-
Beneath the Starry Skies
Many years agoWhen I was young and mildI found my place beneath the starsI was such a timid child With a flashlight in my hand,I’d scramble down to the dockAfraid I might meet a hungry bear,Afraid someone might hear me talk I’d whisper tales to the glitterStrewn in the blackening skyTiny, blooming flowers of lightAcross the lake they’d lie And still I walk underneath them,(But I am older now)Through fields of snowy asters,And I wonder–how? How can God take a dream,One persistent part of me,Grow it into something good, andBless me with this sweet reality? With a flashlight in my hand,I cross the dewy lawn,Past the rabbit in his cage,He…
-
Piglets, the Newest Addition to Our Hobby Farm
Meet Wilbur (named by Samuel), Fluffy (named by Ruthie), and Uncle (named by me). They’re Idaho Pasture Pigs, and they’re so much fun to have around. They nibble on our boots when we come in to say hello, and Luna likes to sniff their noses when they poke them through the crack in the door. Eventually, they’ll move from the field to our plates, but for now we’re enjoying learning about their habits and petting their soft, wiry backs as they munch on grain. When we get a new “pet,” I like to write about it. So, here’s a poem about our three little piglets! Piglets Hard-nosed, snub-nosed,Rooting through the…
-
Welcome Autumn and Winter and Cozy Family Gatherings
This poem took me a couple months to write. I started working on it after a walk in the fields with Luna, in which I noticed all the different flowers that were going dormant for the winter. They really do look beautiful, even as their time in this season ends. I think I got stuck in the middle of the poem because I didn’t know exactly where to go with the rest of the stanzas. I wrote the first stanza one day, the second stanza the next day, the first two lines of the third stanza a couple weeks later, made a lot of edits, and then finally finished the…
-
The Edge of the Season
I was out walking a few days ago and noticed how everything around our house has changed. The woods don’t look lush and new anymore, but rather old and tired. The leaves on the aspens are starting to turn yellow, and the fields around us resemble toasted marshmallows. Grasshoppers startle us as we walk through the grass, and the song of the cicada thrums through the air. Fall is just around the corner. We start school in less than three weeks. Where did the summer go? Here is another new poem for you to enjoy, along with a few more photos from around our yard, including one of the biggest…
-
New Family Goals: Homesteading, Hobby Farming, & More
Up until a couple years ago, Brian, the kids, and I lived in this cute little blue house on a quiet cul-de-sac: We lived on almost an acre of land, which we felt was a lot of land back then, and did as much on that acre of land as we could. Brian tilled a 40 X 40 foot garden and planted fruit trees. I maintained our landscaping and our wildflower garden. We also obtained five chickens, all Rhode Island Reds, from a friend a few years after we moved into the house, when the City Council finally passed the ordinance allowing homes in our neighborhood to keep chickens (no…