Fall Y'all 10/25/24
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Fall Y’all
Happy Friday y’all!
Fall has been beautiful thus far as we narrowly averted an early freeze and have maintained enough of our dahlias to feed the monarchs, swallowtails, bumble and honeybees. Every time I frantically run from one overdue project to the next and a monarch floats past my head, I feel my whole body unclench a bit and find a smile drift onto my face. Their numbers did diminish significantly after 2 nights at 33 degrees, but enough stayed to maintain the magic.
I didn’t write last week, because we had friends in town Thursday-Monday and they’re the kind of friends that keep your belly full of laughter and your cup full of libations. Some of our oldest, funnest, and easiest friends, so we find ourselves acting as though we are twenty something instead of forty something and it sure was a refreshing change from the heaviest of summers. Mandy and I got to laugh a lot and dance for hours, surrounded by amazing people. So good.
Dahlia season is trickling its way out. We have a limited amount still in the store, but the big harvests and the shipped dahlia season is done. What’s left in the fields is feeding winged creatures and undergoing its process of creating seeds and returning energy to the roots to create tubers.
Mum season is on the brink. Our gratitude bouquets for those celebrating Thanksgiving or Native American Heritage Day are on pre-sale now! We’ve sold out in years past, so get yours reserved now. These bouquets are big and stunning and unless starved of water will last 2-3 weeks, so we’ll be shipping them the week before, giving you ample time to decorate with them in advance. A lot of people take the many flowers from one bouquet and spread them out into multiple vases and some who feel extra playful will even add items like greenery, grasses, or even branches and berries from their own gardens. Some families make a day of it and all go out for a playful walk to collect items for their arrangements. Our family gets a cup of something warm every year and gets festive and collects all sorts of odds and ends from the yard and the woods to decorate our tables and entryway along with our colorful mums. It’s always a delightful excursion and Mandy always leads the way and steals the show and makes whatever home we are at stunning in ways we couldn’t have imagined, but we have a great time emulating her and finding our own creative juices. It's become one of our funnest traditions.
Of note, one of the best and most positively influential people to have ever lived in Athens is turning 70 this weekend. Rebecca Wood of R. Wood Studio who has created a long lasting business out of gorgeous handmade pottery and hired and mentored successive generations of artists. Many of the artists, photographers, musicians, and business owners I admire in this area got their start and learned from Rebecca. Mandy included. She fostered Mandy’s creativity and allowed her to work seasonally, so she could pursue her passion of farming on the side. A one of a kind human with a kind heart, a passion for creativity and beauty, and the best hugger in all the land. Go visit R. Wood Studio this Saturday from 10am-4pm to find some wonderful pottery and support the amazing woman who has supported the arts and small businesses of Athens for decades in more ways than can be counted. There will be sales, flower portraits, crafts, giveaways and cake!
I gotta go, cause we’re gonna early vote and then throw a pumpkin carving party for our staff today, but I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Steve
