Books I read to survive the dregs of Winter
Well, the holidays are over and we are officially entering into that time of year when keeping a positive outlook can be…challenging at best. Here in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, we have a tendency to do the whole pea soup fog thing from November til March. I don’t mind the incessant rain, but the fog really…
Preserves from the garden you’ll actually eat
Have you ever spent hours peeling, blanching, pitting, saucing, cooking and canning something from your garden, only to watch it collect dust on your shelves all year long? I sure have. Many, many times in fact. It’s so easy to be tempted by pretty recipes…
Beautiful gifts on a tight budget
I know I just published a post on gifts you can feel good about, but can I be totally honest? Sometimes the holidays can be extremely stressful. And I don’t mean because of all the parties and celebrations. The holidays can be stressful because of…
Give a gift you can feel good about
It’s that magical time of year, when the Internet explodes with LOOK OVER HERE! and BUY THIS! and MAJOR SALE! Well, much as I hate to contribute to all that noise, I thought it might be helpful to share a few gift ideas. But instead…
Living in the country: 10 things I’ve learned
If you would have told me as a kid that in my 30’s I’d be married to a farmer (for 16+ years!), homeschooling my kids, living in the country, raising animals, Christmas trees and tending a large garden, I would have told you you were…
A homestead dream of Christmas trees?
Four years ago this week we signed papers on our 10-acre homestead in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It was untouched, overgrown, unkempt and neglected. To everyone we knew, it seemed absolutely crazy. But to us, it was the realization of a dream. This place we named…
