Life is a work in progress, and mine has been no exception these last few weeks. There are many projects we are in the middle of around the homestead, and while waiting for one to be completed that I could write a post about, I realized I haven't been writing any posts. Since everything is always a work in progress anyway, I decided to go ahead and show off some of my works in progress. The most ...
A New Year
“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been, full of work that has never been done, full of tasks, claims, and demands; and let us see that we learn to take it without letting fall too much of what it has to bestow upon those who demand of it necessary, serious, and great things.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke ...
Scenes from a Snowy Solstice
We celebrated the holidays with family in the Central Washington Cascades last week, and I am finally getting around to sharing a few scenes of our snowy fun on the Winter Solstice. Solstice morning icicles. Wild quail congregating at the bird feeder. More wildlife: my little niece "crunching" in the snow. Putting those fabulous ladybug boots to good ...
Season’s Greetings
A warm and bright Winter Solstice, and Season's Greetings to all! ...
For the Birds
I have always liked the Winter Solstice tradition of decorating a tree outside with various treats for the birds, but this time of year always gets busier than expected and I decided that just making some birdseed suet ornaments was the next best thing. My son has a real affinity for birds, so he was all on board for this project. I had some lard I had rendered a while ago in the freezer, ...
First Snow of the Year
Much to our surprise, this is what we woke up to Sunday morning. We got zero snow last year, so this made the surprise all the more wonderful. I had a chocolate truffle making fundraiser for my kids class to work on in town, but I managed to get out in the yards and capture a few photos of the winter wonderland before I left. My son got to stay home and play in the snow, so I was greeted by a ...
Let It Shine
As the Winter Solstice approaches, and the days are feeling very short, it's the perfect time to make a little light to shine out into the darkness. There is something comforting and warming in those flickering flames, for in spite of all we know to be true, sometimes we need reassurance deep down that the sun will return and it won't stay dark forever. This is the time of year when cultures ...
Family Tree Day
One of the many cool things about living at the edge of a forest, is we can always find a small tree to thin out for the holidays. Every year since we moved here, the four of us have climbed the trail to the top of our property and picked out our favorite fir tree. You can read about our past tree excursions here: Finding Our Family Tree and A Homegrown Tree. This year we had some ...
Live Each Season
"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." ~Henry David Thoreau ...
Winter Mornings
This is the scene we've been waking up to every morning for the last few days. The first hard frosts, and cold temperatures have been creating a winter white landscape that makes you really appreciate being in a warm house with a roaring fire going in the woodstove. Winter has definitely arrived. This is the view from our dining room window, and it makes for a peaceful accompaniment to morning ...