What a joyous celebration it was!

On July 5, our son, Jack, and his lovely partner, Kasia, were married at an historic manor farm near Krakow, Poland. And what a joyous celebration it was!

Jack and Kasia joined together, pledging their commitment to each other. Our two families came together as one, pledging our commitment to support both offspring. Friends and family traveled from far and wide to celebrate this union, also committing to nurture their connections to the newlyweds — and to the many bonds that were strengthened or forged over the weekend of festivities.

The actual wedding ceremony took place at three in the afternoon under Poland's bluest skies and gentlest breeze. Just over a hundred guests attended, representing 17 nationalities, including six darling babies under 18 months. As the guests gathered, a trio of talented friends played classical selections (cello, viola and violin).

Officiating were the Polish civil registrar (speaking Polish) and an English translator. Jack’s longtime friend, Bradley, and Kasia’s brother, Marcin, were the witnesses. Flower girls Hazel (age 6) and Ada (age 3) scattered fresh petals ahead of Kasia’s procession. Ring boy Norbert (age 4) performed his duties admirably. Kasia was stunning in her fairytale dress and traditional braids. Jack looked especially handsome. 

After the official business of the ceremony, the exchange of rings, and the kiss, the couple joyfully recessed to applause and showering of more petals, making their way to the terrace where they greeted guests and received their well wishes. 

At the doorway to the venue's restored 19th-century stone granary, Kasia’s parents, Agata and Michał, and Ed and I welcomed the newlyweds by presenting them with the Polish tradition of bread and salt. The bread representing abundance and the hope that the couple will never experience hunger. The salt symbolizing the challenges and hardships they may encounter, and the need to cope with them. Together, the four of us gave them our blessings with love. 

A beautiful dinner was served in the upstairs hall followed by a few heartfelt speeches. Then, downstairs, the music began, first with Jack serenading Kasia with Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” followed by the Polish song: “Umówiłem się znów na dziewiątą” (“I made a date with her at nine”) with a rousing chorus by all the Polish guests.

Dancing began at 6 p.m. and lasted ‘till the sun came up on Sunday morning. A second dinner was served, then rose jelly-filled donuts (pączki) instead of cake, and a BBQ late in the night. (There may have been other food, but sometime after midnight Ed and I turned in for the night in the manor house, leaving all the grandkids and most of the guests still dancing!)

The celebration continued the next morning and all through the afternoon/evening. Breakfast was offered on the sunporch of the manor house, followed by midmorning/early afternoon snacks, then a late afternoon meal (prepared by friends of Agata). Food must be their love language, for it was offered in abundance! 

I’m not entirely sure what made this wedding so magical. Perhaps all the thoughtful details? The venue? The food? Or the perfect weather? The graciousness of Jack and Kasia and Kasia’s immediate and extended family? The camaraderie of the guests? I suspect it was all these things, magnified by the love eminating from, and surrounding, Jack and Kasia.

It is Ed's and my wish that Jack and Kasia live in harmony, with their love strengthened by patience, respect and joy. Kasia and Jack: we love you both dearly. 

_______________________

To give you some sense of the joy that abounded...

Ring Boy Norbert,  Flower Girls Roscoe (honorary) and Hazel

With nieces Molly and Katie

Newlyweds greeting cousins Glenda and Nathan

Entertainment for all.

With my girls

Maggie with Ring Boy Norbert

Before dinner with Cousin Nathan

Katie, before meal #1

Meal #2

                Pączki: Rose jelly-filled donuts, instead of wedding cake

The Louisville Collegiate School contingent: 
Dan, Bradley, Glenda (6th grade English teacher), Brandon, Carl, Maggie and Mary. 
Missing from photo: Exchange student Max

Dancing in her pjs well after midnight

Dancing 'till dawn

Sunday morning

Kasia's dad, Michał, manning the Sunday BBQ

The newlyweds, sending love from Paris

Backroads, Backtracking and BBQ

A couple of times a year Ed suggests we take a roadtrip; usually he has a proposed itinerary already mapped out. That was the case last week when he proposed a trip to Henderson and Paducah, KY with a loop through southern Illinois and a stop (of course) in his hometown of Owensboro. 

View from the top of Devil's Standtable, Giant City State Park

We left last Friday and returned just before dark on Tuesday night. We covered a lot of territory in five days, but never felt rushed as we made our way along the backroads, (often backtracking due to flooded roads!).


Crossing the Ohio into Illinois

Here’s a quick rundown of our adventures: First stop: Bard Distillery, located in the old high school in Graham, Muhlenberg County, KY. 

Bard Distillery, located in the historic coal-mining town of Graham, KY

Lunch at Homer’s BBQ in downtown Henderson, then on to Robards for a delightful stay/dinner at Farmer and the Frenchman Winery. 

We stayed in one of the three cabins, just next to the vineyard.

Next up: a stop at Newsom’s Market in Princeton, KY to sample and purchase their award-winning ham.

We loaded up with country ham, prosciutto ham and ham hocks. 

Then it was on to Paducah with dinner at Freight House, under the proprietorship of Sara Bradley, this year’s James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef. 

Sunday morning we attended service at First Presbyterian Church before crossing a swollen Ohio River to make our way to our two-night cabin stay at Giant City State Park in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. 

Warmly welcomed into the Palm Sunday service at First Presbyterian

We hiked, enjoyed meals at the park’s beautiful lodge and had plenty of time for reading and birdwatching. 

The Lodge at Giant City was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. 

Our cabin was just down the ramp from a sci-fi looking water tower.

