Holly & Holy

Here we are again, making ready another Christmas. Whenever I see a nativity scene, I'm reminded of those few people who witnessed the very first Christmas. Jesus was our first Christmas gift, and then the gifts just kept coming...millions upon millions as Jesus continued to touch millions of lives. I can't wrap my head around all of that, to be honest, but I know it is real. He's made himself undeniably real in my own life in so many ways, so many times. Therefore, I know He is just as real to millions of others. One by one, He loves us and saves us. One by one we are moved by a miracle. To me, one of the most amazing features of our multi-faceted miracle 'holiday' is the fact that millions of people the world over, people of every race and language, describe the same experience as they lovingly celebrate "Christmas"year after year ... two thousand and ten years to be exact.

Peace, Be Still.

For me, enjoying every morsel of Christmas is in full swing. It saddens me that many folks state with weariness, things like 'surviving the holidays' and 'I'll be glad when its over". Its as if they're drug into the commercial fray and a frenzied busyness ... reluctant, but willing victims.

Christmas is actually a very quiet and above all, a very peaceful holiday. The baby Jesus was literally a gift of peace. Christmas was never intended to be stressful. The many joys of the season can be savored in a way that preserves all of the good things, the music, the scents, the sights ... and the beautiful gift of peace. The magic and the wonder of this holiday is like looking at the miracle of a single snowflake. It was never really lost - you just can't see it from a galloping horse. Slow down and let the beauty of 'Silent Night' bless and keep you where you need to be to take it all in without the noise. A holly-jolly smile from the inside out is sure to follow.

 "And He will be their peace."  ~ Micah 5:5

Sleighbells and Candy Canes

So many symbols surround us this time of year, so many different little things that mean 'Christmas' to us as individuals. Those of us who love the sights, scents and sounds of Christmas have favorite songs that lift our spirits. Mine is 'Away In A Manger', although I dearly love many more. I have to say also that the sound of sleighbells on my horse when she's driven, well, there's just no other sound in the world quite as stirring!

Did you know that sleighbells were invented right here in the U.S.A. to make winter travel safer? The reason behind the need for sleighbells was simple: a horse drawn sleigh moves silently across snow-packed roads and back in the 'olden' days (19th century), the traffic was in fact brisk, busy and dangerous. Accidents were common. So, good old American ingenuity addressed the need and the popularity of sleighbells traveled worldwide. Most sleighbells were brass and the nicer, more expensive bells were tuned, rather like wind chimes. They made a melodious chiming song as they kept time with the movement of the horse ... plus the oncoming drivers could hear you coming!
                                                         

Another longtime Christmas goodie is the striped candy cane which is symbolic of the Shepherd's crook and a more somber reminder of the "stripes" that Jesus received as a result of being whipped. Christmas should be an aromatic blend of sweet and somber, heartwarming and humbling.

There are so many things that delight our senses at Christmastime, all of which point the way to a quiet little stable long ago. I hope you enjoy every one of them, large and small alike and that you also see the deeper meaning of this festive time of year. Me? I'm getting together with girlfriends tonight to make pomanders - oranges studded with cloves. I'll then nestle half a dozen of them in a birch basket of evergreens, pinecones, dried leaves and twigs. However you put on your merry, Enjoy! Peace and goodwill to you ... may you find it and make some too.

"His mother, Mary of Nazareth,

Sat watching beside his place of rest,

Watching the even flow of his breath,

For the joy of life and the terror of death,

Were mingled together in her breast."

From "The Three Kings"
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas Is A'Coming!

As a child, the return of the Christmas Spirit was an 'inner event'...like a spark come alive. It happened as if by magic. Oh how wonderful it was, a feeling like you were sparkling from the inside out. I eagerly looked forward to all the sights, sounds and scents of Christmas. Year after year, my parents and grandparents built a rich store of memories to draw upon.

In adulthood, the return of the holiday spirit each year was not quite as bright and I felt a sense of loss. My wonderful childhood memories were intact, but the sparkle had somehow dimmed - part of growing up I suppose and perhaps not unique to me. With the passing of years, I had to "find" my holiday mood and stoke the coals...rather than feeling as if it was sprinkled over me like magical snowflakes and fairy dust. The magic had loosened it's grip and the faintness of it saddened me.

