Leaving the house I’ve lived in for 25 years is sad and difficult.  I’m finding, though, that letting things go can be a relief and an unburdening.

First to leave was my Ashford spinning wheel.

I bought this wheel when my kids were still young, and I assembled it myself.  We had seven sheep at the time.  Even though they were meat sheep whose wool staple was short, I spun the wool anyway.  I loved the rhythm of the treadle, the whir of the wheel and the smell and feel of lanolin on my hands.  Spinning is a meditative activity, allowing the hands to work while the mind wanders.

These days, my hands are making quilts, and have been doing that for some years, so it was goodbye to the spinning wheel.

Next to leave was the dulcimer.

This beautiful instrument was a gift, but I never came close to learning to play it well.  To be an accomplished musician, one has to be slightly obsessed with learning the instrument.  As a girl and teenager, I was obsessed with the guitar, at least enough to sing with my students.  As a working mother, I didn’t have the focus or time.

I sent off these lovely creations of wood to their new owners with blessings for their pleasure.