An Amish Homespun Art
I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving. My prayers are with those holiday travelers who may be experiencing inclement weather.
David and I had a quiet and reflective Thanksgiving between the two of us. We look forward to Christmas when our sons will both be joining us for the holiday, along with Tim’s girlfriend, Niina.
I am still struggling to get back to my writing. In the meantime, I was (am) crocheting lots of rugs. I’ve sold several to neighbors and friends, but they’re still accumulating. So I finally decided to open an Etsy shop. That was a frustrating process, especially figuring out how to install a link here on my website that links over to my Etsy shop. You’ll find it on the right-hand side of my website and blog now. I hope you’ll pay my shop a visit and take a look around. If you feel so moved, you can click on “favorites” which will add visibility to my wares.
Yesterday I finished another rug, which I’m calling “Summer Blossom.” Here is a photo of it:
Photo by Saloma Miller Furlong
Before that I created the one I’m calling “Shenandoah Autumn.”
Photo by Saloma Miller Furlong
I am feeling a pull back to the written word slowly unfurling inside me. I reread Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. It had been many years since I’d read it, so it was like I was rediscovering one of my favorite pieces of literature. During this time of sparse writing, I’ve not been reading much, either. Reading Hegi’s book was like coming home to a part of myself that I’ve been neglecting for some time. As I awake in the mornings, I find myself thinking about reading and writing more than I do about the colors of my next rug. I’m hoping to also get back to writing more here on my blog. Thank you for your patience as I work through this process of returning to my life’s work of writing. I look forward to a time when words might begin to flow naturally once more.
I will be writing a blog post soon about several events that have taken place in Amish communities, including one in my home community in Middlefield, Ohio.
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Click on the logo to learn about the Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund.
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I love the names of your rugs. Whenever I visit North Carolina and Virginia I am struck by my recognition of southern woods, so different from forests in the north and west. Your Shenandoah rug brings that back to me. I definitely will be visiting your Etsy shop.
BTW, not to read something into your private inner workings (!), it seems possible to me that your ‘block’ may be partially due to recent disappointments in your writing aspirations. Natural reactions, of course, but only temporary- so get back to work! lol
Hello Elva, and thank you for your comments. Yes, sometimes the rugs sort of name themselves. Other times it’s a little less obvious what to name them.
Thank you for your concern about the writing process. Yes, I have had disappointments, which I’ve not yet shared here. I will sometime soon.
Are you seeing the Northern Lights up there in Alaska as the nights get colder? I miss seeing those. When we lived in Vermont, we would occasionally see them.
There can be all sorts of reasons for the words not flowing. One important starting place, IMO, is to re-examine the question of why you write. Sometimes you need to remind yourself of your goals and purpose, and lack of clarity there can show itself in feelings that there is ‘something’ blocking you that you can’t explain.
Hello Ian, it’s so good to hear from you. I’ve definitely been asking myself why I write lately, and that has only confounded the issue more. I believe I do know what is blocking me, and I will share that soon.
I am looking forward to more of your writings.
Thank you, Katie!
I’m so excited you are selling your rugs. I was hoping you would!!!!! I will be checking it out and purchasing, of course!!!! As for writing, i think, at times, we all get into a funk about the things we are passionate about. Some times it’s good to step back and let the creative juices go in another direction for a while. Glad your coming back around to your writing though I always miss you when your absent from your blog.
Pamela, thanks for your support, as always. I’ll send you an email about the rugs…
The rugs are beautiful!!! I think Etsy will be the place for them–they have a lot of vintage and unique items. Don’t worry about your writing–when it is time for the words to come I’m sure they will be there!
Denise, thank you for your thoughts. The words are starting to flow… my two writing groups are helpful to that end.
Oh, Saloma. I am so happy to see an Etsy shop with your beautiful rugs displayed! Ever since you started posting about how you make these rugs, I’ve wanted one. Unfortunately, we are about to embark on a cross country move and funds are tight. But once we’re settled in after a few months, I hope that you will still have some left to purchase 🙂
Warm Blessings for Winter.