Central Park on a Saturday

No matter how many times I visit, Central Park feels like a fairy-land, and I find myself wandering through misty-eyed. "There's no sense in trying to make poetry of this place" I scribble in my journal as I walk, "it already is poetry."

But minutes later I can't resist adding, "the light here falls across the faces of strangers and illuminates the beautiful." Is it time to join the 100 Strangers project? I want to photograph everyone I see.

Around each corner there's music being offered and appreciated; the Great Lawn covered in a quilt of colorful blankets and peaceful picnics, frisbees whirling and kites drifting skyward; the pond is teeming with rowboats, and the hooves of the carriage horses keep a steady percussive clip-clop-clip-clop-clip-clop as they pass.

The world gathers here. I'm still an outsider looking in.

It looks heavenly.

New York Notes

New York Notes
by Harvey Shapiro

1. Caught on a side street in heavy traffic, I said to the cabbie, I should have walked. He replied, I should have been a doctor. 2. When can I get on the 11:33 I ask the guy in the information booth at the Atlantic Avenue Station. When they open the doors, he says. I am home among my people.

With every trip to The City I secretly hope that I'll find myself over it, like an unwise crush that fades with familiarity. Alas, I was seduced again...

Spring, Scattered

Making way for summer.

A Dairy Farmer's Diary, 1895

J recently acquired a wooden wine crate full of old books. As water and time damaged as they may be, each one retains the unique character that only a printed and bound book can have. Sorry, kindle.

When I spied this leather-bound journal from 1895 of course my first hope was for a tale of love. Perhaps even tragic, unrequited love. Instead I found the journal of a dairy farmer, noting the arrival of new calves, the sale of adult cows, and the fluctuating price of milk. Not the kind of love story I was anticipating, but as anyone who personally knows farmers can attest, love nonetheless — for the lifestyle, the land, the lineage of the animals, and the community.

Dog eared and mouse-nibbled — but look at these beautiful, marbleized fore-edges.

This journal also has a pocket between the last page and back cover, similar to those found in Moleskine books.

Saturday, February 16: A heifer had a calf this morning.

Sunday, March 24: The spotted heifer came in today had a good big calf.

Friday, April 5: One of the young heifers, the black one, came today.

Because I'm not certain what the most important word in this entry is, it intrigues me more than the others...but it looks like:

Monday, May 13th: Took the bones/boxes (?) over the river this morning.

Monday June 17: Dennis Calden (?) commences to work for the month at $20 dollars a month.

Friday, June 21: The black nose cow went to Mr Lee this morning.

Monday, July 1: Mrs. McEldaflin (?) was here. Said that they would take only 1 qt of milk per day hereafter.

Saturday, October 5: Brought home the bones/boxes (?) from over the river this forenoon.

Friday, November 29th: Spotted heifer was in heat tonight - next to white cow.

Sunday, December 1: Both cow was in heat tonight - black heifers next to old red cow was in heat tonight. Jumbo (?) cow was in heat tonight.

Saturday, December 29: Dina (?) was in heat tonight.

There are lists of work done - brush cutting and wood delivery in July, and the repair of a plank bridge in October, and milk sold — 4545 quarts of milk in January earned $130.69, 8780 in February earned $113.40, 4420 in March earned $127.07, 4842 quarts in April earned $124.83...and on throughout the year. There are Membership Fees listed, accounts of postage paid, Tobacco bundles sold.

I can't help hearing a thick New England accent when I read these entries. It sounded like a productive year, and I can't help but wonder at what else was going on in this farmer's life in 1895. It's left up to the imagination.

Saturday Morning Funny

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Beadle's Dime Novels

I'm off to Book Expo America today, so I thought I'd leave you with a few book-themed posts while I'm away. Above is one of Erastus Beadle's inexpensive paperback novels, over 600 of which were published beginning in 1860. According to SULAIR (Stanford's online library), both dime novels and similar story papers

"flourished from the middle to the close of the 19th century in America and England (where the novels were known as "penny dreadfuls"), and benefited from three mutually reinforcing trends: the vastly increased mechanization of printing, the growth of efficient rail and canal shipping, and ever-growing rates of literacy."

