Farm Girl Studio

SUMMER SOLSTICE June 21, 2010 The Summer Solstice, also called Litha or Midsummer, is the celebration of the sun's peak of power at the end of the waxing cycle of the wheel. Mirroring the winter solstice, this is the longest day of the year. This holiday is celebrated throughout many cultures as the time when the God begins to weaken and leaves the side of the Goddess to travel to the underworld where He will ultimately meet His death. This pending "death" of the God, illustrated in nature by the death of the sun and the coming of winter, is difficult to imagine during the scorching heat of summer. Nevertheless, the wheel of the season turns and we acknowledge His fate, knowing that we have planted seeds that will soon reap benefits before the long winter arrives. Appropriate rituals for this holiday include personal purifications, charging ritual objects with the sun's power, the making of mead (honey ritual wine) and all healing work.

Our second day of sun back to back in a long time. We have had alot of rain here in the Midwest, luckly no flooding yet. The last two weekends for the farmers market have been rained out and etsy has been soooo slow. I have a custom order to finish up this week and I am thinking of adding the market at the Territories this Sunday. I hope the weather holds out. Making jewelry for the Local Color show on June 26th, can't wait to see what that brings :). Busy here today with outside work, hope you are having a great day. Here is a picture I found of my daughter Erin that my sister Susan painted when Erin was abou 8. You can see more of Susan and her husbands Scotts work at the link on the right.

It was made by me great customer Sharon! I love it! Thanks Sharon!

Between company the garden and the farmers market, which was a bust last week :( I have been getting ready for the Local Color show in Scales Mound. Five local artist are going be offering their wonderful handmade products. The show is going to be held at the Scales Mound Town hall on June 26th from 10am to 4:30pm. Jewelry, handmade house hold items, paintings, clothing and journal are just some of the things that will be for sale. The Scales Mound Summerfest is also going on that same day so come on out for the fun!

I just realized it has been over two weeks since my last update. We have been planting the garden and doing YARD work here on the farm. I also was able to spend some time with a great old friend from boarding school,, yes I went to a Quaker Boarding school lol. Here is a link if you would like to take a look Olney Friends School . We reconnected on face book about a year ago and have picked up right where we left off lol. She was on a road trip from Tucson to Cleveland and took a detour to spend a week with us on the farm. While Carol was here she got me hooked on Genealogy and I just can't stop lol. The wonderful thing is we never really had any information past two generations. After starting this I have been able to go back as far as the 1200's in one line It's really interesting, but is taking much of my free time and more :) I have been doing the farmers market and I am very pleased by the out come. Carol came down to the market last Saturday and took this picture. I a