Ghost words on a page

Yates Center Kansas
January 28, 1891


Dear Miss Ridgeway,


Remember me and bear in mind a
True young friend is hard to find
But if you find one good and true
Change not the old one for the new.

Your true and every loving friend
Montie Cannady

A most recent eBay treasure is a most fabulous autograph book from 1891. Only a small portion of the pages are signed, but each with the loving and painfully perfect script of young writers to what appears to be to their departing teacher, who seems to be leaving perhaps to marry. Reading them - like ghost words on a page - bring back the memories of a long ago time, an era of refinement, when with pen in hand you put your thoughts to page.  Each page of this aging record of thoughts and wishes, contains young prose and a marvelous Victorian scrap piece pasted to the page with great care and show of fondness.

I sit here looking out the window at the empty winter branches of the trees that surround my home, thinking of Spring to come, knowing that I still have a bit of wait. I’m anxious for Spring this year. I think I need the signs of new life. I feel bleak today, like the branch with one hanging leaf clinging on although the life from it is long gone.

I play many roles in my life, an Army Mom of a son, who will deploy on his fourth mission in the coming week; a caregiver for an aging parent as well as a chronically ill partner; one of millions struggling in today’s economy –

and then I remind myself, I have other roles as well – an incredibly proud and blessed Mom to a marvelous son, Aunt to a nephew and niece expecting their second miracle baby, sister to the best sister ever, best friend, and good friend to my circle of farmgirl sisters.

So today I will run my errands, be sure Mom is doing better, and go up to the craft studio and work on my organizing opportunity (if you saw my before pictures, you know it's more than just an opportunity HA!), craft a bit, and in the solace of my workspace, remind myself of my many, many blessings.

So look for the beauty today my farmgirl friends, look for the beauty and have a marvelous day!
 
'til next time,
Stormy

Crafting Havens From Clutter Comes Creative!

or•gan•ize [awr-guh-nahyz] verb, -ized, -iz•ing. –verb (used with object)

1. to form as or into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, esp. for united action: to organize a committee.
2. to systematize: to organize the files of an office.
3. to give organic structure or character to: to organize the elements of a composition.
4. to enlist or attempt to enlist into a labor union: to organize workers.
5. to enlist the employees of (a company) into a labor union; unionize: to organize a factory.
6. Informal . to put (oneself) in a state of mental competence to perform a task: We can't have any slip-ups, so you'd better get organized.




           There are articles and even entire magazines and books dedicated to organizing your home, your workspace, your craft area………….I’ve bought them, I’ve read them, some of them I truly covet, like the magazine Where Women Create………..but how do I get from where my space is now to that heavenly, organized, welcoming, creative inspiring space? I think I have finally found the answer, good old fashioned competition. Our farmgirl sister Joyce told us that she and another friend have agreed to photograph their crafting spaces now, “before” and at the end of the month, be prepared to photograph them again as “after”. Well of course sharing that with four other women, we were all inspired and took up the challenge. So here we are posting our “before” pictures, the only constraint placed by some of us was that no names could be tagged to the picture, HA! So here are our before pictures, and our challenge is to create welcoming, work inspiring spaces that we will photograph and share at the end of the month! Some of us have rooms, some a space in the garage or other outbuilding, some of us are blessed with entire studio space………..each has a personality, even in the clutter, and some of us, well actually one of us, already has a place of perfection, the rest, well let’s just say we participate only because of the promise of anonymity!




      What do these farmgirls make? Shabby chic treasures, painted furnishings, gifts and florals, tags and paper treasures, aprons, totes, fluffs and flourishes, soaps and candles, and well, just too much to name – but all goodies you will find at our Cottage Sales, soon on our farmgirlsisters.com website store, and three of us have fabulous flea market booths filled to the brim with treasures and delights!



      Once my space is a tad more welcoming and ready for visitors, we will all enjoy a weekly crafting night where we can gather, work on projects, share ideas, test new techniques, and just be together and enjoy our farmgirl camaraderie.




       So here are our “before” pictures, and at the end of the month……….we are all committed to sharing our “after”! Maybe we’ll let you match the farmgirl to the workspace ……..and give prizes to the first 10 who match them correctly! Watch for details!