unharvested

It's been a beautiful autumn, brisk and crisp, leaves from green to gold, scarlet, orange, bronze, glowing yellow. The windows are open and I'm taking long walks and trying to savor, store it up for bleaker days.  I've discovered pink lady apples, (they've edged out honeycrisps as my favorite) and beautiful sunsets from my studio windows: fat pink clouds and streaks of gold over the old mill town of Lowell.

I've been culling my books, pruning, paring, streamlining, saving only the ones who touch my heart.

The rest go to More Than Words  a used books store that trains teens in foster care: "Empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business."

You know when you go into someone's house and look at their books, you get to know them? Here are most of my surviving A, B, and start of the C (by author) novels, those that aren't scattered elsewhere or in the country. It's scary how few there are, but it feels good too, that I've passed along the ones I'm pretty sure I won't read again, stripped down to the necessities.

"May something always go unharvested!
 May much stay out of our stated plan,
 Apples or something forgotten and left,
 So smelling their sweetness would be no theft."

from Unharvested, by Robert Frost

sunset anarchy

Provincetown.

Wild sunset--so many things going on in the sky that I was giddy.

The scenes in my last post, part of the same sunset, were like outer space, deserts, volcanos. 

In a span of an hour I saw clouds like mountains, mesas, tornados, Turner landscapes, Constable clouds. There were soft pinks and blacks, luminous orange, a palette of blues, whites, and grays, even a rainbow. 

These and the pictures in my last post were taken at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts between 5:37 and 6:37 p.m. 

It was exhilarating.

in Provincetown

Snapshots from my trip to Provincetown. A magical place--I've fallen under the spell...

Will write more about it soon.

Thanks to Steve from An Urban Cottage for tips on the many art galleries.

good morning from the forest

I am a night owl. But when I'm in the country in the winter, nestled in the dark woods, I go to bed early and get up early. So I've been puttering around the house, which I've never told you about, but may soon, thinking about decor. We are going to spend Christmas here for the first time. Just that weekend, so I'm going to do a little bit of decorating here--not enough that I get aggravated when I have to take it down, just enough to warm up the house. I look outside at the pine branches laden with snow and think about how that's what we try to emulate with our flocked trees and garlands (and yesterday in the store I was thinking where can I get some greens, then I mentally smacked myself in the head--you live in a forest, Jen.) We got a tree from a neighbor's tree farm last weekend, which is outside in a bucket of water, probably frozen by now. I have a bunch of those little flocked trees and odds and ends that I will play with tonight, and if I like them I'll take pictures and show you and maybe even start telling you about this house. Anyways it's 8:00 and though I've been up since 6:30 reading and drinking coffee and thinking about Christmas decor, I'm still in my flannel pajamas. I have to shovel snow and eat breakfast (which will include a fresh egg--every time I come up George gives me a dozen, which makes the long drive worth it). Today in the Commons right outside my store there will be a cookie contest, caroling, and a reading from The Wind in The Willows, one of my favorite books. Wish you were here.

weekend in the Catskills

A good weekend--snow gone, customers back, and oh my the scenery takes my breath away.

Our house is down a steep hill,  in a hollow with woods and water. Here's the view now (click pictures to enlarge):

Go back up the driveway, and just a short way along the road you'll see this:

A classic Catskills scene.

There used to be hundreds of small dairy farms in the region.
One of the few remaining is on our road.

 This beautiful log home belongs to our friends George and Gerry. 

We ate dinner there Sunday night.

These are their well-loved laying hens. 

I get fresh eggs every weekend I'm there. 

There's always a blue one in the carton.

I helped George feed them. They have to be completely fenced in--

the property borders a forest inhabited by bears, foxes, and weasels.

I put the sign I wrote about last week outside of the building, 

and George and Gerry, who also have a store there, 

put out flowers, which brightened the entry. 

Twice this weekend I got soft-serve ice cream here--

a vanilla and chocolate twist. 

Just thought you should know.

This handsome building is across the street from the ice cream store, 

which is 1/2 a block from my store, which is probably not a good thing for me. 

Or is it? Are we being sensible or not?

Speaking of ice cream and my store .....

How do you like this sign?????

I got it at an auction (of course).

Hope you also enjoyed your weekend.

Jen