Goshen Saturday morning

Susan

No new photos of the land or a driveway or a basement or even a snowy tree, which is what this blog is supposed to be about, so a few notes about living in Goshen. For an update, including some progress, on our building project, see the status updates page.

Of course, we're actually living in New Paris just now, seven miles from the south edge of Goshen, about 15 minute drive from downtown. One can't find five acres of woodlands to live on in Goshen . . .Oh wait! We DID!

Today's morning had these unexpected pleasures:

• Meeting with Willard Swartley to receive a comp copy of his new book, Living Gift: John's Jesus in Meditation and Poetry, Art and Song. He used several entries from the Seasoned books (free: Contact Susan). (Swartley's book is available on Amazon.)
• Picking up our monthly CSA meat: hamburger, a chicken, pork chops and bacon. http://blueheronfarms.org Local, organic, grass-fed--what's not to love, except the photos of the cute baby animals on their website?
• Arriving at the Goshen Farmers' Market http://www.goshenfarmersmarket.org/ just in time to buy from local artisans.

I've been collecting locally made yarns from places I've visited, beginning in Santa Fe. Today I added a skein from Patricia Oakley (www.beriewede.com). I plan to make an afghan, but currently the yarns don't look all that great together and I'm incredibly far behind on projects.

Food finds included locally roasted nuts for stocking stuffers, elephant garlic and a loaf of Rachel's four-pepper bread. I also bought a sizeable blue spruce bough for a dollar to make into a Christmas tree and two bittersweet branches to give it color.

The glow of my day came from meeting Viki Graber, a fourth-generation willow basket weaver. We talked about her great-grandfather's weaving and then she let slip that she raises her own willow . . .and it is a LOCAL Indiana plant quite easily grown! My grandmother Mamie (Susan) Martin Martin wove baskets from pine. I've made a few baskets over the years and have wanted to learn to weave more . . .and now it is possible that I can even grow my own willows! Viki is likely going to be teaching classes in basket weaving (I didn't get to take the 101 course in college) and might give me willow starts. I hope that willows will find one of our soils amenable.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Confluence-of-Willows/190246057701840

Last night I served Equal Exchange cocoa at Ten Thousand Villages for two hours. Most people were startled and perhaps even unbelieving when I explained about children slaves harvesting cocoa.

But this blog is about our land and building, not my life. Please join me in hoping that soon we can share driveway and foundation photos with you.