Our weather has been mild this week. Wednesday it was in the 50s and sunny, so we headed to the woods to meet my parents for a hike. It felt so good to be out in the huge trees and wilderness. My dad brings his knives for the boys to use to carve fallen logs and sticks. Eli found a neat rock that Grammy and Alex helped him to identify. The last 20 minutes or so the boys played "forest tag," racing through the woods. My parents and I sat along the trail chatting and watching the bare tree silhouettes... Continue reading

I slept in until 6:30 this morning, the time that I usually start yoga. I made some hot tea and was about 10 minutes into my yoga session when Eli burst in to announce "The sky is all pink and purple! We need to be outside in it, right now!" So of course I hit the pause button, bundled up and headed outside with my sweet boys. We crunched through the frosty pasture as we wondered at the beauty of the sunrise. I reminded the boys that we are so fortunate for this space, where we are loved and safe.... Continue reading

"Finding yourself" is not really how it works. You aren't a ten-dollar bill in last winter's coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people's opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. "Finding yourself" is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got it's hands on you." ~ Emily McDowell I've been doing Yoga With Adriene for almost a year now, and like I've said in this space before, it has... Continue reading

Alex announced on Monday that he's been listening to a podcast about writing. He got out a new journal (thankfully we keep a stash of quality sketchbooks and journals!), and set to work writing. He has told fantastical stories to the chickens for years, about a mythical land called Hennin. As he started to write he told me "Hey Mom, I read recently that hennin is also a hat worn by European women in the Middle Ages, did you know that?" No, I did not know that, and I dearly love what I learn from this sweet boy. He's worked... Continue reading

This weekend we spent a couple hours at the park parking lot in town. Alex and Nick drove RC cars while Eli and I rode our bikes. There are 2 long parking lots with trees planted down the center. It was a fun space to play and ride and not worry about seeing many people. Most people in our town don't wear masks, so it was nice to find a quiet place to venture out and feel safe. The boys and I picked up library books and went to the park again yesterday afternoon. I wasn't able to get our... Continue reading

Happy New Year! Every year I choose a word to focus on for the year, this year my word is flexible. I'm working on becoming flexible in mind and body. I have a new 30-day challenge calendar for the year, and am looking forward to 30 days of yoga, 30 days of meditation, 30 days of a gratitude list, and much more. I'm also looking forward to winter projects that include typing my ancestor's letters from 1936 and working on my paternal family tree in Ancestry. My ultimate goal is to draw out a huge family tree so I have... Continue reading

The beauty of this place continues to move me, to remind me that this is the perfect place for me to be Home. The sunrise this morning was brilliant pink and gold, and filled the sky to the east, south and north with golden pink light, where it met the magnificent full moon hanging over the mountains to our west. I walked out to the pasture last night to gaze at the full moon as it hung over our pond. And this morning we enjoyed her beauty over the mountains to the west. The simple joy of beautiful sunrises and... Continue reading

"We want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as our own." ~ C.S. Lewis "The Reading Life" I've been an avid reader for all my life, some of my favorite childhood memories are spending hours reading at my fort on a big log stump in the woods. I read when I was supposed to be taking a shower, read when I was supposed to be sleeping, and even sneaked books in my lap at the dinner table. As a homeschooling homesteading mama my reading time now is confined to... Continue reading

Christmas was different this year, as I'm sure it was for many. We really missed our pre-Christmas visit with Nick's mom. Instead of an in-person visit we video chatted with her on Christmas Eve. We did get to enjoy our traditional sushi Christmas Eve dinner, at home instead of in a restaurant. The boys were up at 4:30 on Christmas Eve, but thankfully they slept until 5:30 on Christmas morning. We got the wood stoves going then gathered to open our stockings and presents. Instead of making our traditional ham and tons of side dishes and pies this year we... Continue reading

"The sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it's here is up to us. Journey wisely." ~ Alexandra Elle I've been really enjoying taking the dog out at dawn to enjoy the beautiful sunrise the past few weeks. I also started going for a little walk about our property during the gloaming each evening. I love being outside during sunrise and sunset, and soaking up the power of the quiet edge of time. Continue reading

We had our first snow here last week, and it was just enough to sled on the back side of the pond. Our weather had predicted as much as 12" of snow. We only got about 3", but it was perfect. We woke to a winter wonderland of ice crystals coating the trees and plants. The boys spent hours and hours sledding, we are so glad they discovered a sledding hill here! I had fun sledding too, I'd forgotten how fun it is to go whizzing down the hill! I hope the Farmers Almanac winter prediction is correct, and we... Continue reading

The boys spent several afternoons last week disassembling their backyard pallet fort. They made new forts over in our new lot, in a little woodsy area. They made two separate forts and have materials left to make one more. They're pleased, and like sitting over there to soak up the afternoon sun. The boys are both working on secret projects with Grammy. I'm not allowed to see what Alex is making, but I helped Eli with his project. He wanted to sew a cardinal for Alex, one of Alex's favorite birds. Grammy drew a wonderful pattern and got him started... Continue reading

Just Delicate Needles It's so delicate, the light. And there's so little of it. The dark is huge. Just delicate needles, the light, in an endless night. And it has such a long way to go through such desolate space. So let's be gentle with it. Cherish it. So it will come again in the morning. We hope. ~by Rolf Jacobsen Continue reading

