We haven’t even reached the solstice yet but around here, the sun’s not coming over the Bay until about 7:00 and it has set behind the trees by 3:00. When the days are this short I actually plan my activities around always being close to a sunny window…my only problem is that when it’s pitch black at 4:00 pm I’m ready to curl up on the couch, watch a movie and be asleep by 8:30…it hardly seems like an adult lifestyle! The first of these landscape pictures was taken from the balcony watching the sun rise at 7:15 and the second is taken at 3:15 looking Southwest.
Although I could nestle in and not show myself until Spring, Steven does his best to keep me socialized. Last night we attended a co-op dinner at the Universalist Church in Belfast to celebrate local foods, local culture and local music. It was great fun although I profess to recognizing many more faces than I can put names or places to…does anyone else suffer from this affliction? Anyway, the Belfast Co-op roasted organic turkeys and provided local apple cider, the 75-100 invitees were asked to bring potluck dishes made with locally grown products.
This dinner was the culmination of a month-long community project where each week people were asked to create one meal with ingredients grown in the Waldo county/Knox county/Hancock county and then publish the menu so that others could replicate the meal. The variety of results were astounding…last night we feasted on roasted leeks and burdock roots, corn pudding, rhubarb salsa, plenty of salad greens and beets, frittatas, blueberry smoothies and pie of every variety. There was local butter and cheese and the sweeteners were mostly honey and maple syrup. In order to support our local farmers we’re all trying to change our eating habits just a little bit. For my part I made a pear walnut cake sweetened with honey.
I finished my large, round vest today…all of the ends sewn into place, washed and blocked. I’m posting this photo particularly for Pat in NY…she loved the colors when we were dyeing them in the lobster pots (dedicated to this task alone) in August outside the recreation hall. When I fretted that the wool curls were coming out too Carribean, she soothed my worries and just encouraged us to add more purple. She was right, I wanted something that was warm and wooley but didn’t look out of place in June and I think I ended up very close to my goal. The pattern came from Elaine Eskesen’s Silk Knits book (she taught at Fiber College this fall). When you put the vest on, the circle folds down into large shawl collar at the top and the lower edge dips discretely across my bottom…I’m certain you’ll see it in a photo before Spring finds us. When you come to visit, ask to see it because it feels simply marvelous and you’ll want to make one for yourself…we’ll send you to the Beau Chemin Farm so that you can choose your own wool…
Tomorrow I’m headed to Augusta for our first Fiber College 2008 meeting. It’s hard to believe it’s time already but by January 15th we’ll need to have the call for instructors out to all of the Guilds. I’ll start updated the Fiber College Blog soon but the latest good news is that graphic designer Janice Webster has offered to help us with some of our print projects…thank goodness for volunteers! After the meeting Steven and I will join up with writer Peter Tabor and his son Forrest for pizza at Abbracci’s…it is a good life!