You can read more about Dime Store novels and Story Papers at SULAIR, or research the Beadle series in particular here. I discovered that this title, Two Guards, is actually fairly rare, but as mine ends abruptly at page 84 and is ripped and moldy it is beyond worthless to any serious book collector. I still appreciate it though. Here's the passage I opened up to this afternoon:

"The hill is gently sloping, and rises above the trees. It is covered with grass, and from it can be seen no end of prairie-land, with it's long and undulating grass, rocking to and fro in imitation of the ocean, and which are so boundless that the sun rises and sets upon this vast savanna."

Not bad!

Tomorrow we'll peek inside a 114 year old diary...

Paper Perfection!

Remember when I mentioned first seeing the quilled paper illustration I'd commissioned for a catalog cover? At last, here is the final, which will make it's debut at BEA this weekend! I think the artist, Yulia Brodskaya, did a stunning job with the shape, negative spaces, and especially the autumnal colors in her interpretation of our logo. Do you know that if I attempted to do something like this I would end up with most of those pretty strips of paper glued to my fingers/clothes/hair/work table and the end result would most probably resemble Kate's Paperie after a tornado? It's true. I'm craft deficient. Luckily, there are lots of talented artists out there who know how to turn ideas into very pretty realities.

Visit here for an interview I did with Yulia on the work blog.

Weekend Visitors —

This weekend J and I found a tattered Luna moth clinging to the screen door outside the kitchen.

He seemed so tired we couldn't bear to disturb him, and entered and exited through the other doors of the house until Tuesday morning, when he disappeared.

Nearby on the kitchen window was what I believe is a Lacewing moth, though I could be mistaken. Let the season of bug photos begin!

In both cases the first shot was taken with my little Canon Powershot SD550 in macro mode and the bottom with the Canon Digital Rebel and a telephoto macro lens. Lots of people ask me what kind of camera I shoot with, and while I obviously love the versatility of an SLR as far as being able to change lenses and control aperture, I can't give enough credit to that little Powershot — portable, durable, and with a pleasing aspect ratio. I have to get pretty close to my subjects sometimes, but neither of these visitors seemed to mind.

A Mailbox Masterpiece and Defying Convention

Last week I bought this print, Flying Girl Yearns for the Sea (or Defy Convention) as a gift for myself. We all need to do that sometime, especially when changes are afoot and we want to mark a transition, or celebrate, or perhaps celebrate a transition, as I'm doing. This print is part of a wonderful "Flying Girl" series by Rowena Murillo (who many of you may know from her blog) and I remember loving it when she posted about it back in March and loving what she wrote about it too. "Defy your normal. Step out into the unknown and uncomfortable, just a little. Try something new . . . What new thing can you try that might stretch your boundaries? Give it a try. I dare you."

As I mentioned the day before my work review, I've been trying to stretch my career boundaries for some time now, while respectfully trying not to overstep them — venturing carefully out a little bit beyond the world of design and production. The more I've ventured, the more intriguing the path has started to look. As much as I love design, it occurred to me somewhere along the path that I also love words, and ideas, and the entire creative process of making connections between our books and people who will love them. A scary realization. Should an art director really be throwing out headline ideas, or for that matter, running the company blog? Was inspiration and sheer enthusiasm causing me to overstep my bounds? Were there actually bounds — because only the doubting little voice in my head seemed be pointing them out to me. And what about the path I thought I was already on, the one I stumbled onto long ago when I rather unexpectedly found myself becoming a graphic designer?

Last week I stepped officially into the unknown a bit, and shifted towards a slightly less familiar career path. It's a little frightening that for the first time in 15 years my title no longer includes either the word "art" or "design" but in my new role I'll be working with a wider variety of the things I love — words, ideas, blogging, and connecting people passionate about leading a more hands-on, handmade, authentic life with books that will help them to do so. And for the time being I'll still be doing lots of design and art direction too, while I see where this new path leads.

I share this story for two reasons. First, to say thanks, because were it not for the readership and comments on this blog I would never in million years have had the confidence to take on the work blog, or scribble a suggestion for a headline on a brochure, or even write an email to the entire company. I would have stuck instead with the familiar and focused on fonts, margins, paper stocks and baseline grids. We may think we understand all of our reasons for blogging — to connect with others, to save moments of our day-to-day lives, to share our artwork, to alleviate depression — but there are benefits to blogging that may go far beyond our expectations. I recommend it for everyone. Second, I wanted to pass Rowena's challenge on to you. What new thing can you try that might stretch your boundaries? Give it a try. I dare you. In fact, why not take it one step further and write a letter to your future self about the plans you're making to defy convention?