With this second light of Advent We give thanks to the plants. To the flowers and trees, to the vegetables and grass. Bless the shelter and life force they provide. The boys gathered acorn caps and little pine cones to put around our advent spiral for the second week of advent, giving thanks to the plants. My parents came over Sunday afternoon, and while the boys had a big bonfire Mom and I walked our property to cut some greens. We used metal wreath forms from last year, and had so much fun making wreaths together. I love that we... Continue reading

My parents came over to celebrate National Cookie Day with us on Monday. We made gluten-free fruit and nut balls for Nick, gingerbread, shortbread and cowboy cookies. There was much hilarity and laughter, it was a lovely afternoon of good company and sweet treats. And now our freezer is full of delicious cookies for Christmas! Continue reading

Each week of Advent we'll celebrate one of the four worldly Kingdoms: mineral, plant, animal and human. Depending on what Kingdom is being celebrated that week, we add special items around the candle on our table. We've enjoyed the light of the candle in our advent spiral during meals this week. Eli was very excited to get down our basket of advent treasures, and had fun arranging it on our dining room table. I love seeing rocks and crystals from my grandpa's collection, Alex's collection, and from friends on our table. With this first light of Advent, We give thanks... Continue reading

The boys and I bundled up and went to our beautiful town park early this morning, when we were the only ones there. We saw a Great Blue Heron fly over the river, watched squirrels romping and ducks swimming. We remembered all the good times we've had there, and how we loved to take our homeschool books and lunch and camp out at a picnic table on the island for hours. We had a lovely time, and it was a good reminder that although we are staying home, we can still explore nearby parks when they aren't busy. I'm glad... Continue reading

Alex wanted to make suet for the birds yesterday. He looked up some recipes online, and then made his own based on the ingredients we had. He filled muffin tins about half full with mealworms (from our mealworm farm!), chopped pecans and sunflower seed, then put about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on top. He put them in the oven at 170 F until the coconut oil melted. After they cooled a bit he put them in the freezer for a few hours. Then they came right out of the muffin tins, and he put them out in our suet... Continue reading

Alex has been very interested in birds lately. We've enjoyed reading about John James Audubon and are doing a free 10 week Audubon bird study. Alex has been keeping our four bird feeders full, and giving them other treats too like oranges and popcorn. While I read aloud in the mornings he's been busy drawing birds. I love to see the shading he is learning, and the time and detail he puts into his lovely bird drawings. Eli asked if Alex would give him a bird drawling lesson. Alex made a wonderful numbered page showing Eli the general shape of... Continue reading

We headed to the little farm near us for a Christmas tree on Friday. The choices were pretty slim this year, most of the trees were either 12' or 2'. We found a nice one that wasn't too tall, but is about 5' wide. Getting it on the car was quite a challenge! It was also interesting getting our puffy tree inside~ the boys wrapped it in a sheet with straps so it didn't scrape the paint on the doorways. Then once we got it into the tree stand I had to cut about 12" off the top! After all... Continue reading

We had a nice Thanksgiving on Thursday with time outside, good food and good company. I got the turkey in the oven then headed down to the pond with the boys to soak up some sunshine. It was a lovely way to start the day. We are so thankful for this space to roam and explore, to be outside without leaving home. We enjoyed a delicious meal with my parents of turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, wild rice salad, cranberry salad, roasted vegetables, rolls and dessert. Alex made delicious pumpkin pies, and my mom made pecan and cranberry tarts.... Continue reading

"Who knows how this ends or when it ends that said, What do we know? We know that I have you and you have me we know that Love is real It holds us. It carries us. It reminds us That we are strong And soft And we can make it through this." ~Cleo Wade I love these words from Cleo Wade, an inspirational author and speaker. I hope as we experience a normally joyful holiday season we acknowledge the grief and anxiety also present at the table. Hold your people close. Love them. Love yourself. Unconditionally. Love is always... Continue reading

Alex loves being able to pick up and hold our roosters. We often visit the laying hen crew in the mornings after we let the meat birds out into the pasture. He's been able to hold Roo 2 for awhile now, and has been doing "love lessons" with Sherman, our younger rooster. Sherman is named after my maternal great-grandfather, and is a handsome Buff Orpington. We love the fresh eggs from our girlies, and the entertainment as we visit and watch them. Alex especially spends lots of time out in the chicken run, visiting and telling them fantastic stories. Continue reading

We processed 21 of our meat birds yesterday and 2 roosters that were born this spring. The meat birds were smaller than last year's batch, we think because we did them a week earlier. It's also later in the year so they have less daylight to eat. When I ordered the meat chicks this year at the same time I usually do they were all sold out, due to the increase in people raising chickens. My sweet mama offered to come help us, and her help and company was lovely! We decided to cut the birds up into wings, breasts,... Continue reading

It's been awhile since I posted. I was so pleased to get the trees planted the beginning of last week, but I experienced intense heel pain in my already sore foot afterwards. It's been so hard to miss my daily walks as I try to rest and heal. I also got horrible poison ivy on my arms and legs, worse than I've ever had it before. I'm trying not to be discouraged, and to picture going for big walks again soon. I need that time outside moving my body! The boys have been counting down to Christmas, and made a... Continue reading