Yarrow and Me

Here is the clump of yarrow that I planted just this year. I probably won't pick all of them this year, but will wait until next year, when the plant is bigger. Years ago, when I had my fall sale the first weekend in October, I would pick this wonderful flower to dry for bouquets and wreaths. I grew lots of it in those days. It dries so well and holds it's color forever, it seems. I mixed it with dried weeds that I would find along the road. Wrapped the bouquets in a brown paper cones and tied them with jute. It seems that people would rush right to the fall arrangements and grab them up before looking at all the other handmade crafts. They paid no mind to the fact that the painted, knitted and hand sewn items took  hours to make, but these simple bouquets were just an after thought while driving in the car. One day a friend of mine saw some tall grasses between the lanes of a very busy highway. She worked with me on the sales each year and fall arrangements were her specialty. She pulled the car over to the side and hopped out and picked huge bouquets right there. I don't know if this was legal....but she was on a mission and didn't even think about that. That was before grasses became so popular. They were often growing along with cat tails in swampy areas. Well, no one had seen tall grasses like that. When the doors opened that first weekend in Oct...women rushed to be the first ones to get these tall treasures. She and I worked our fingers to the bone...making wreaths that fall. At that time, I worked at a little shop in town where we sold wreath supplies along with greeting cards etc. I made wreaths for the store and then people would bring me things to make wreaths for them...and the store got a fee for my services. I remember thinking....why am I working at this store for minimum wages...when I could do it at home and keep all the money? That was the start of my being self employed. I did art work and crafts out of my home, took my things to stores close by and sold them, and  had a sale each year. People started calling and the newspaper did a spread on my little business and I was off and running. I was so busy in those days...especially during the holidays...but fall was the busiest. Now, when I look at this little clump of yarrow, it brings me back to the day when my house would be transformed into a shop for a time. In all the years the weather cooperated...never had a rainy day. So, when the first weekend in Oct. rolls around...my heart is somewhere else...it's in my little house in Hampshire.... with some of my best friends working and playing along side me...a joyous day in the year ...with pumpkins on the front porch....warm cider in the crockpot... cookies in a basket....and from the street you could hear women laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Balisha