Paula B. Puckett

January 18, 2020 · 4:48 pm

(Whew!) 2019

All I think I want to say about 2019 is that I learned a lot about myself as well as Other People.

I am like a perennial in E(xperimental) garden. That means, I might’ve looked dormant for a time with no apparent growth, especially since I went through 2019 without posting anything on this page.

Look for me just to one side of where I was planted in the garden before, because sometimes, we Perennials shift ever so slightly and become more than what we were. I’m not in the same place I was this time last year either, creatively speaking.

I learned and I grew.

That’s it.

Let’s get busy making stuff, shall we?

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January 6, 2019 · 2:41 pm

Winterwriting

Egarden looks quiet and peaceful, doesn’t it?

Or does it appear to be a random collection of sticks and stems, weedy looking patches of undergrowth and dreary, dead leaves?

I think it depends on what you might be looking for in comparison to what might be there. You might wonder, but if it doesn’t show itself right away, you could worry that it might be long gone. Wait. And then, wait some more. It’s there.

Since some things won’t be growing in these cooler winter months, I decided to try my hand at sprouting a plant from an avocado seed. That’s not as easy as it sounds, because when I plant something out in eGarden during the summer months, I am able to measure the growth I see fairly soon.

As I read information about sprouting a plant from an avocado seed, the chances of successful germination might make even the most avid gardener shudder–I mean, seriously? It could take a long time for that seed to germinate, if it did so at all, and even then, there would be no guarantee that there would be anything to harvest. Why. Even. Try. Right? Who has that kind of time to spend on something that’s not a “sure fire thing?”

I do. I did. Because I’m curious about a great many things. I have a desire to try things new, and old, despite what my Mama would’ve called a “stubborn streak” that most likely encircles my entire body by now. I rather think of it as persistence.

And so I began. I decided to try three plants, rationalizing that surely at least ONE of them would do SOMEthing. The first one (A1) appeared to come forth rather quickly and I’m happy to report that it is now working toward its’ own personal growth spurt and is over two feet tall. (Not pictured here.)

But these other two have been in my window for a very long time. There was about a two month wait between the sprouting of Plant One (A1) and the small plant you see here (A2) and still, from the other (A3) there was nothing for a very long time.

Until today. If you look very closely, you will see the beginnings of roots forming underneath the seed. Soon there will be a growth that will sprout from the top of the seed itself and a stem will begin to form. Then it will become what it is meant to be. It takes time.

I share all that to say this: I know the writing/artistic projects that I am working on will come forth and grow into something WHEN IT IS THEIR TIME, and until then, I continue to work at something I love, nurture and develop my own creative spirit, and encourage other creatives I know. It is Time Well Spent.

Happy Creating to you, today and every day.

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Filed under Creative Living, DIY, Inspiration, Life on the Farm, Outdoor living, Writing

December 13, 2018 · 10:00 am

HeartMade HeartFelt

The countdown for Christmas has begun. With less than two weeks to go, if you’re(I’m) not diligent, you(I) might find yourself(myself) Way Over Spending.

Money can mean different things to many different people and it IS important, I know, but it has taken me a long time to figure out how to spend the money and balance that with what I think a loved one wants or needs with what they actually DO want or need. Therein is my dilemma. What DO they want for Christmas?

I have no sure remedy for how to answer that for others and while my answers have come to work for me, they might not work for anyone else.

Here are two of our Christmas Stockings (crocheted by me) and hanging by our fireplace this year. While they will be functional and I hope decorative, they represent memories of time spent with Grandmothers who instilled in me the love of craftsmanship and appreciation of things handmade as a young child.

And here is a photo of a decoration I placed in EGarden for the birds. Egarden may look like it is resting for the winter, but the memories of enjoying time spent there remains and I know the garden waits for me to return.

Making and sharing memories or experiences with people you love so that when they do those things they think of you and are happy? That’s it! That’s what I want.

And I hope you find whatever it might be that you want for this holiday season, too.

