How do you say goodbye to people who mean so much? It is not an easy feat, and I do not ache to become an expert at it, particularly with my Midwest friends. This is my third foray into this beautiful rolling land, and it's wonderful, straightforward residence, and so this is the third time I would get practice at leaving. Alas, I am still rusty at it.
Cathy, her honey husband, and the many friendly faces in her neck of the woods are a hard lot to remove oneself from. It's all their faults, really. When you are so kind, so generous, full of advice, jokes, laughs, stories--well, who can remove themselves from this bunch? I do not hesitate to call them family, and I suspect, since they have tolerated me THRICE now--including during their crucial PLANTING season, that they might call me family, too. I can only hope....
I owe these people everything. They have listened to my funny, if scary, New York stories. They have listened to my plans and fears, they have fed me, and as so many Midwesterners tended to do, they have refused to take my money for just about any endeavor. I have told them (as well as most of Iowa and some of Illinois) that they have an open invitation to visit ME, but I somehow don't feel this will suffice...
I worry that I might not see this group again for some time. I don't know how often one can go back and teach organic beekeeping, or cooking or..well...anything, really, without seeming tired, old, uncool. The bloom eventually goes off the rose, I suspect, and I may not have too much interest in the coming years to keep me coming back. While I pray this isn't the case, I cannot take for granted any of these short, enchanted trips...
I will miss Cathy's infectious laugh and large gestures and larger-still personality. I will miss her husband's quiet humor and creative tenacity--the man can build just about anything and do it in a uniquely charming way. I will miss the shared love of cooking--and eating!--those two, and I, have. I will miss large and colorful chickens and even more colorful eggs. I will miss an enchanted tea-cup tree, fuzzy-faced cats, and antiques 'round every corner of the inside of one special house.
I decided, as a small token of gratitude, to make a garden sign for them. Since Cathy's farm is an enchanted flower farm, one can find signs everywhere. Since it is a wood-based sign, it felt a natural way to continue with SOME folk art of mine, and a wee gesture of my humongous love.
Cathy cleverly uses signs from literary places, and asked me to create a Watership Down sign. If you are familiar with Watership Down, it is a parable involving a warren of rabbits. I thought it best to make the sign LOOK like a rabbit, so Honey broke out his jig-saw and cut the sign into a hare's shape....which is not unlike so much wooden folk art I've done....
In progress.....
Finished!
Close-up..
How I will miss you, Miss Effie!
TOMORROW -- More Iowa tales...AND, stay tuned for a big announcement early NEXT WEEK!
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