Ron and Peggy Roloff

On Friday Titus came by the house for Bud, Ron and me. We stopped by the farm to check the gardens where I transplanted a few veggies and Ron brought water from the pond. Great fish emulsion! Bud and Ron will be working this Thursday on getting pipe from the well to the garden area.

The forest was thick in this area so with lots of back breaking work (two young men from the states came for two weeks to work) Bud, Titus and  Ron have cleared quite a bit around banana and coco trees.

Jungle around girls house

Ron helped making the concrete block planter boxes and they all have shoveled tons of good debris from a ditch that runs with water two weeks at a time during this season. The rotted leaves are rich in nutrients. I helped rake some and picked out rock and branches that had been tossed in. It will be a lovely garden of food for the large family.
The young girls have the responsibility now for watering each morning.. they use a plastic watering can so when the water source gets out to the gardens it will be an easier task, however, the fishy pond water has more nutrients. Fertilizer to be blunt.
Titus carried me (excuse my southern roots!) over to his house which is about 1 mile from the farm. There Neewah’s mother from the Karen Tribe on the Burma border was winding a shuttle for Neewah’s weaving. I am amazed at the beautiful albeit primitive method of making these lovely bags/purses.
Turns out the ‘thread’ we bought yesterday is the weaving ‘yarn’. The fineness of the fabric she is creating is above all. With a stick for the shuttle and some sticks fastened to the bamboo wall and held taught with twine attached to a thick strap around her back, Neewah leans back as she throws the shuttle and packs down the new layer of thread. I’m attaching a photo as it’s hard to believe.

Newah's Mom from Karen Tribe

I’m a weaver but used wool from our flock in Grass Valley so I could make a throw or blanket more easily and quicker. This fascinates me. Titus is sitting on the edge of the bamboo platform that Titus says is the ‘living room’. It is raised off the ground about 2 ½ ft. and I sit on the edge too. Neewah and her mom are sitting cross legged in the middle doing their work. Boy, I’m not that flexible. (or tiny)
I take over from Titus as I want to do something and using the swift is something I can handle. It is made of sticks with the central one run through a one inch by 2 ft. pvc pipe. It rests on two nails on the left and two on the right. It’s pretty simple but it works. You’ll have to look up swift as I can’t explain it well enough. I begin to wind from two separate skeins to one ball. I remember doing this with my mom in the ‘olden’ days.
After an hour or maybe less I finally have a nice large ball that Neewah’s mom can use to wind shuttles or Neewah can use to warp her loom. This is so fun and educational. This must be the way the ancients did it… without the pvc pipe!!

Newah finishing bag

Neewah has finished one purse since getting home the day before. It is deep rich purple with little flowers along the edges. Neewah presents it to me. A gift. ‘carry your Bible’. How sweet is that? I am touched and so appreciative.

Hand woven Karen Tribe Bag

I have asked her if she can make more so I can bring them to people back home in the states for people to buy. She is very obliging to say she and her mother will work for the next 6 weeks and have some ready for us to take home. We can buy them and you can pay us when we are back. It’s a good way to help the women earn some wages. If any of you would like an authentic Karen Tribe bag just let me know. We may have time to order particular colors and wish I’d known that was what I was supposed to choose yesterday.
This is wonderful. I know that Ruthie wants some for gifts and she can only make so many so be sure to let me know.
Chalina has been wanting to go to Mexican food in Chiang Mai since we got here so tonight we’ll take the yellow songtao and enjoy an authentic American meal… Chalina is half native American. One fourth Crow and one fourth Cheyenne, one fourth black and one fourth Mexican so we’re off for an ethnic adventure.
Another fulfilling day. I loved spending time with my new Karen friends. The mom and I are the same age and she smiles and seems to understand my prattling. Thankfully Neewah understands and speaks some English so is a good interpreter. I’ll include a photo of us together.
God bless you all… Peggy and Ron

Filed under: Uncategorized on November 17th, 2009