Most people have heard of Tasha Tudor, the famous children's book writer and illustrator. Her books include Pumpkin Moonshine and a Corgiville Christmas, among others.
I have a few books written about her-the ones where Richard Brown took the photographs. They are The Private World of Tasha Tudor and Tasha Tudor's Garden. These are always what I go to when I'm having a "technology fast" as I like to call it. These books have lots of photographs of her house and gardens, which never fail to inspire me!
Tasha was born and raised in a prominent Boston family, but eventually settled in Vermont. One of her sons, Seth, built her a house that looked like it was from the 1740's, copied from a friend's house in New Hampshire.
She purposely made her and her children's world an old fashioned world where children could still be children! She made a beautiful life for herself and them, and she even wore the clothes of a woman from the 1830's. Not just sometimes or around the house, but ALL the time.
She kept Nubian goats and used the milk. She churned her own butter. She spun flax and made her own clothes. She had her beloved Corgi dogs, a bird or two, goats, cats and other animals.
Tahsa loved doing simple things. Drawing, illustrating, and sketching her kids while they were down at the river playing. Puppet shows for the kids and the neighbor kids. Making dolls. Even going so far as making a real catalog where her kids could order doll clothes and they would arrive in the mail!
She made celebrations and holidays important yet simple. I love that she would go cut down a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, then decorate it with lit candles and then show the children when it was all done. (although, those of you who know me know that I could never wait that long to get a tree-I'd like one up all year please!)
She loved animals, her beautiful gardens, children and her farmhouse. She is such an example to the way I want to live: simple yet so purposeful. (Oh, and I wouldn't mind the house in farmhouse in Vermont either!) Now, that being said, I don't think I'm ever going to live like that, but I do like the idea of making life more simple, letting children be children, and celebrating life.
I also have two dvds about her, that are comforting and peaceful to watch, Take Joy, and Take Peace (her Christmas one). Surprisingly, I like Take Joy better than her Christmas one.
Tasha just died in 2008, at the age of 92. Although her life was no where near perfect, she lived a simple life and an intentional life, one that she was passionate about, and that's what I love most about her.
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I had never heard of her before Amy. I did look her up on the internet though and was intrigued by the way she lived her life. Thanks for sharing her story.
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