We enjoyed our 50th high school
class reunion yesterday. Back then we still had shop classes in high school. Those are sadly gone now. In our metal shop classes most of the guys did various recommended projects. I made
art. And it somehow infected me all these years later. I still make
art for placing around the farm. When I was younger, I was obsessed with work. But only seven days a week, dawn till dark and then a couple hours after dark. Fortunately, I learned its better for soul and family and wife to make more time for other things in life. For me, one of those things is art.
If you take the time to make piles of stones, or stone circles, or do some stained glass, or disassemble some "dead" farm equipment and then stick some of the parts back together with welds or rivets, or make wind chimes from colored glass or metal scraps, or paint murals on buildings, you can create interesting little discoveries for people when they come visit. And you may find a side of yourself you didn't know you had. And the sounds it makes is so nice. And the colors. And movement. ....And it's just plain nice to do some things of the heart instead of always from the head or back.
Plus, it's a great lesson for the kids. We homeschool, and my second crop of children watch me weld and create things and they really want to do projects themselves. So they make art themselves (sorta like I did in the long gone shop classes). They make fiber baskets, and wind chimes, and arrange flowers, and are forever collecting stones, and constantly walk off with my tools to use to make their own things. I don't just teach them to weld the baler, they make the heart stuff also. And the farm and they are the better for it.
--P.S. We are looking for people to join us here. As farm mates, or partners, or short term sojourners, or
wwoof'ers, etc. We have the farm with lots of animals and many gardens, a 19th Cent. museum with 41 buildings we moved arranged as a village, and we run a heritage skills school with lots of classes in
soap making, cheese making, fiber arts, herb use, blacksmithing, and etc., ....and art. We love visitors. Send a PM, let's talk. We especially are looking for individuals or families with young children (Ours are 9, 6, 4, 1 1/2). See my profile for more info. --Make some art. It may last a whole lot longer than that
fence you just simply must get done today.
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