930 Pint

J & I headed to Winston-Salem last night, meeting up with friends to see NC singer-songwriter Chuck Brodsky play. Chuck is an extraordinary storyteller and wonderful musician. He's been doing the Fiddle & Bow concerts for 20 years, and I've been to see him play many, if not all of them. The latest soap I've been creating is a beer soap, and I've been trying to come up with a creative name for it. The folks at STARworks, who so graciously share their brew with me, have no name for it. Chuck has a song, 930 Pint, that I'm fond of, and I'd been pondering that name. I mustered up my nerve and asked him last night, and he gave his blessings. How cool is that! Give him a listen to on the above link. And while you're there, check out the video, The Man Who Blew Kisses. It's priceless. Have a lovely weekend, friends!

The Creative Life

There's a wonderful publication called Heron Dance I've subscribed to for years. They also publish a free weekly e-newsletter, A Pause for Beauty. There's artwork, and writings about nature, art and the creative life. They're having a huge sale right now, and could use some support in spreading the word. Please check them out and spread the beauty.

An Irish Blessing

I loved this blessing from GreenPrints, a gardening publication I subscribe to. I hope you enjoy it as much.

May the blessing of the rain be on you-

the soft sweet rain.

May it fall upon your spirit

so that all the little flowers may spring up,

and shed their sweetness on the air.

May the blessing of the great rains be on you,

may they beat upon your spirit

and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there many a shining pool

where the blue of heaven shines,

and sometimes a star.

Hope of Things to Come

Some of the fruits we hope to be eating later in the season include blackberries, figs, strawberries and grapes. Wishing you fruitful gardens!

Late Bloomer

Great Possibilities

May your walls know joy.

May every room hold laughter

and every window open to great possibility.

-Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

A Rosy Kind of Morning

Yesterday's canning adventure ended with 21 quarts of mixed cranberry and purple hyacinth beans. It was an all-day thing, with 90 minutes of processing per batch, and heat up and cool down times. I'm glad to have them to put on the shelf. J & I watched King Corn last night, which was surprisingly well done. Sometimes documentaries are not all that entertaining, but we enjoyed this one.

Though not as exquisite as Carolyn's, I'm happy to have some roses blooming this morning. Though the name of the second and third have escaped me, the first is an Apple rose, named for the huge hips it makes. Wishing you a rosy day!