I resigned myself to being a 'grown-up' and somewhere along the way, I also settled for an artificial Christmas tree as part of the resignation. Never fear, I've always enjoyed and kept Christmas safe in my heart. But, I admit to secretly sighing over and longing for the childlike wonder I remember so fondly. Perhaps the plateau I experienced was part of my journey as I followed the Christmas star.

Recently, the longing for that old Christmas feeling became acute. It seemed to coincide with getting older on the outside; I felt a new resolve to grow young again on the inside. I was determined to believe in the magic again, willfully recreating the kind of rush that I felt as a child. Jesus is the reason for the season and the giver of all hope...and my new-found  holiday energy was like holly adorned hope. It is an exciting, fresh scent of Christmas all over again. Jesus is not the author of flat feelings. I believe my Lord returned to me a child's way of looking at Christmas...just as he brought me to salvation by way of childlike faith. Are they not really one and the same?

So, with 'tidings of great joy', I wish for you all the wondrous feelings and sensations of the Christmas season...and that they lead you to the manger of the King of Kings. If a real tree is to you what it is to me...may you enjoy the fragrance of fresh evergreens, along with clove studded pomanders and spiced wassail. My tree is a small, native Juniper, complete with clusters of gray-blue berries. Make merry and breathe deeply all the magic of this most blessed of holidays. In the days leading up to Christmas, I'll share more of my antique postcards. Enjoy!

Tan All Around

My filly, "Ribbon" is virtually invisible this time of year. The plains grasses are now various shades of tan and she is too. In the not so distant future, she'll be wearing a saddle since she's a coming 3 yr old. I took this photo when she was a foal. She looks much the same now...only much taller! It takes so long to get from this stage to the horse becoming your trusty steed, but its very rewarding to raise your own mount. It is the road less traveled and the one I prefer. Raising horses is very much like gardening...you plant the seeds and then you wait...and wait. I've scaled back my breeding program to suit my age, and little Miss "Ribbon" is the 'one' I kept for myself. Come springtime, God willing, she will be under my saddle and I'll have a new palomino pardner.

Shery's "Ranch Life" Slideshow

When the works all done this fall...

'Fallwork' is one word in the ranching vocabulary. October and November are the months when we have a lot of work to get done before winter sets in...vaccinations, worming, moving cattle to different pastures, shipping the calf crop etc.

This past week we finished most of our fallwork when we shipped our calves to the buyer. We have a few more friends and neighbors to help with their fallwork to-do list. I'm sure glad our fallwork is done and we had perfect 'Indian Summer' weather all the way through.

A girlfriend of mine has such an eye for decorating and she took a massive old corral gait and placed it behind their sofa. Hard to imagine...but it looks fabulous on the dark red wall. I've got my eye on this one. When our friends do away with it, I'm gonna see if they'll let me bring it home. Where to put it? Don't know yet, but that never stops a die-hard junktiquer!!

My Old Medicine Cupboard

I had been on the hunt for a little cupboard for my little bathroom and I wanted a vintage goodie. Many golden oldies don't come to you clean and ready to play with. Such was the case with an old medicine cupboard destined for the dump.

The old cupboard was sound but filthy inside & out. The inside smelled like ancient medicines and just plain yucky; the shelves were sticky and encrusted with old dust. I opened the door and let it set in front of our barn on a bale of hay in the hot sun for over a week (killed the odor). Then it received a good cleaning followed by a lot of sanding. I had to make the decision whether or not to paint part of it or all. I opted to add a touch of cheery green and leave the old ivory paint alone. More sanding followed.The shelves also got a coat of leaf green acrylic paint.

The finishing touches were vintage waterslide decals, 'antiquing' and a spray acrylic sealant. Now I have a much needed bathroom cubby, given a new life and saved from being dump fodder. I think she's as cute as a button - smells new, looks old.

MaryJane's Farm "Ranch Farmgirl"...That'd Be Me.