Jay Bennett: Misunderstood

RIP Jay Bennett.

Resistance May Be Futile.

Even though I'm a complete Mac addict, I've been doing my best to resist the siren song of the ubber-addictive-seeming iPhone. However. It gets more and more difficult with each cool app I hear about (flashlight?) and now artist Jorge Columbo has gone and created this week's cover of The New Yorker using only his iPhone and the $4.99 application Brushes." Sure, thanks a lot Jorge. Read more about it here, and watch the process below...

We Had the Best Time at Your Party

What would Memorial Day weekend be without a great party? Thanks Josh & Kim.
Besides, it's been a while since I've done a Ween post.

the dog days of summer...

seem to have come early around here.

The New Agrarians

The Times has an article on today's front page about "a new wave of liberal arts students who are heading to farms as interns this summer, in search of both work, even if it might pay next to nothing, and social change." Interest in summer farm work and apprenticeships has never been so high as students act on "the growing enthusiasm for locally raised food and the increased concern over food safety and the environmental impact of agriculture." You can read the full article, Many Summer Internships Are Going Organic, here.

Memorial Day weekend marks the end of frost danger here in the hills, as well as the official beginning of the summer growing season, and hilltowners can be seen streaming into their vegetable gardens this weekend armed with bottles of all-natural bug spray and flats of hardened-off seedlings. At least that's what I've been doing. Tomatoes, broccoli, and basil seedlings are in, and today, at least until it begins to rain, I'll be planting seeds for lemon cucumbers, squash, and summer flowers — zinnia, sunflowers and cosmos. Hope everyone is having a wonderful long weekend.

After Commencement

Rows of empty chairs left over from last week's Smith commencement were still set up in perfect rows as I made my way to the botanic gardens Friday afternoon.

Sound Check

Josh Wachtel of Radio Free Earth tests the mic before the band's show at the wine bar at Green St. Café last night. Green St. is a lovely place to sip wine, savor French cuisine prepared with locally grown, organic ingredients, and hear live music on Friday nights. If you find yourself in the Northampton area on Saturday, June 20th you can catch Radio Free Earth at Green St. again, or click here for their full summer schedule.

As a side note, wandering Northampton last evening it occurred to me that there seems to be a bit of live music renaissance going on in the area. There was a full band playing South American music at La Veracruzana, and another band at Bistro 186. Someone was playing the piano and singing Beatles covers when we walked by one cafe, and I'm sure there were plenty of other musical happenings all over town, just out of earshot.

Smith Botanic Garden at Sunset

With the exception of my unexpected visit to the Bulb Show last winter, I never seem to have my digital SLR camera with me when I'm at the Smith Botanic Garden. I suppose it's because I often end up there unexpectedly. Last night, while waiting to meet J and friends, I snapped away with my trusty little point-and-shoot, warm sunlight covering the quiet paths and blooms.
I think a dedicated photo trip to the campus is in order.

five senses friday no. 7

see:
• lady slippers in bloom
• a blue bird, shiny as polished metal, grabbing seeds at the feeder
• lots of funky old tractors headed up the street for the annual tractor parade on sunday
• a moose (!) standing in the field up the road
• baltimore orioles rebuilding their nest in the same tree high above the gardens

taste:
• here are three magical little words, "chocolate & bread." where has this delicious bread with dark chocolate chunks baked into it's yeasty nooks and crannies been all my life? not coming out of my toaster and getting swaddled with a thick layer of butter — not until now
• delicious pad thai from thai blue ginger in greenfield
• apricot almond low-fat yogurt from nearby side hill farm. local and delicious.
• baby spinach salad sprinkled generously with dried cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese

touch:
• sticky sharp dried rasberry canes

hear:
• june bugs crashing against the windows
• a raccoon barking at 3 am

smell:
• the perfume of blooming lilacs and cherries, coming in on the breeze
• freshly mown grass

Officially Removing My Nose from the Grindstone

My long weekend began today, and the weather couldn't have been more cooperative. Seeds were sown (beans and a second row of peas), weeds pulled, beds reshaped, and more brush cleared. I cut arm loads of baby maple trees (which sprout up in such numbers they're like weeds) from beneath our blueberry bush and apple trees, and snipped unsightly dead rasberry canes from the edges of the field. I found that last summer's cilantro had reseeded itself throughout one of the vegetable beds and I reorganized the tiny sprouts into a neat patch. I left the yard only to procure lunch — sautéed kale, spinach portabella quiche, and apricot almond yogurt to go — and buy flats of broccoli starts and plastic pots of geraniums (the only annual I probably won't kill) at the serve-yourself farm stand nearby. I suspect it won't be long till fireflies are flashing in the fields at night, as I seemed to find them everywhere today. I suspect I'll be spending as much time as I can in the gardens this weekend, recovering from a few months on deadline and a long, chilly winter that's now officially behind us.

