We made it through another children’s market, our fifth year to participate. This year was a little different because Jonny was out of town with Keats and Gabe and I had to take all the younger children to market. In previous years, it’s just been Larkspur and Beatrix with me there to supervise. Silas and Job ended up with their own little table, selling chocolate chip cookies, 10 cent drawings, and homemade gemstone mining sets. I knew they had created the mining sets with some leftover mortar from the front garden wall project and assumed that they filled them with polished rocks or something along those lines. I witnessed a little boy proudly showing his dad what he had discovered after hammering away at the mortar: a handful of ordinary gravel. Well, for 15 cents, I guess he got a bargain. It’s the experience that counts.
The girls had a table full of things to sell this year and their prices were a bit higher. They sold bouquets, potted plants, goat’s milk soap, wild black raspberry jam, knitted dishcloths, and all sorts of other odds and ends that they made in the months leading up to market day. I typically hang out at the girls’ table and supervise a bit while knitting and chatting with other parents. This year I chased Mabel. Possibly my most extroverted child, she did her best to lose me again and again. I only ended up in a real panic once, finally finding her sitting with a stranger and her dog. In fact, nearly every time she ran off it was in pursuit of someone with a dog with the exception of the citified black rat snake she discovered climbing a tree. Thankfully, Seth came to market a couple of hours in to help supervise and several of the girls’ friends helped out too. It takes a village to keep up with Mabel. Shortly after arriving home after market she put herself to bed, exhausted from all the running around she did.
I hardly knit a stitch in May, but have managed to squeeze in a row here and a row there over the past couple weeks. I’m making slow progress on Mabel’s cardigan. I also overdyed some yarn that I’ve had stashed for a good long while. I bought it to knit the Marigold Cardigan from Making Magazine’s Flora issue. The yarn is Meadow by The Fibre Co. and it’s one of my favorites. I had a skein in the colorway that the sample was knit in for the magazine and loved it, so I ordered a few more for the cardigan when a little yarn shop closed up and put everything on sale. The skeins I received were from a different dye lot (expected) and the color was just different enough that I never really liked it. It wasn’t as warm in tone as the skein I had, more of a green gold and not what I wanted. I dipped those three skeins in an indigo vat last week and I’m very pleased with the deep peacock blue-green that they are now. Maybe one day I’ll have time to knit the cardigan! For now, I’m happy to admire the yarn.
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I may not be knitting very much, but I have been reading! I read a couple of quick books over the past two weeks and finished one I’ve been reading for some time. Mere Motherhood is a homeschooling memoir written by Cindy Rollins (I know many of you are very familiar with her!) She’s the mother of eight sons and one daughter. I was able to relate to much of what she wrote and was somewhat relieved to read about the crazy things her boys did when they were younger. (We’re not the only crazy big family!) She also made a wonderful case for the practice of “Morning Time” in the homeschool day. I’m going to try to be more consistent with that practice in the future. This year I found myself floundering a bit between being a working mom and a homeschool mom and never found a real rhythm. I hope to do better next school year. I may actually have to create a schedule of sorts and stick to it. (I’m terrible at that.)
I also read Tattoos on the Heart and loved it. Jonny read bits and pieces over my shoulder each evening and was quick to grab it when I finished a few days ago. This morning, I finally finished The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. I’ve been reading that one very slowly, usually just a few paragraphs each morning. This is a book that I’ll surely revisit again and again. My bedside desk is such a mess of books right now! Reading seems to be my thing lately. I’m thinking about ordering a copy of Colleen Carroll Campbell’s new book on perfectionism for my morning reading time. I loved her book, My Sisters the Saints, so I’m really looking forward to her latest! Have you read any of these? What did you think?
p.s. We think that box turtle was laying eggs. And as much as I love seeing deer in the backyard, I was dismayed to find my witch hazel shrub and little mulberry tree half-eaten. I think my current favorite creature is the wild turkey. They don’t eat our chickens or my plants. This time of year we catch glimpses of the mamas with their babies and I get so excited. I love them!
Laura says
Tattoos is one of my most favorite books! If you ever listen to audio books, I highly recommend this one as an audio. Fr. Greg reads it himself and it adds SO much to the book – he’s constantly throwing in accents and I laughed and cried my way through this book. His second book Barking to the Choir was excellent as well. I loved My Sisters the Saints as well and will have to check her second book!
Emily Foppert says
And Mabel’s dress? Handmade? If so, what’s the pattern? I would love to sew more dresses, but so far my Anna, 2.5 year, just wants to were what her brothers wear. She even asks for a tie on Sundays!
Ginny says
Yes! That was last year’s birthday dress and it still fits! It’s the Geranium Dress by Made by Rae. Great pattern!
Ivona says
It is so nice to see kids being so creative, this kids market is a great idea.
Maria says
I loved “Tattoos on the Heart”. I listened to his latest book “Barking to the Choir” during lent and the theme Radical Kinship touched me profoundly.
Marilyn says
Glad you got to finish your book. I have heard of “My Sisters The Saints”. I will probably order the book in the future. Market day is a nice time for the children to display their numerous talents. that deer is adorable ,but they can be destructive. The color of the yarn is so pretty.
Marilyn
Marion says
Mabel sure keeps you hopping. Look on the bright side, you get a lot of exercise chasing after Mabel. She looks so cute with her two ponytails.
Marion
Joan says
Thank You for sharing market day. It looks like it was a huge success.
Joan
Arianne says
Your account of the market made me chuckle. My kids would love that. I love all the wild flowers in your photos. We just moved from the desert further east. For the first time we are enjoying green and wildflowers. Also the bugs that come with them. Chiggers and ticks. Do you have many bugs in your area? What do you do to protecr your kids?
Gwen says
Love the peacock blue color of the yarn. The pictures of the kids were adorable. If I had been there, I would definitely have purchased their items.
Melissa Nichols says
Your Prairie Milkweed looks incredible! Mine didn’t come up this year, I think I put the seeds in during a dry spell and I don’t know, they just didn’t come up. I love them though.
karen says
sounds like the market was successful and they made a bit of pocket change. I’m exhausted reading about you chasing Mabel 🙂 I need to squeeze in more reading time into my mornings and afternoons.
Cristina Reintjes says
How fun! Their table looks so professional! My oldest has been on a beeswax candle making and selling kick but he just wanders around town with a sign on his wagon. His marketing strategy looks more like your little boys’. I need to find him a makers market too ?
Penelope says
I read Nouwen’s Return of the Prodigal Son eleven years ago, when I first came to the church. Thank you for the reminder — I need to read it again. I’m on the library waitlist for Mere Motherhood, looking forward to it!
Katherine says
Love the little glimpse of your life and as always, thank you for the book recommendations!