 

If you're a fan of MaryJane's Farm, you'll want to revisit MaryJane's newest additions to the 'Farmgirl Connection' website. There are now four farmgirl blog writers...the city farmgirl, the rural farmgirl, the suburban farmgirl and the ranch farmgirl... and that would be me! Click on the button provided here and it will take you to the Farmgirl Connection; from there, you can click on the same cowgirl image shown here and it will transport you to the high plains of Wyoming. See you there!

Wimmenfolk

'Wimmenfolk', now 13 years old - a 6 member pattern of Prim little ladies that I never got around to publishing. Hard to believe these gals have been waiting for me so long. As some of you may know, I used to design patterns for publishers 'back in the day' when Country was king and there weren't nearly as many branches as there are now in the area of folk art. I've watched folkstyle crafts go hither and yon. I've been visiting folk art sites in the blogosphere, being new to the blog world.  It's refreshing to see fresh style and such funluvin 'goodies' as well as old techniques taken to new places by new faces.

Personally, I'm just now ready to get back on the horse, so to speak. I spent much time away from the needle and wondered if the old twinkley tingle of inspiration would ever return. I'm not sure what sparked it, but fabric is once again calling. Ideas in stasis are blinking their eyes as if awakened from a deep sleep. I'm so looking forward to getting back in the textile groove. A revelation: you don't have to abandon one creative love for another. Creativity has few rules and being fickle is completely legal. So, I'm off to reinvent myself again. The fabric stores will be a Wonderland for me because everything will be fresh and new. Envy me that. I used to perch on the cutting edge of whatever design trend or wave was nigh. The ranching life took me outside and out of the sewing room. But, Shery Van Winkle is now wide awake!

Window Of Opportunity

"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes."  Henry J. Kaiser

I'm so grateful for opportunities that have come my way recently. A person could think that we 'make our own luck', as some say, but I know better. The good Lord has shown me in so many ways over the years that He delights in reminding me that 'Every good and perfect gift comes from above.' I wouldn't have it any other way. Opportunity invites us to venture into what may be an unknown part of ourselves. It's not a foreign land. We own the property and it is our's to explore and develop. No permit required! 

My Maiden Journey With MaryJane's Farm

Well, my first freelance assignments for MaryJane's Farm are now published. You'll find me in the the MJF 'farmgirl sisterhood' monthly online magazine called 'The Cluck' and as the 'Ranch Farmgirl' blog writer (via the Farmgirl Connection website). I'm still very new to the world of MaryJane's Farm and I'm devouring MaryJane's  books, past issues of the paper magazine and The Cluck too. 

My contributions in this month's Cluck are re-purposed vintage jars in the 'Make It Easy' section, and a short written piece about ranch life in the 'Outpost' section. The October issue is 30 pages and there are so many goodies. How do you get one you ask? Become a member/subscriber of the 'farmgirl sisterhood'; you can do that by following the links on the main MaryJane's Farm web site (see link on this page). You get monthly issues of 'The Cluck' via an email file attachment. I printed out my issue today so I can enjoy it at my leisure on the couch. It is just as rich in graphics as the MaryJane's Farm paper magazine. I'm making a list for upcoming projects and articles. Tune in and subscribe sister!

Heaven On Earth

"Earth is crammed with Heaven."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

 

 Heaven is everywhere. If a person fails to see the evidence of Heaven on earth, it is a choice they've made. Fortunately, we are free to make such choices; I would not have it any other way. I don't want to miss anything, and having 'heaven sight' adds a new dimension to appreciating the wonders of Creation. We don't abandon science, for it is part of the whole and adds specifics to understanding. Heaven sight ventures beyond academics and returns to us childlike wonderment and being better able to appreciate every dimension of Nature. The word "awesome" takes on true breadth. I'm so grateful for having my eyes and mind opened to the magnificence of every painted autumn leaf. Heaven on earth surrounds us entirely. 

Greetings from The Cowboy State

Wyoming claims two labels ... 'The Cowboy State' being the better known of the two. The other label may come as a surprise ...we are also 'The Equality State' since Wyoming was the first state to grant women the vote. My family homesteaded here, having come west from Vermont soon after the Civil War. They ranched and raised horses for the U.S. Remount. I'm 4 generations deep in Wyoming soil. Wyoming is a place of extreme beauty, contrasting geography and extreme weather and not a place most people want to live. Cattle still outnumber humans here and that suits me to a T.

