Souvenirs:
farm life

i am sure most of you can relate to striving for that 'hold on' moment... that moment when you can sink into a pillow with a good book, or take that cup of iced tea and stir the honey slowly and watch it blend and think of nothing but where to sit and enjoy the shade on a sunny day

it's a wonder

this time... this last bit of time before summer's heat is all but gone, and that sun tea is no longer... those lazy days outdoors watching the children play... this time is so short...

it's a wonder

it is as though i am feeling just now settled into summer, when it's being taken away by the cooler nights and less hot days...

there are so many times when i can correlate myself to my surroundings... the lightness in my step when spring comes... the sauntering flip flops during summer... the shuffle of leaves in autumn and the crunch during winter... but i do have to admit, that lately, i am being drawn into a connection i cannot explain with our oldest son...

it's a wonder

his piano compilations make me stop in my tracks and almost drink the sound into my soul... the heartache of childhood leaving while the maturity of his heart growing

it's a wonder at all that anything gets done during the summer...

so much to organize and plan for school, the upcoming sale as well

the importance of being with my family supersedes anything right now... our bond is growing daily the more time we spend together, and I thank the Lord for allowing me to teach them at home... so very blessed to not have to shuffle them off every morning after packing their lunches...
a lot of our peace comes from a schedule and routine of sorts... even if the routine for the day is them sleepy eyed coming down the stairs to greet me for the first time of the day with a hug and groggy "good morning"... I love those times and savor every hug... it never gets old

it's a wonder... these kids... this place... this life...

like my cup of coffee losing it's steaming hotness, the summer is fading, and though I cannot go fill my cup back up with more summer time, I can take what I have learned this summer and and a bit more just to keep me going

peace + blessings,



coffee in hand, it's my favorite summer chore 

a safely caped popsicle explorer

our new grape vines for farm wine




an angel in my potager



a sip here and a saute there

shitake (pronounced "shit — AH — key")
yum

hope you are enjoying the summer...
~et cum spiritu tuo~

getting back to the garden

in the kitchen

at the farmer's market
with a girlfriend at the park
with my husband at the theater

yes... Getting back to Life...

By the way... a lot of you have pinned, tried & loved Donna's Chicken, and asked "who is Donna?"
She is one of the most well put together, nice, intelligent, kind, God-loving Christian women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, knowing, and becoming friends with... and is also married to a most tender and caring man — with an unabashed sense of humor and wit — yes, that's you Jim...

xo+living blessings,

a choice

a blessing

a star-spangled flag...

lately when I think of freedom my arms want to burst from the sides of my apron as I look out my kitchen window to almost claim that moment's right upon me for freedom

even in the most oppressed nations, you can still feel the freedom inside you, but your arms are tied behind your backs to proclaim it... the country's leaders forbid such independence

when I used to work behind a desk, in a cubicle (that job only lasted a short time... my sense of self was being squashed between those stuffy desks and intensely stressful vibes surging through my veins to complete 'the job') I could not wait until that noon lunch time hit — to the second, I would grab my car keys and b-line to my tiny little car... hit the sunroof open, pretty much peel out of the parking lot and head to a local forest preserve...
I would sit in the sun, even in dead of winter...
it was freedom from everything

freedom for me is that direct connection between the land and myself

that is why so many people are claiming this word "farm" into everything they are doing... from style inside their homes... to their blog titles... their names...

The word 'farm' and 'freedom' harmonize...

people don't go into the city to feel freedom (well, at least no one I know)... but the country...

the farm

the wide open spaces...

like my arms out wide exclaiming my freedom... the sky that we gaze at and the wide horizons I dream of and that inspire me so much...

you don't have to be living on the farm to throw your arms up and proclaim your freedom...

you don't have to be a mom of six children to let others know how much you value life...

you don't have to wear the flag and carry a gun...

freedom comes from within...

you can see freedom grow by planting a garden... being able to plant those seeds you saved, and nourished and weeded and harvested and preserved... watching that little seed flourish...

that seed is planted in us

that seed is planted from our forefathers who loved God first and that is exactly why they came to this great country... to plant freedom here... to plant freedom to reseed itself and flourish...

to throw their arms out and breathe in that sense of awe and wonder

let go of all the complications and burst your arms into the air wherever you are and proclaim your freedom

peace + blessings,