What's on your agenda this Memorial Day weekend?

The Summer Mantle

The winter mantle display has been cleared away to make room for the summer display — just a few bottles and blooms to begin, but eventually the shelf will fill up like this. Are you making any seasonal changes in your home decor? Does anyone out there change their area rugs on a seasonal basis? The catalogs would lead me to believe this is a common practice, but I wonder...

PS: I'm adding another link for visitors from A Soft Place to Land (welcome!) here's what the mantle looked like just a few weeks ago, filled with mid summer flowers! And here are more renovation and decorating projects around the house.

A Short Post for a Long Day

Last night there was the slightest touch of frost here. The edges of the plume poppy's leaves gave its presence away — otherwise, the bursting garden was either protected by blankets and tarps or it pulled through the cold night uncovered and unscathed.

Today I wrapped up the last of this season's marketing materials for work, and am looking forward to a very long Memorial Day weekend starting with a vacation day on Thursday. Chances are if you're waiting on an email or freelance project from me, your name is on my "to do" list for this weekend, along with making rhubarb bread pudding, going out to see a friend's band, moving two more Rhododendrons, getting around to burning those spring mix cd's I've been mulling over, and pulling together a box of items for a yard sale a friend is having at the end of the month.

Posting this little list of plans reminds me of how surprised I was when J observed that I'd slipped some stringy, divided grape hyacinth bulbs into the lawn beneath our cherry tree last weekend. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice!" I laughed, as I'm always sneaking more plants underfoot and then panicking when he unwittingly mows over and/or steps on them. "I didn't notice" he said, "I read it on your blog!"

A Wearable Subway Map

How many seconds do you think it took me to purchase this NYC Metro cuff after I spotted it on The Design Blog? If you guessed less than 60 you're right, and you've obviously been reading this blog for quite a long time. Created by Design Hype, these matte metal cuffs have the subway lines, stops, and streets embossed into the surface of the metal, and I'm planning on using mine on my next visit to the city in late May. The only way this bracelet could be better is if it had some kind of tiny GPS system in it!

I am BEA bound on Friday, May 29th then J and I are staying at a boutique hotel in Times Square and spending Saturday in the city. Stops at Lil' Frankies for delicious wood fired pizza, Café Noir for Hoegardens on tap (with a slice of orange) and Against the Grain for (more beer) and it's lovely, candlelit, laid-back atmosphere are on the itinerary (yes, my priotities are good pizza and beer). I'm also secretly hoping to run into Dave Drewitz there again. Ok, so it's no longer much of a secret now. Weather permitting (please God, let it be sunny and beautiful) I'd like to visit the spots that Marie has been turning green and flowery, and of course wander down to the water to sunset-and-people-watch and smell the salty air of Manhattan. I'll compile a list of more specific ideas as the time gets closer. I'm open to suggestions — though we are also perfectly happy to plan nothing and simply wander the sidewalks taking photos. This will be the first time I bring my "big" camera and lenses to the city, so in reality I plan to spend most of the time shooting. It's been way too long.

A Reunion of Sorts

Remember this sign?

How about if I give you a hint and back up a little?

Yes, it's the little sign and informational packet I made last year when I realized the trees around my beloved patch of wild ladyslippers would soon be logged/managed and the habitat of the flowers potentially decimated. My humble attempt to remind the person with the chainsaw and tractor that there are some delicate things growing in these woods behind my house, and they should be respected.

And as I'd feared, the area has indeed changed quite a bit over the course of this past year. There's more light on the flowers now that many of the trees around them have been felled, and lots of them are growing up through a tangle of cut and fallen branches and brush.

But perhaps the species is stronger than it looks — because they are still growing up, and their exquisite blooms still make me catch my breath, and for that, I'm grateful.

Because the ladyslippers seem to create a magical place, and I think we could all use more of those.