Wednesday, September 1, 2010

sprung!

It's the first day of spring for all we southern hemisphere folk!



(these daffodils were planted at our sams creek home around the turn of the century.... by that I mean 1900s! 
they are not a named variety and after their century of isolation, are possibly now a mutant sams creek daff!
ever since I was a teeny-tiny kiddie I've watched these appear each spring.....)



I love the possibilities of spring. Although autumn, with its warm (but not too warm) days and garden abundance, is my favourite season, spring puts a spring in the step of everyone and everything! Yes it's a time for renewal and rebirth..... and for spring cleaning....

This spring is going to be especially memorable as it will mark a dramatic change of things here at the creek. (A few of my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed friends have already seen me post the beginnings of this HUGE change on the farm blog. And I'll have a lot more to share there/here in the next while - as the next BIG stage unfolds.)


So in the spirit of new starts and spring cleaning (and airing the linen) I'm going to start doing things just a tiny-weeny bit differently here.....


F i r s t

Now that blogger has these nice little tabbed pages, I think it's time to bring back the etcetera to art & etc – and that means posting my farm and garden type things on this blog. The farm and my garden activities are an essential part of our lives here at the creek (and I consider them integral to my arts practice) – which is pretty obvious if you've read my 'life at sams creek' page! So I hope my future posted tales of garden victories and defeats and jam sessions don't drive all you booky/arty creatures around the bend!


S e c o n d

however challenging I may find it – I'm going to TRY to post some 'how-to' stories...... like 'how-to-make-a-circle-bound-coptic-book' for one! And even a few simpler things like 'how-to-make-paste' (the story of paste was a revelation to me 15 years ago.... and I still love to swap recipes and techniques, just as I love to swap jam recipes and planting techniques in the garden)

The main reason I haven't posted about my processes previously is that I've never thought of myself as a 'master' of anything much  (so who am I to offer technical instructions or advice?) The other is, I've always figured if I know how something is done, welllllll everyone must (and I tend to think everyone else can do things a durn sight better than me!)  The irony is – I love to READ about how things are done/made.... and I never care whether the person sharing is a 'master' or a beginner. I find it strangely reassuring when I see similarities in process and revitalising to see a whole new way of doing ordinary old things (like making paste!).


Well those are my two blogging spring challenges


I've got a whole other set of challenges to tackle in the garden and paddocks... and studio!


hope the change of seasons brings good tidings for all

8 comments:

  1. Whoopee! Some how-to posts!
    (I'm very much an autumn person, too, though I was born in spring.)

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  2. Oh, I'm a spring person, though born in autumn, and I'm just thrilled to bits with all the spring flowering. Love your Sams Creek Daff. I've just ordered some for next year but they won't have the character of yours. I'm rethinking my blog too, not that I do much on it, but you've given me new heart, so hopefully I'll blog more often and have a more varied offering. Happy First of Spring Ronnie!

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  3. Yes isn't it fabulous to be on the way up and out of winter? Its stunning sunshine here today and about 20 degrees of warmth. Love the idea that you might do some how-tos and love your tabs. I am redesigning my blog and looking forward to what those tabs can offer too!

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  4. Happy Spring from me too! Although up here in the hills behind Coffs the last of my daffodils finished flowering WEEKS ago! I'm looking forward to the new, even-better-than-before Ronnie blogs... Sara x

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  5. gosh you guys are kind!
    I feel very unsure how my 'how to' things may turn out.... but I feel so inspired by Caren's type photos and chats about her present printing experiences (did you guys catch Carens last post? - I was so taken with the pics of the type in the forme... I mean really I had no idea you could lock type into a form like that!) - that despite my shyness and insecurity and my moments of 'geeez everyone knows more about this than me' or 'golly this is too basic to bother with' I'm going to TRY to do it anyway!

    please bear with me - and by all means let me know if you have a different way of doing things!

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  6. Your plans for "how-tos" sound fab! Rest assured there will be loads of people for years to come who will find them valuable. I wrote a post about paper lithography a couple of years ago, actually I was asking for help with it, and I STILL get people visiting it and then emailing ME with THEIR questions!!
    So ...onward, I say!!

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  7. congrats on the Basil Sellars - eager to see what you submitted.
    Here in the shadow of Mt Macedon we are still awaiting Spring. My daffs are mere buds, and the tulips have not even a bud - and it is still raining EVERY day. Never thought I'd say this, but I've had enough rain. Everything is saturated- even the raised veg beds. Tabs maybe a good idea - I just jumble it all in together...like life really (but then I still have the training wheels on).

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  8. Greetings in Australia where spring is arriving as we move into autumn and the end of summer here in the U.S.

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thanks for all your lovely comments - your words are greatly appreciated xx