Sievers School of Fiber Arts

Learn, refresh and reflect

Winter: Solstice and sharing

By

The first day of winter, the shortest day and longest night.

This natural phenomenon gives us an opportunity to focus on a constant in our world and appreciate a brief moment which subtly slips by, except to remind us we’re that much closer to seeing you again in the coming year.

Now we can share a few “official winter” photos.

It’s been many years, but our former school teacher for grades 4-6, Sylvia Nelson, who also taught grades 1-8 in the Jackson Harbor School starting in the early 1930’s (now part of the Sievers Shop), shared and encouraged a love of poetry with her students, including us. We always seem to turn to Mary Oliver’s words and we’re doing so again, this time with excerpts from her poem, “Snowy Night”.

...aren’t there moments
that are better than knowing something,
and sweeter? Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness. I suppose
if this were someone else’s story
they would have insisted on knowing
whatever is knowable... 
But it’s mine, this poem of the night,
and I just stood there, listening and holding out
my hands to the soft glitter
falling through the air. I love this world,
but not for its answers.

Continuing the spirit of sharing, we include two things that have been shared with us. First the most recent blog post from the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, featuring Ann. (This was posted to our social media sites earlier this week.)

https://www.lywam.org/happy-birthday-to-the-og/

Then, this traditional Scottish folk song, “Winter Charm of Lasting Life”, which is very fitting for Sievers. This song would have been sung while newly woven wool cloth was “waulked” by women around a table. As they worked, the wet cloth would be pounded and passed from hand to hand making the wool fibers knit together to produce a tight, weather resistant fabric. Women would take turns to sing improvised verses as they worked a piece of cloth.

We wish you and yours happiness, good health, love and peace in these winter days and nights and in the year to come.

Comments

  4. Simply lovely. So pleased to read Matt’s “ Happy Birthday” to his grandmother Ann. Well deserved!
    Loved the photos, the poem, and the Scottish song.
    Thank you Carolyn

  6. Happiest of Holidays to you all, and Birthday Wishes to Ann! The waulking song is lovely!
    Thank you!

  8. Wonderful posting, Carolyn! I loved Matt’s tribute to his grandmother—very fitting. And, I also loved “Winter Charm of Lasting Life.” Mary Oliver is a favorite of mine, too (still a ‘Sievers Girl’ in my heart). All of this, combined with your beautiful photos, is a perfect welcome to winter as well as the new year–a warm and cozy ‘blanket.’ With Love to all my Sievers friends, Cindra

  11. A lovely song wishing you all a very lovely holiday and a new year filled with joy and happiness.

  12. The article about Ann and Butch was very nice. Ann has touched and enhanced many lives through the years. I for one have always enjoyed being welcomed by Ann every time I come to Sievers.
    The photos are a welcome addition to Sievers Newsletters. I enjoy the peace the photos bring.
    Thank you for including the peaceful music piece by Zambra!

  13. Loved this post. A great tribute to Ann by Matt and a wonderful Scottish folk song! Merry Christmas to you all!

    • Hi Sandy,
      Thanks for saying such nice things about the last post! It was a great birthday surprise. As it turned out, it was Matt’s turn to write a post for the museum, and noticing the day, he got the idea for what he’d write about.
      Happy New Year!
      Carolyn