It is 5:30 in the morning on Sept. 9th 2008.  When I woke up this morning it came to me that we were in the midst of an extraordinary Indian Summer.  These last few days of clear sunny days and starry nights have just made me feel alive again after our gray August.   I'm enjoying zipping around on my bike (thanks Aunt Judy!) and pretending I am footloose.

Now for the role as "the farmer's wife" for the last 31 years, which really is a much bigger part of me than you see in the shop. I want to tell you how I really feel about September.  I LOVE it.  It is the end of the whirlwind season, the days are shorter which allows us to stop whatever we are doing by dark, so we are down to maybe twelve hour days now.  We are still busy making hay, doing some combining and planting cover crops as well as seed crops.  We just planted carrots and swiss chard for next years seed, which will also require irrigation to get it sprouted.  So there is still much to  do, but you can see the end in sight.  

One thing you can think about the next time you buy an ear of corn, or a package of frozen beans or peas is that this veggie required a multitude of hours getting the field ready to plant, planting, irrigation, cultivation, more irrigation and harvesting.  This is a huge process that my family has undertaken for three generations, it is our way of life.  So eat your veggies all the while thinking about the work, care and pride that has gone into putting it on your table.

Now, moving on to the next part, grandma to be... girls are doing wonderful, and it is getting very exciting, days ticking away much faster than they realize.  There is no way to explain how their lives will be changing, but we all find out in our own way.  I still go back to holding my babies and coming to the realization of the power of love.  You always know that you are loved, but until you "hold your own" it is just one of those things you can't imagine.  So as soon as Expo is over I will start sewing for the nursery.  

Now on to EXPO. Check it out on line http://www.nwquiltingexpo.com/ then make your plans to attend.  This is an amazing treat for quilters.  All quilting, all inspiration!  Of course we have gone into our own little frenzy of making new models, collecting new patterns, wondering where that fabric group that they promised was and, and, and...  It feels a bit like being a gerbil on a wheel, going fast but getting no where.  Then suddenly, it is here and we are done and it is wonderful.  Right now there are about four projects going at once in my little sewing room, seems I'm more productive that way.

And those of you who know me really well, it is time for me to start my annoying habit of telling you Christmas is coming.  You know that it can't all be accomplished in the short time that we have between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it is time to start thinking about it.  

This is my favorite time of the year.  I vow to savor every day with gratitude for for how far we have come this year and the joys that are ahead of us.

Bobbi