Trenny and Bob of High Beams in Vermont. Love their work. I’ve admired it for years.  Trenny and I got to discuss vegetable gardening. It was fun to tell her about winter sowing. I started some containers the week I got back!

Other friends with great businesses that I look forward to seeing every year are: Colby from Colby Smith Doorknockers, Mary from La Contessa Jewerly and Carrie from pucciManuli.

My readers know how I love ceramics and Liz Kinder of Liz Kinder Ceramic’s work was gorgeous! One of her large lovely bowls was my “take home” piece this year. Drool. Drool.

Jerry Fritz from Linden Hill Gardens signed his book for me. His booth was full of beautiful terrariums, hellebores and numerous perennials. Gotta plant some hellebores soon.

Sandstone Gardens from MO. never fails to disappoint. I’ve purchased 2 fountains from them over the years as well as other smaller pieces. We’ve had to limit Junebug’s statuary purchases due to Farmboy’s back and space in the trailer! I wish that they would ship.

The last couple of years I’ve purchased fresh flowers from Kremp Florist. A family owned florist outside of Philadelphia in Bucks Co. They have numerous booths throughout the Flower Show. This year they added videos showing tips for refreshing your cut flowers. I learned so much!  The roses I purchased lasted for weeks. All of the family received a dozen for helping with the kiddos while I was away. : )

Oh my goodness… what a treat it was to meet Ellen Parlipiano from Mompreneursonline.com. We have been communicating online since I was pregnant with Ryder formally known as “the bean” (ten years ago)! I screamed and hugged her when I saw her. She was delightful and we have a date for the NYBG soon I hope.

Once again I was captivated by terrariums and miniature gardens, not to mention I have committed myself to a hypertufa day here at the farm. I’m a little behind the curve on that one but better late than never, right? Twig Terrariums from Brooklyn had a lovely booth with very charming pieces for sale. Check them out- great, creative work.

So, terrariums are on the schedule with the kids for Spring Break. I’ve found a nice supply of moss down by the woods, collected lots of rocks and purchased some inexpensive apothcrathy jars for the kids to use. I’ll post our projects!!

The theme of the show was Hawaii and although I’ve never been, I do hope to go one day! It was a bit hard for me to relate to so many tropicals in regards to my own garden. That being said I did buy three huge Caladium bulbs to put in pots on my deck when I got home. All of the foliage was beautiful and lush.

Shown below are some photos from the show. Come along for a little tour, won’t you?

Next year put it on your calender! The theme is Brilliant! All about Great Britain… can’t wait. Perennials, formal gardens, Cottage Gardens… count me in!!!!

Picking out fabrics is much like painting to me. Combining colors, patterns, textures makes me feel all inspired and happy inside.

I have vowed to LaLa recently that this summer when she is out of school we are going to sew all kinds of things… aprons (a great starter project), hats and clothes for her bean kitties. Last year during winter break I taught her to use one of my old sewing machines that is fit with a handy speed control (no runaway needles can come after her fingers!).

She was meticulous. I thought she did a wonderful job. It brought back memories of my mother teaching me to sew when I was little. I wasn’t a Barbie fan so I made blankets for my model horses.  LaLa could hardly sleep with the excitement of having made pillows for her bean kitties. Too sweet.

Where was I?  Back to pillows… can you picture them? Can’t wait to cut and print the designs and get everything over to Birgitte to sew. Stop back and see the finished designs! I’ll be sure to post pics.

Some of this week’s pots… can you picture topiaries planted in them?

I am MUCH better at collecting ceramics than making them… but I did jump at the chance to do some throwing this winter when I found out that my sister-in-law was taking a class with one of her friends at Clayscapes in Syracuse. It has been at least 15 years since I’ve done any throwing and I am slowly (very slowly) getting up to speed.

I’m so happy that I found out about Clayscapes! There are rows of wheels, shelves for drying and kilns in the studio while the Gallery and store for materials is located next door within the same building. The classes are 10 weeks long. For more information here is their website.

The Flower Show is around the corner and I am always looking for nice containers to pot my topiaries in that are for sale in my booth. Although it is the busiest time of my business year and I’m trying to create a new product line I of course saw no reason to not make my own pots as well.  Am I as crazy as that sounds?  It is possible.  Remind me to start earlier next year.

I am no Guy Wolff or Goff Creek Pottery– check them out… amazing! It has been a great opportunity to play with clay again, visit with Kitty and Val and be in ceramic studio environment. So much talent!

Speaking of talent, our teacher Tim See makes it all look so easy. Check out this amazing video on YouTube. I’m in awe. I have learned so much in the few short classes that I’ve attended. It’s challenging to only be there one day a week but with the kids, farm, family and business… I can’t really even afford that but I know it’s important for my creativity.

Wednesday was a productive day!

So, stop by my booth if you are attending the Flower Show and see what made it through the fire. Maybe I’ll put some on my website later as well if my throwing isn’t terribly haphazard.

And, let me encourage you to DO something that you haven’t done in a while!! Do something that you’ve never done before but always WANTED to. It’s good for your soul and your spirit! Time is of the essence friends. : ) Enjoy some of the pieces for sale in the Clayscapes Gallery-