Visiting Marfa

Surrounded by Marfa's embroidery, and good friends.

We visited Marfa last week, an 84-year-old master of traditional Ukrainian embroidery. She lives alone in a little house in the country outside of Starobilsk. The house is surrounded by a nice garden full of vegetables, spices and flowers. Her house is filled with her exquisite embroidery work--curtains, bedspreads, sheets and pillow cases, table clothes and runners. They are bold and colorful. She gave me a present of a beautiful runner (we're modeling it in the photo collage above). I was honored.

She was happy to have an American visit her and she regaled me and the friends who brought me, Olga, Vladymir, Elena and her daughter Rita, with lots of stories. I think I got most of what she was telling us, with a little help from Olga and Elena. She talked about love of country, family, and community, "the most important things in life." She has nine grandchildren., and almost as many great-grandchildren, and they bring her great pleasure. Money and material things don’t matter, she said, only what is real, what is authentic. Like her craft, I thought.

The best part was absorbing the wisdom and energy of this lively, talented woman, who also sang for us, Ukrainian folk tunes of course, while preparing a little feast of homemade bread with fresh tomatoes and dill from her garden. I added my favorite white wine called Franchesca (which is the easiest way for Ukrainians to say my name, because Fran is difficult), and some Florida souvenirs, including a shot glass, which she loved (and used!).

What a lovely way to spend a summer afternoon. The corn is high, the sunflowers are blooming, the wheat is golden, the sky is bright blue, and the people are wonderful. A true Ukrainian kind of day