Sewing by Tasha's Fire
Winter
Bouquet
Most of my visits to Corgi Cottage occurred in the wintertime
when snow smothered Tasha’s gardens. Sometimes I slipped down to her greenhouse
to breathe the air rich with the scent of moist earth and her climbing rose, Cecile
Brunner. The pale pink blossoms defied the snowdrifts mounded outside the glass
panes. When the camellias bloomed, Tasha would cut several and float them in a
pink luster bowl.
One winter I spied a large bouquet of pussy willows sitting
on her long table covered art supplies, her latest painting and other creative
projects. A friend had dropped off the gift so Tasha could force the fuzzy
blooms to crack their hard, brown shells. Now, the silvery catkins snuggled on
the branches, hinting how spring was not too far off. The humble bouquet represented
many elements of Tasha’s simple life…a love of nature and beauty, her pride of calling
herself a housewife who created a welcoming home, where she celebrated the seasons.
A few days ago, the snow crunched beneath my clogs as I
walked on our farm, and I noticed how a few tiny gray pussy willow buds were poking
their noses out. So, I cut off several branches, brought them into my warm
house and set them in a mason jar filled with water. Slowly, the buds are sneaking
out and will soon gleam in the afternoon sunlight, reminding me of Tasha and
the advent of spring.
