Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of you from Hope Farms - may you spend more time doing what you love, what is right, and what is best. 

I'm, hopefully, going to spend more time on horseback this year. No resolutions here, except to live in the moment, which is a daily resolution, not just an annual one. 

Cheers!

Cheers!

Independence Day

John Adams letter to Abigail:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Happy Fourth of July, y'all!

Un-doing

There are days when not one single productive activity happens on-farm. Today was one of those days. The day consisted of breakfast, some studying, a couple loads of laundry, lunch, a birthday party, a trip to town, supper, and then the bare minimum in regards to farm chores. Then, for dessert, graham crackers with some more studying, 2 essays, and 3 quizzes.

Some call this kind of day a loss. I call it a day of un-doing. Although there is always something to be done, on some occasions it isn't necessary to be so pressed that it becomes a burden.

With a farm, even one as small-timey as ours, most days are filled with to-do lists and not enough hours in the day. I'm grateful that we can occasionally take one day "off," if you can call it that.

Today's egg count: 10

Back in Time, and Progress

Sitting under the maple tree with coffee and the sounds of the farm behind me; birds chirping and singing, cow-bell's ring-a-linging, and pigs squealing for their breakfast make the remembrance of city-life a long-ago memory.

While I always managed to hear the sounds of horses chewing hay, clip-clopping down the road, and the smell of leather close by, there were times when I longed to live in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of it all.  Now a traffic jam consists of two bluebirds angling for the same nest location and maybe the rush of Sunday church-goers at 9:00am trying to get to Sunday school on time. These ARE the good old days, indeed.

My husband says "for every modern convenience one eliminates from their lives, a job (or two) is created." As an example, I haven't turned the knob on a dryer in about two years now.  Out to the well-house goes the laundry baskets, to be thrown into the washing machine, and then to the well used three-strand clothes line they go.  Taken down, sometimes folded - sometimes not, they go back into the house for the third round of processing; either to lay motionless on the spare bed in the front room waiting ever-so-patiently to be folded, or to be just as patient to stay there until someone says, "Mom, where's my camouflage pants?"

It's true also, what they say, about wood heating you twice, only I think it's double that.  Cutting the tree down, to be loaded into the back of the back of the pick-up truck, then unloaded, to be split by the wood-splitter and then stacked, ready to be burned in the outdoor wood stove.

Just the random thoughts of a farmhousewife. Sitting under the maple tree.  With coffee.

Thoughtful Thursday

While this winter has been mild, we've still had some cold spells and brisk winds to remind us that indeed, it is still winter-time.  As the pastures, fruit trees and vines lay somewhat "dormant" I can't help but think about all of the things in life that move in cycles, with busy times and times of rest, as well.

Sometimes, in the daily tasks we go about, whether we are farmers, teachers, bankers, servers or an employee in a manufacturing plant, it is important to just be.  This is what I have found the leafless trees, the naked vines and straw-colored grass to be doing.  They don't have to impress anyone.  They're not worried about missing the 20% off sale at the not-so-local department store.  They don't even worry about what they will wear tomorrow.  It's all planned out - in good time - they will be productive again.

While there are occasional fears as to the pre-Easter freeze we usually get in this area, I'm trying not to give in to the "what-if's" of life.  For usually where there is a deficit, another kind of abundance will be yielded.  This year, the addition of a greenhouse will be our season-extender, and I'm currently enjoying lovely green salads with kale, spinach, Swiss chard, romaine lettuce, Simpson lettuce, arugula.  Blessed, indeed.

While there isn't a particular point to this post (are there particular points to any of my posts?) I will leave you with some photos of pre-spring life in the greenhouse;