A Celebration of Color

The sun peeks out from behind clouds, and peers down over the iciest driveway we've ever experienced on Hawk's Hill Farm since we moved here in 2007.  Two inches of solid, hard-frozen ice, polished to a glossy sheen by last night's rain have rendered the driveway so slippy, my dog skitters across it, and he's got claws and a 4-on-the-floor advantage over us humans.

I find it heartening to think that ancient people celebrated today, Groundhog's Day, as the beginning of spring.  Called Imbolc or Brighid, the day included spring cleaning, preparation for early spring livestock birthing, and taking inventory of the larder and hay stocks followed by a feast and celebration.  I reconsider the idea of the beginning of spring and think of the bright colors of Valentines I've been making and my seed orders, garden planning, and plans to tap the upwelling of spring sap from Sugar Maples.  The days are noticeably growing longer.  Today we are halfway between the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice on December 21, 2014, and the Spring Equinox on March 20, 2015.



So Happy Brighid!  Happy spring!  Happy Groundhog's Day!  My celebration was to feast yesterday on local beef, home canned spaghetti sauce, organic pasta, homegrown green beans and fresh bread for the Superbowl, and to make these rainbow-colored Valentines, bright as spring itself.

Paper strips painted with Dr. P.H. Martin's Liquid Watercolor (found at a yard sale long ago).

Strips glued down and then printed with a carved wood block.

Wallpaper sample, feed bag and old music sheeting combined with a wine cork heart stamp. 

Bubble wrap painted and used as a stamp.

 

Remember waxed paper and crayon-shavings ironed in a sandwich of brown paper bag?  So simple and cheap, now just cut out a heart and gluestick it on the cardstock.

I used the tag ends of the wax-paper/crayon shaving hearts to make bookmarks.

May your days feel spring-y, your ice melt quickly and color and love fill your life.

Betsy