Home is where you hang your heart

Home, the spot of earth, supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot, than all the rest,

~ Robert Montgomery

My home is my sanctuary, not just a place to hang up my coat or do the laundry. It is where everything I am has a place. While our little house on the prairie is as 'plain as a mule', it is indeed Home. Many are the things I would change about my little house except for the feeling I have when I come back from a trip. I feel welcome here, my bed knows me. If it were not for the complications that weather and birds pose, my bedroom would have no roof. Sleeping under the stars would be ideal, but a window next to my bed will suffice. 

Material goods are things we often attach sentimental value to. I know that when I leave this earth I take only my soul and lessons learned. However, there are so many little joys that attach themselves to material things. Whilst I'm here I cherish the things left to me by my ancestors. Odds and ends, while meaningless to others, mean a lot to me. Flowery, old china I've collected that once belonged to names unknown, African violets, the many things made & given to me by my sister, bridles that hang in the barn when not in use - they have all know good horses. When my Master calls, all of what I possess down here means nothing, but until then I'll enjoy and care for the many blessings that make a house my home. I wait for Heaven, but for now ... home is where I hang my heart.

"Oh Bother", said Pooh.

Looking over the many things I enjoy creating or RE-creating etc...I think the most exciting is making historic looking animal toys reminiscent of the very early 1900s. Being a lifelong animal lover, there is special joy in bringing to life my own little critters. My 'babies' don't look new even when they are newborns. True antique toys wear time so gracefully, and they're often quite shabby from having been loved long and hard. That is the look I try to mimic - a spirit and an expression that defies newness. The same is true of many other goodies I enjoy making; I'll be posting photos in the near future.

For now, here is my Pooh. Winnie has been a favorite of countless children down through the generations, and he is mine also. The version  of Winnie via modern animation, while cute, does not have the charm and distinctive sweetness that was so evident in the real Pooh created by A. A. Milne and his illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard. I dedicate my Pooh to the endearing little bear they made famous.

Cowgirl Proverbs

Nature teaches, she never preaches.
If you have a mind to say no, it's best to say it right away.
It don't matter so much who's right, but what's right.
Honey, don't squat with your spurs on.

If you don't expect much, you ain't gonna get much.
Missin' manners are a sign there's more missin' than just manners. 
You'll make better progress if you stay outta your own way.

Always say 'please' when you tell someone to shut up.

~ Gladiola Montana ~

                                       

                       A sample taste of the jewelry I make and sell...
                                

                        

Writing For The Brand

 
When you're young, sometimes you dream about where you'll be in twenty years. I never dreamed my life would be what it is. With age comes mileage, sometimes wisdom. Twenty years ago does not seem that long ago, but it does feel that far away. Being over 50 makes you think even more about the future and how time flies. The clock ticks more loudly. There is an urgent sense to make the most of the next 20 years.

I've been involved in 'design for hire' for 20+ years. For several years, I worked primarily for Better Homes and Gardens on a freelance basis, I also worked for a handful of other publishers and I self-published too. I designed patterns for historic looking toys (Teddy bears being my favorite) and home decor items. One of my early historic reproduction dolls found her way to Rockefeller Center, displayed in a Christmas exhibit featuring traditional Americana Folk Art.

'Nature crafting', earthy themes and old things have always appealed to me. I've made and sold gemstone jewelry - mixing in vintage goodies. I've written historical articles pertaining to Morgan Horse bloodlines and I served as editor of a small horse club publication. These days, I write a 'usually weekly' column for our local newspaper.

I recently joined MaryJane's Farm'as a freelance contributor. I'm grateful for the opportunity to take part in MaryJane Butter's broad vision. I'll share crafting ideas and written material  in MaryJane's 'farmgirl sisterhood' monthly online publication called The Cluck. I'm looking forward to this new adventure and to be 'riding for the brand', or rather, writing for the brand.

Shery's playlist