An addition to our family

Gosh, it's been way too long that we've posted. Freedonia Garden Works in demand- thank the gods!- and Rowan keeps us busy, as always.

Robert, Rowan and I are excited (and thankful) for our new family member. Meet Almeta. A student at Georgia State University, Almeta, has worked with organic farmers by way of Nova Scotia, Canada and footed around Vermont via the fabulously original and creative Bread and Puppet Theatre. Our mutual friend, and public relations guru, Deisha Oliver, recommended the lovely Almeta to us. And, boy, are we glad, it's a perfect match. I love her positive spirit and willingness to learn and help. We know you'll love her too because, she's just a Freedonia kind of girl. This picture was taken while Almeta was working on the Cob house at the Oakhurst Community Garden. Listen closely and you'll get to know her in her own voice…

-Sloane

"My hands are the roots of gnarled mortar flung lazily upon the canvas. cleaner! faster! better! Sharp edges of tile. My toes are golden and sparkly. I gaze approvingly at my toes.... and cry More Wine!"

There is a certain special kind of people that appreciate, live, and promote the handcrafted lifestyle. There is a certain comfort to working with Robert and Sloane, a goodness to starting the day early and working with a diligence and precision that only handcrafted tasks demand. There is a certain throwback to earlier times, the simplicity of a homemade meal, a certain European timelessness to the artist’s lifestyle. This is a natural fit for me as I’ve grown and realized how my own life aesthetic is a part of a whole movement that is putting down roots and breaking ground to support living our lives (especially as consumers) in a slower, more conscious way. A belief that luckily has leads me directly to the hearth and home base of Freedonia Garden Works. It’s been a synchronistic meeting of the minds of slow design, organic shapes and aesthetics, eco-artistry, post-circus puppeteers, underground art avengers, and sustainable-minded family folks. This opportunity is a perfect complement to my design studies (3-dimensional sculptural design) at Georgia State University. As I am primarily interested in blending the aesthetics of environmentalism, craftsmanship, and functionality, and I’m excited to receive hands on experience exploring the boundaries of creating conscious space. While encouraging myself and the community around me to slow down and treasure the homegrown tomato, the smell of fresh herbs, and the people we share these experiences with.

-Almeta Carol Tulloss