On our way home on Tuesday morning, we stopped at the Garden of Gods for a hike among the incredible sandstone rock formations. 

Stunning panoramic views from The Observation Trail

Then we spent two hours trying to find a route back into Kentucky. Every route we tried ended at a flooded closed road. Eventually, we backtracked to the town of Harrisburg where a local resident gave us driving instructions for crossing the Ohio at Shawneetown. 

Water. Water. Everywhere.

We stopped briefly in Owensboro to stock up on Old Hickory BBQ and Reid’s Orchard’s apple cider. And, of course, we couldn’t pass New Albany without stopping in for hugs with Hazel and Norbert and dropping off some mutton and mac and cheese.


Then home, to breathe in the sweet scent of blooming viburnum. 

It was a good trip, and it was good to be home. 

Playing with Sticks

Five, six, pick up sticks;

Seven, eight, lay them straight;

— Early English nursery rhyme

Life out in the sticks these late winter days often finds me playing with sticks. I gather them up and find other uses for them; it’s the ultimate in recycling. It’s a way for me to branch out and learn new skills.

Stick project #1:  Creating a dead hedge.  It all started a couple of months ago when I was "tidying" up my Girl Cave and tossing fallen branches to the far edge of it. The sticks started piling up and before I knew it, I had a certifiable dead hedge and I rather like it. 

I'm hoping that all sorts of critters, from beetles to snails, native bees, toads, lizards, field mice, rabbits, snakes, and nesting birds, will find it a happy and safe place to hang out. 

Eventually, it will decompose and enrich the soil, but I'm planning to add to it whenever I find a fallen branch -- making it an ongoing effort to ever-so-slightly slow climate change via carbon sequestration. Bonus: creating an inviting habitat for all creatures, great and small, of Farm Dover.

Stick project #2:  The spring spruce up of our teepee. 

The vertical poles still stand from 2024 and will hopefully last another year; all I had to do was add new horizontal connections. I fastened long branches from our pussy willow to the vertical poles with bits of string.

Next month, I'll recruit Hazel and Norbert to help me plant the base with sunflowers, sweet peas, cucumbers, pumpkins and grape hyacinths. It's always a well-loved destination for some of my favorite people. 

Stick project #3: Hurdle fence. Later this month, I'll plant one of the raised beds in front of the cottage with peas and fava beans, but they will need protecting from some overzealous rabbits. I've added to last year’s woven hurdle fence around the bed. I'm hoping it will make it just that much harder for the bunnies to leap into the bed and feast on sprouts. Fingers crossed.

And finally, Stick project #4: Cloches.  This week, I will cut some more willow sticks to create a cloche to protect the soon-to-be-planted radishes. Here's one I fashioned last year.

Gleaning. Piling. Connecting. Weaving; all part of my stick life here. It's nice to have these projects while waiting for spring to arrive. It feels good to be out in my own little world, a break from the worry of our nation and planet’s future.. Playing with sticks: Won’t you come out on a limb and join me?

 

To Roscoe, with Love

Nothing pleases me more than when my grown children (and their partners) love on their nieces and nephew. Perhaps they see it as a way to stay connected because they live so far from each other. Perhaps they see it as a chance to nurture a tiny human with a shared DNA. Or perhaps they are just lovely, thoughtful people who are generous with their time and talents. 

Their love can take the shape of Saturday morning FaceTime call, a hand-sewn butterfly cape; a mud kitchen hammered together from two pallets, a hand-painted "red plate/journal” to mark milestones; a canvas bag full of heirloom toys and puzzles passed down from cousin to cousin; 

or, in this case, an illustrated book....

New York Baby Roscoe turned one on January 14th and her Uncle Jack, Aunt Kasia, Cousins Hazel and Norbert and I (her Bee) collaborated to make her a very special gift: a book that shows all the fun things she can do when she comes to Kentucky to visit Farm Dover. It was a hit!

_____________

Here's a peek at the illustrations, drawn by Roscoe's Uncle Jack and colored by her Aunt Kasia;

story by cousins Norbert and Hazel (as told to Bee). 

Farm Dover: A Good Place to Be

Hi, Roscoe! We've been waiting and waiting 
for you to come to Farm Dover.

Hold our hands and we'll head down to Bee's Garden. 
See any red raspberries?

Then we'll run 'round to our Mud Kitchen.

What should we cook? 

Let's cool off in the back porch pool. 

Do you want to blow some bubbles?

Then we can pick some wild blackberries. How many can you pick?
Watch out for thorns!

Race down the hill to the teepee.
See any cucumbers to pick for a snack?

Then follow us over the creek to visit the Faerie Village.
Does it look like the faeries had a party?

Hold on tight. Don't drive the Polaris into the weeds!

And just before bedtime, snuggle up for a story.
Which book should Deed read?

Farm Dover: a very good place to be!

___________________

Roscoe's book is one in a series of hand-illustrated books, made with love, for each little one. Each was printed as a board book by Artifact Uprising. 

Hazel's book traces the myrid of critters that show up in her backyard.

And Norbert's teaches him to count all his favorite things at Farm Dover. 

And now, Roscoe can look forward to Kentucky visits where she and her cousins can gather garden goodies, make pretend sumac soup, blow bubbles on the back porch, pick wild blackberries or cucumbers growing up a teepee, visit the Faerie Village, drive the Polaris, and snuggle up for a bedtime story. 

So, Roscoe, come to Farm Dover soon. We've been waiting and waiting...

Happy 1st Birthday. You are so loved.