I have thanked MaryJane Butters many times (in my mind and heart) for doing something creative - for growing beyond herself to share something of herself. Her book MARYJANE'S IDEABOOK - COOKBOOK - LIFEBOOK is dedicated to the farmgirl in all of us. Not just line dancers and rodeo watchers - the sewers and the canners - but to girls like me who like to get dirty in the garden. Personally, it is a diary of my childhood growing up - on a small farm - in rural Nebraska. However, recently it has become a rich source of inspiration, a valuable guidebook - and a pleasant escape. With its homespun cooking and crafting projects sprickled amongst the enterprising wisdom gleaned from living close to the land - it inspires me to stop once in a while to adjust the fit of my creative cap. In particular, MaryJane's section entitled "Garden Gate" calls to mind how beautifully simple it is to capture a fallen leaf or admire the ripening colors of autumn.
As I primp Roseberry Cottage for the day, I casually touch the silky solid textures of the pumpkins sitting about the shop. They are colorful, robust, and comforting in their presence. Most days, I think of the pumpkins at Roseberry as less Halloween decorations and more Autumnal decorations. They remind me of the beginning and end of Autumn's bounty. As the pumpkins arrived, I smiled to see the myriad of shapes and sizes - - so quickly were they festooned in the glorious garb of nature and inspired elements. Each was carefully encircled in an array of garlanded leaves, flowers and berries by my friends. I'm thankful for this - my pretty little pumpkin patch - and the friends who keep me close to the land and my small farmgirl ways!
