Winter Bouquet

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.