We made our annual pilgrimage to Shelburne Museum yesterday. This has become a tradition that the LightChildren love. We even have a traditional exhibit that must be seen first. I’d tell you why the LightChildren are so fascinated, but first you have to click on the link to see what it is.

I got to see the temporary Georgia O’Keefe exhibit. I’ve only ever seen her more well known flowers and some of her southwestern inspired pieces with the bones in them. This exhibit really spanned her entire career. There was a timeline as well that gave clues to her life. She was fascinating. Her art was inspiring. Some of it was quite crudely done and I wondered why it was so sought after. Other pieces were breathtaking. In the morning, I’d read this bit by Christy at Dry Bones Dance and so I had echoes of thoughts about setting appropriate boundaries running in my head as I walked through this exhibit. I wondered about Georgia’s life and times. I thought about her ability to set boundaries and follow her muse despite what must have been enormous pressure to be a feminine woman, have a husband, and children. I didn’t come to any conclusions, but I think I’d like to read a biography and find out more about her.

I also got to see the Kaleidoscope Quilts exhibit. I’ll have to come clean here and say that it was the primary impetus behind my desire to go to the museum. But the LightChildren do love it and OneFriend likes museums too. I enjoyed the quilts and my conversation with the quilter (president of the state guild as she was sure to inform me) who was there to talk to visitors.

In the same building with the quilts were other displays of antique needlearts. Of particular interest to me are the samplers; needlework done by young women about LightGirl’s age to highlight the skills they had learned throughout their youth. That they were now ready to take on the larger tasks of womanhood. One sampler in particular stood out to me, the saying on it was thus: “In God We Hope.” The difference of one word and it makes all the difference.

We went on to visit the old schoolhouse, the displays of antique woodcarving (cigarstore fronts, weathervanes, ship figureheads, etc.), the blacksmith shop and the smithy. The blacksmith was calm and wonderful to speak with. He talked to the LightChildren +OneFriend about the joys and dangers of smithing. They (all four) had quite a philosophical conversation about whether or not having wealth was good or bad. It was interesting to be a bystander to that and hear the children wrestle through some of what they’ve heard us talk about.

In God we hope.