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Tagged as Christmas crafts, DIY, Nature

November 1, 2018 · 11:13 am

Simple Gifts

“Simple Gifts” is a Shaker song written and composed by Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848. The song has been adapted and rearranged many times by musicians since then. I find it wonderfully haunting and lyrical, and felt as though I wanted to learn to play it on my dulcimer. My version is played “by ear” and adapted to my own style of strumming. Here are the lyrics (to verse one):

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free

‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,

To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.

Research shows me that the references to “turning” in the last lines are identified as dance motions for traditional participants, and by the time the music has ended, everyone would’ve ended up back in the place they once started. There are other verses, too. You might want to check out this lovely song on your own.

Farmer’s Market Season is over for the year, so I’m able to get a lot of work done around the house. I spent time in Egarden this past weekend, cleaning out overgrown weeds and saving flower heads for seeds for next year. And a recent wind storm gave me a BUNCH of sticks in the grassy area between the house and the alpaca pasture. I’ve collected them to use in the fireplace soon, but for now, am also making some of these. They will be used for flower vases or other decorations.

I spent time cleaning out around a fig bush, from which I harvested figs for making jelly. But I also cut out and saved…..kudzu vines! I’ll let them dry out, then soak again to weave into baskets or wreathes.

Simple gifts from nature. Seems like so little, but really, they have the potential to be so much more.

Happy Creating!

Review, ReDo, Repeat…!

I look for one thing and find another.

It happens a lot.

I went looking for a sheet of drawing paper to make labels for the homemade jellies this time. It’s that part of the summer–when the fruit has come in and I have more than I can handle. I process what I can, and freeze the rest for later.

So I have a lot of jars of blackberry jellies and fig preserves, along with several sketchbooks full of notes, drawings, and ideas.

I went through information collected from years of writing conferences and self-assigned drawing projects. I looked through sketches, read through notes I’d made and tips for the writer/illustrators.

Maybe it was a lot for me to handle right at the moment when I collected those ideas. Maybe I had more than I knew what to do with at the time. And maybe, just as with the fruit, I decided to use what I needed, and save the rest for later.

I think I’m ready now…to use what I learned by drawing out illustrations from published children’s books, and then to get to work on the ideas I have of my own.

I’ll be busy. There are a lot of things on my TO BE DONE list.

Happy Creating!

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Filed under Creative Living, Inspiration, Just for Kids!, Writing

July 23, 2018 · 5:36 pm

Fruits…no…The Vegetables of Labor

Although it’s been several months since I’ve posted anything on the blog, it’s not because things haven’t been busy out here on the Farm. AND I’ve heard it said that if you can’t be busy doing something, try to do something that’s worth writing about.

I’ve been doing both.

Egarden has produced a lot of Lemon Balm, Chocolate Mint and other herbs. I’ve spent an awful lot of time researching those herbs, learning how to process and dry them, and making teas.

Springtime came and went and the alpaca received their yearly haircuts. That means I have fiber. LOTS of fiber! I don’t know how I’m ever going to catch up if I try to process all that fiber on my own, so I’m considering sending it to a fiber mill and having it turned into yarn for future projects. I’ll still have plenty to spin and some to sell.

And the first of the garden produce has been coming in. We gathered blueberries and blackberries and made jelly, too.

The way I see it is this….Every day, I will look for balance in the things I’m trying to do, whether it’s creating words or images on a page, making music, growing or preparing food.

AND when I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished, I will remain thankful for those things that I AM able to accomplish. Whatever doesn’t get done may be there tomorrow. Or not. And either way–it will have been a good day.

Happy Creating!

I’m @ Work

You could call me on the House Phone and you’d have a slim chance that I’d actually pick up. Oh, it would be me on the answering machine all right, but I’d say something like, “Please call me on the cell or leave a message. Thanks.”

I’m not trying to be a smarty-pants.

I’m @ Work.

Even though my work space is out in the barn, or at the kitchen table, or on a trail, or in what will someday-be-the-garden-again, I try to set aside uninterrupted time to get creative work accomplished.

