Tuesday, March 14, 2006

you are invited



On April 9th, The Farmers Wife will be celebrating it's one-year anniversary.

It's hard to believe that the effort has continued this long. Winter presented great difficulties. Long stretches of greyness don't tend to stimulate the creative juices. And then, the hoarfrost arrives and the world becomes a magical fairyland...briefly, then back to greyness.

There are periods when everything seems to flow, and times when producing a photo is drudgery. Like keeping a Journal, the daily blog work its way into your routine. It requires discipline, especially those times when you feel no one is watching or reading. Others are featured in the New York Times or the Chicago Tribune, but you plod along, contented to be the little, unknown blog on the prairie.

But of course, a blurb in a major newspaper is not why you make the effort. You make the effort because you love the countryside, the fields and crumbling barns. And you want others to understand the beauty around you.

Recently I met a local woman who lives on Sauber Road. When I mentioned that I'd been there many times to take photographs, she said, "I never thought of Sauber Road as a destination!" Yes, it is. Any little corner of the world is a destination, if you take the time to stop, be still and look with different eyes.

I invite you all, loyal readers, lurkers, and those finding this site while Googling for "sows", to join in the celebration. If you've got a little time to spare, cruise through the archives and find a photo and text that would qualify as your favorite.

Send me an e-mail before April 5th and let me know what you've chosen with a few words telling me why. I'll share the results starting on April 9. In the subject line put the words "Farmers Wife Favorite", so that I don't delete the e-mail thinking it's someone trying to sell me Viagra.

I'd offer everyone a jar of Corn Cob Jelly as a thank you, but it seems the kids have eaten it all up.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The barn! I'm off in search of the barn posts! I love your web journal, Farmer's Wife. It's a lovely place to visit. I'll find the post and get back to you.

Suzanne said...

Woo Hoo....go Vicki!

Farmer said...

Since we stated up bloging just about the same time, and I from the day one called myself "Farmer" (My old nick-name from high-school)in my blog, it will be a kind of an atlantic-crossing family-meeting april 9th.
Denmark to Illinois. I wonder how many hours it takes in the real life.
By bloging a split-second.
Thank you for good stories and nice pictures.
It will be hard to find my favorite one.

Tim Rice said...

So you make corn cob jelly? My Mom used to make it when I was a kid. Good stuff.

Give me some time. I'll come back with a favorite picture; but it'll be difficult as you do so many good ones. :)

Anonymous said...

seriously -- I don't think I can pick a favorite -- I love them all! Congratualtions on your first year, and the discipline that it took to make it happen. I keep trying to post every day -- but do not have quite the stick-to-it-iveness that you do! You are an inspiration!

srp said...

I know which one I liked the best, it was the one with the girl and her jet black steer. No it was the Christmas card snowfall. No it was the fog on the prairie. No it was the wonderful lady with her hands full of character and those rings. Oh, no, I don't know what to pick. Must get busy reviewing.

Rachel said...

Are you kidding?? Your photos are all so good. Picking just one favorite will be soooooo hard to do, but I'll try.