As the summer season winds down the days get shorter, the nights longer, and the temperature gets cooler. It happens every year here in the North country, and each year it produces a feeling of closure, and ending of sorts. Every ending is also a new beginning, and what this means for us is more time spent in the studio making art and crafts, more time in the wood shop, and less time outside.

We miss our time outside. During the summer we spend most of our time on the patio or in the garden. We’re working on getting rid of the grass and landscaping the former yard with plants, rocks, and mulch. Now, with much cooler temperatures, we’re finding things to do in the house. Barb makes mixed media art, and jewelry, while I do woodworking, some jewelry, making walking sticks and canes, and writing. Some of the projects cross over, while others are independent. We bounce ideas off each other, help with each other’s work, and sometimes work alone. The key to a good relationship is allowing each other to do what we do, trusting that each knows best when it comes to our own abilities.

So here we are, transitioning to a new season, becoming familiar with each other’s ways again after so long apart. It’s a fun new time for us both and we have the confidence to know that it will all work out well. Our first year back together so far has been exciting, a blending of the old and new and with the approaching Winter season we are planning our escape to warmer weather. This will be totally new for us both as neither of us has spent an entire Winter away from the cold and snow. We’re pretty sure it’s going to be fun.