I am trying to take notice. To be enchanted by things that might be otherwise overlooked. I have lived the first half of my life so frantically. One could blame it on my personality type (Maverick and Type A) or my sign (Aries), or the fact that I have always been aware of mortality and…
Tag: grandchildren
Our New Year’s Baby
Shyanne went into labor the night after her birthday. Her husband, Jacob, and her dad and I were by her side. (Well, her dad was huddled in a corner chair trying to stay out of the way but anxious to meet our first grandson!) Friday morning at 11:43, after quite a hard labor, their first…
Homeschool on the Homestead
I loved being a homeschooling mama and love being a homeschooling grammie even more! There are so many benefits to homeschooling. It may not be for everyone, but for many, it is the best and most positive way to learn. My beautiful granddaughter’s confidence was all but shattered by the time I asked her mom…
View of a Simple Homestead Life
This was the moment that I felt a rush of nostalgia, clarity, and peace come over me. A remembrance of why I fell in love with the homesteading lifestyle in the first place all those years ago. This snippet sums up the sweetness of a simple life. Entering my little art studio, the bluegrass playing…
A Magical December Day
‘Twas all very strange, really. Something out of a sci-fi movie, perhaps. A thin Santa Claus wearing a mask, shielding half of his face, sitting behind a sheet of plexiglass. All the children in line did not think much about it. We took photos in front of the ho ho ho’ing Santa behind glass. My…
Sweet Homestead Days
The wood stove comes alive, savage and hot. The whirl of orange and red feel so comforting, so primal, so homelike. The living room will be warm soon. I prepare my coffee and watch through the picture window as the sky slowly begins to lighten with dawn. A new day is upon us. The kitten…
Cuddlewell Mission
One day when we were quite a young couple, snuggling and giggling, I said to my husband, “You cuddle well!” He said, “That will be our last name!” And so it was. Mama and Daddy Cuddlewell. Our children were told that their actual, secret last name was Cuddlewell, as we would snuggle them. Andy, Shyanne,…
The Magic of Yuletide and Wishes for You
Blessed Yuletide cometh soon. The light returns in just two moons. This morn is cast a cheery rose across melting snowy pastures, as the dawn awakens the world here on my little homestead. And I am content before the fire with a cup of strong coffee and kittens playing nearby. I oft write about things…
A Book Themed Birthday Party
When the children were growing up, we started our morning with two things, coffee and Martha Stewart. We loved her show when it took place in her house (and how I would love a set of DVD’s if they were ever made!), and then we watched the newer Martha Stewart Show. Me, Andy, Shyanne, and…
A Wedding in the Woods
On July 27th, a hundred-year-old lodge was decorated with pastel roses and succulents, lights, and pink table runners to celebrate a special union. There were photographs of the bride and groom as children and a few of the parents of the couple in their wedding splendor, in frames glued together to make centerpieces. The place…
Farmgirl School 