Michigan Land Trustees
Newsletter
October, 1990
About Sally
There are people who provide light along the paths of life for each one
of us. As Henry Van Dyke wrote in his poem, Ode to Joy,* such people
appear to us as “victors in the midst of strife.” There are
people whose lives when they touch ours seem to resonate in our souls
as if “joyful music lifts us sunward.” They sing “the
triumph song of life” and teach us to sing. Sally Kaufman is such
a person for me. Of all the women whom I admire most, Sally ranks among
the top three. She is someone that I have consciously tried to model my
life after. The memory of her is one that I go back to when I need
encouragement.
Sally had the ability to care for others and care for herself. Sally
knew life abundantly; she felt its weight and climbed its heights.
Sally knew life intimately; she thrived on its feel, smells, sights,
and sounds. Sally held life in the highest regard, and yet Maynard told
us that she was able to make peace with death. Sally was a friend of
life, but for Sally death was not an enemy.
I have several images of Sally that I would like to share:
The cello that sat in the corner of her bedroom bespoke Sally’s inner calm.
The clothes Sally wore to work in the gardens were as bright and
colorful as the blossoms and fruits from her gardens which she loved so
much.
Finding Sally in midafternoon or late evening-perched on the stool at
the kitchen counter, listening deeply to classical music on the
radio-was like finding a secret oasis.
She took us on “tours” of her gardens and pointed out the
unique character of each variety of plant. As she walked, she beamed
with as if they were her children; she cared for them very much.
She organized the kitchen work that we School of Homesteaders did with
few words. She thus kept the many of us cooking, cleaning, setting
table calm by keeping her spirit of serenity.
The larder she kept was set out in abundance on her table and urged
into the hands of departing guests is evidence of her generosity.
My heart is warmed even now as I remember Sally and Maynard’s
quiet and tolerant smiles of welcome when we happened upon them as they
sat at the kitchen table catching a word together alone after a long
day.
Sally’s was a life of love in action. Her strong commitment to
life in community showed with her involvement in her children’s
schooling, the Bangor Arts Council, the way she kept in touch with
neighbors and friends through the exchange of everything from letters
to eggs.
She made us all feel like extended family. In hearing of my engagement she said, “You can have the wedding here!”
Sally encouraged us and took our aspirations seriously; she urged us to
journey on and grow more inclusive with those aspirations. Wc’d
have late night counseling sessions on everything from maintaining
healthy love relationships to how to make the perfect loaf of bread.* *
As I have reflected on Sally’s life, I have wished that it were
to Sally that I was saying all of these things. Perhaps though by
saying them now Sally’s influence upon all our lives will be
renewed and strengthed.
Best Bread Recipe in the World** (circa 1981, I’m sure Sally came up with a better one since then!)
Combine:
2 cups boiling water with 1 cup rolled oats (let stand ½ hour till oats softened)
Combine: 2 packages yeast with 1/3 cup lukewarm water (set aside)
When oats are ready, add 1 tablespoon salt, ½ cup honey and yeast
Add 4 or 5 cups whole wheat flour gradually. Knead 5 to 10 minutes in
the bowl. Oil the surface and cover-set in warm place till doubled.
Punch down and divide. Place in two greased 8” x 4” pans.
Cover and let rise till double. Coat top with watered down egg yolk and
poppy seeds.
(*All quotes from Henry Van Dyke, Ode to Joy, 1907. Charles Scribner’s and Sons Publishing.)
--Susan Rainsford
One of the things that impressed me most about Sally Kaufman was her
hands. They looked like they’d been through a lot and
that’s something I have learned to respect. It’s not that
they appeared old, it’s just that there was no hiding the fact
that Sally’s hands worked overtime. A friend once told me that
the age of the hands tells the age of the soul. So, depending on how
you feel about these things, either Sally’s hands revealed that
her soul had been through several lifetimes or had packed several lives
worth living into one lifetime. It’s all the same to me.
I’ll always remember how her hands looked; weeding the garden,
preparing a meal, helping students, and finally, resting.
--Swan Sherman—Huntoon
The Kaufmans received a number of letters from former homesteading
students prior to and after Sally’s death. Maynard has been
gracious enough to share excerpts from some:
“I haven’t written very often--I start letters and halfway
through I get so busy and lose the letter. Yet, you are always dear in
my heart and an influence in my life. I cook your recipes, fold laundry
the way you showed me, garden the way you showed-and pass on tidbits to
others I learned from you, and I always hope that someday I’ll
call you up and tell you that I’m.. .living on a farm.”
".....the happiest four months of my life were spent working and living
with you. I can never thank you enough for your teachings and
friendship. A lot has changed in our lives since then (we have a
teenager) but we always dream of being self-sufficient someday.”
“You both must have hoped that some of your students would
embrace homesteading as a way of life. You two certainly gave me the
skills and a way of thinking about things that made the move here (and
the stay here) much easier. But I do believe the most important thing
that I learned in Bangor that summer was that I could do anything I put
my mind to-a self-confidence that has enabled me to accept this life
and live it to it’s fullest. I believe that’s what Sally
did and what made her so exceptional was her ability to share, to
communicate, to help others. I will really miss her.”
“Her untimely death is a mystery. I am moved by the strength and
beauty of Sally’s and your courage, honesty and simplicity. I
have always been moved and uplifted by these qualities in both of
you-even when I was too young and inarticulate to realize it... Her
decision to die without support systems, at home without panic is, for
me, a tremendous victory. I also never acknowledged your faithfulness
and courage to stay with a dying loved one."
MLT ANNUAL MEETING: Sunday, November 4, 1990 at the Landtrust Farm.
There will be a farm tour beginning a 3:00 PM sharp. The annual meeting
will be at 3:30 and will be followed by a potluck supper at 5:00. In
addition to regular business, we will have a discussion of the exciting
pilot project that we are developing with Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for
Humanity to do a permaculture landscape design for one of their homes.
The next newsletter is forthcoming. Your thoughts, comments, and
suggestions are always welcome, as are your poems, essays, book
reviews, and personal updates.
—-Michael Phillips, editor
Sally’s Knowing Smile
Without words she spoke
Saying more with a smile than
people can say in volumes of books.
Something very soothing, refreshing,
knowing.
With a tight curled lip
and a twinkle in her eye
that showed that she knew
and somehow it made the world seem better.
All was just as it.should be.
You could see it in her smile
-—Thom Phillips