Here it is! The chickens couldn't be happier! And I'm pretty thrilled too!
Sweet Inspiration
Everyone needs a little sweet inspiration from time to time. More than the Ben and Jerry's flavor of the day... my favorite hands-down being Chocolate Brownie.... is this cute story.
I have had the privilege of knowing a very wonderful homeschool family. Their kids are imaginative, playful, kind and generous, talented and knowledgeable. It is a joy to have them in a class, or just coming to hang out at the shop. Their two oldest daughters are 11 and 9 and I've watched them flourish into very talented hand-crafters. They've tackled socks and mittens and hats and all sorts of fun and inventive projects.
Their mom came to me and asked if I would spin some special yarn up for her to knit them something just from her. She shared that her one daughter loved warm colors, the other cool colors. So we picked out a hand painted variegated purple and then added color blends for each girl. My color blends were artfully designed on the drum carder; luscious batts of merino, bamboo, angelina and silk threads. I spun singles of the purple and colors intermingled, and plyed them with some fun sparkling sequin thread.
Sisters. Sharing a common bond, but each unique and different. Working together but fiercely different. Cut from the same cloth, with the same values, same upbringing, same perspectives. Each with their own goals, dreams, aspirations. And a mom that recognizes that and cherishes and encourages it. If you ask me, that's pretty sweet inspiration!
Welcome
Fuzzball is one of two kitten mascots of Esther's Place. Outdoor cats, they were a new addition this past Summer, and we had all intentions of keeping them here at Esther's Place to get them socialized before taking them over to the farm to become barn cats. Well, it turns out they captured our hearts and guess what? We have a barn here at Esther's Place too! More specifically, a "carriage house", but to them, it's a two story jungle-gym playground. Hay in the loft for sweet-smelling sleeping, lots of boxes of wool to climb around on, and even an old Allis Chalmers tractor with a nice little seat for a resting spot. They get plenty of food and water and treats every day, and they run out to greet customers with great enthusiasm. They are also always there for my daily dose of "warm fuzzies" and a perfect break when I'm busy creating.
So Fuzz and his brother Gingersnap are a fixture here, they live a life of "shop mascot" and I think they are pretty happy with that. All our neighbors love and adore them too, so I'm happy to spread a little kitten-kindness in this corner of the world.
Other human fixtures here include myself, my husband Jonathan, my mom Donna and a host of friendly fiber folks who love sharing their skills, talents, ideas, creativity with our community. Our farm, just a few miles down from the shop, is where my folks live, along with my dear, 90 year old grandma, and my brother, when he is home from college. We have a diversified small farm, raising sheep, producing for a CSA, growing hay and providing educational tours and classes about sustainability. Put this together with the fiber arts studio in town, and you get a picture of what we're about! I'll be sharing in the blog some of the things that inspire my creativity. Enjoy!