from the bottom up

Ground has been broken! Above the cider fermentation room in the barn out front, I hope lots of creative juice will be flowing in what is being built as Sparrow Grass Crafts- a craft space for children, teens, and adults. How I dream about this studio with its organized shelves, clean work surfaces, and its near proximity to my home, but how it actually isn't in my home. I will hold a variety of classes in addition to having a dedicated space to develop and craft for Family Fun, which will be beyond words amazing.

The barn is built, but the ascending staircase is not, so here is Harry in a 4 foot deep footing hole we dug one misty summer day. Harry worked and worked with us, and when Ava caught wind of the depth of the hole, she jumped from her curled up reading position and she wanted a turn going in it like him. Maybe it's a little mean, but we made her dig for 5 minutes before we let her. The girl is an esthete, not a laborer. She works with her fingers and mind, not her hands and muscles. Do we want her to show more interest in gardening with us and helping with the never ending list of building projects we have going? Yes, yes we do. It is looking like she will not come to it naturally but there are some great skills to be learned, not to mention the awesome quality time our family will have together. But, alas, she curls up with a book, writes a story, or creates her art- all fantastic! I don't mean to complain. We do find it tricky, the balance of forcing her to help and allowing her to do the work she is drawn towards. I think we just picture our family all doing things together.

Maybe I am not naturally a working type gal either, but I can't imagine hiring others to do work for us, and I have simply the handiest husband on the planet so I figure if I want it done faster, I need to make time to help. What it does for me- the hammering and power sawing and climbing of ladders- is give me alternate feelings of being a total bad ass and an absolutely incompetent and delicate flower with no upper body strength. Power tools are definitely good for making one feel powerful. Wow, can I cut a piece of wood faaaast! I like that Harry watches me do these things- that is worth a lot, so he doesn't get some kooky idea that tools aren't for girls, or something.

In the meantime, the decks are now screwed on and the door will be cut soon so I can get to organizing the piles out of the way to make it my studio. My studio. Sigh.