And I know how easily I can be distracted, and I know I like to do so many things. I still haven’t completed writing that resume, but made a postcard instead, because I’m attending a writing/illustrating conference soon. I need to have a promotional material. My bio and contact information are on the back.

And here are a few photos that didn’t make it to the final “cut” to be on the card. But I wanted to include them here, as part of an online portfolio.

Leave a message if you’d like. And I’ll get back to you.
For now though, I’m @ Work.

Happy Creating!

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Tagged as DIY, Out on the Farm, Writing

February 8, 2018 · 11:48 am

Finding a Niche or Writing a Resume

I update my resume every once in a while, but this time, I’m having a really hard time narrowing down WHAT I do and HOW MUCH experience I’ve had in doing it.

I need help.

For one thing, I don’t want to put anything in there along the lines of, “has been doing this since _______ (fill in the blank with a year) because I’m thinking it sets a date that might be older than the person reading it. I don’t want to offend anyone, especially if I’m trying to get freelancing work out of it. Neither do I want to put in anything that might allude to my age as “being older than dirt.”

I know, I know….there are circumstances which are designed to protect a person from AGE DISCRIMINATION, but I really don’t want to take any chances.

So I’ll go for factual information, with a twist of humor thrown in. One of my last bios reads along the lines of “has experience in Traditional Handcrafting skills which enables her to travel undetected between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries.” I’m hopeful that should cover for me for at least 200 years.

If you’ve been taking the time to read this blog, and maybe any of this information has meant something or could be considered useful as I revise the resume, I sure would appreciate hearing about it in the comments section below. Thanks.

I’ll see you along the Creative Journey.

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Filed under Creative Living, DIY, Handmade, Inspiration, Writing

January 10, 2018 · 4:53 pm

Reference? or Recreation?

My family tells me that I’m a hard person to buy gifts for, because: 1) I like to do so many things, and 2) I end up ordering the book or getting supplies as needed when I need them, or 3) by the time a gift giving occasion has come along, I’ve moved along to a new idea or project.

I don’t MEAN to make things difficult. Really.

It’s just that one idea will give momentum to try this or that, and that leads here, and then I’m off to do something over there. Right after that. Oh wait, look over…yonder. That looks like fun, too.

Since it’s now the beginning of a New Year, a lot of people are making resolutions. My main problem with making a list of Things I Plan to Accomplish is that I know in my Heart Of Hearts that I’m gonna lose that list somewhere in my stash of art supplies or loose leaf notebook paper. Then I’ll feel bad about that and it makes my creative impulses slow down.

Not this time.

Because I’ve decided to focus on doing Creative Things EVERY DAY and leave myself a reminder of what I’ve done. Starting with these few books I bought for myself after receiving lovely gift cards from family members.

AND you can call it Research. Or you can call it Recreation.

But I’m getting a lot of new ideas for writing AND making art.

Really.

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Tagged as Creative living, DIY, reading, Writing

December 5, 2017 · 4:26 pm

Handcrafted

We have alpaca. Alpaca give fiber. LOTS AND LOTS of fiber.

Our animals get their haircuts, or are sheared, in the spring. Each animal provides almost four pounds of fleece and yes, I know what to do with it. Ill spin it into yarns and then make a variety of items.

Here are a couple of shawlettes that were handwoven on a triangular loom. The natural colors of alpaca are neutral colors–white, beige, light brown, dark brown, gray, black–these are how alpaca appear in nature. Anything else is the result of my playing around with dyes and blending other fibers in with the alpaca fiber. I love to play with colors! OR I might take a commercially spun yarn and ply it in with the natural alpaca yarn to achieve a unique yarn in that way. Sounds like work, but it’s the FUN kind of work!

Hats are fun to knit or crochet (these are knit) and here are a few samples. All of the colors are neutral/natural colors and the hats are VERY warm. Some of these are sold at market, given as gifts by me, or given by friends to friends.