Friday.....January 9, 2015....

Woke with a little gusto this morning.  Barn chores done, stove packed, showered and ready to go.  A few stops on the way then met Tess for lunch in Chambersburg.  A lovely two hour visit and the nicest birthday present of a necklace made by her.  Home at a decent time to keep the fire going and the cottage warm.  Re-arranged the living room before supper.  A new recipe....a no carb pizza.  It was good.  But not as good as real pizza.  Time to relax with some Waltons and the lumberjack.
Be well,
Lisa

Thursday.....Jan 8, 2015....

OK....bout had it now with this drastic cold weather!  Made WAY too many trips to the barn to break ice off of water and just make sure every one there was ok.  AND im about one day past cabin fever.  I love being home as much as the next person....when I can at least get out and do something around the land!!  But this being freezing and locked inside is the worst.  Thank God there is tomorrow!!  A day out even if for just a few hours...I will take it and be thankful!
Be well,
Lisa

Tuesday....January 6, 2015....

Been a great day.  Woke to the expected snow.  Falling ever so softly hour by hour.  Even still I took the three walks with each pup and the three trips to the barn to tend to the critters.  Made some fresh yogurt, tended the sourdough, doodled, started some more wheat grass to germinate.  Started reading from the Exploring the Senses book...What a great start.  I really had no intention of jumping right in but absorbing it some....however it has a worksheet that encourages you to explore the sense of sight first.  It gives you a list of things to look for and when and where to look.  What a perfect day for it.  As I was on my first walk of the day I found myself absolutely taking in every sight of the color yellow absolutely everywhere...I grabbed my camera and took pics of all the yellow in my life today.  Strongly encourage the book...Oh yes knew I was forgeting something...Its official...I am registered with my niece to do a polar plunge in less than two weeks...COLD!
Be well,
Lisa

The Daybook.....

http://www.thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-simple-womans-daybook-new-years.html#comment-form

                                                             For Today
                                                       January 6, 2015

I am thinking.........More like a curiosity really.....but the wonder of the meal worm.  It has been a very long process to get them to the beetle stage but it is finally happening.  The chooks will be happy very soon with fresh meal worms to supplement their feeding.

I am thankful for........School cancellations!  I worry myself terribly when it is bad weather and knowing my daughter will be on the road taking Firefly to and from school.  If only....and im not even going to finish that lol!

I am wearing.......Marroon yoga pants, light grey think yoga top and a black cardi.

I am creating......Will be creating all through the year the 2015 art journal, also still working on the navy cardi and the purple one as well....

I am going.....To be working on the garden plans, ordering seeds, finding a place to purchase new sprout seeds as the one I have locally does not have such a good selection and spending much time in the kitchen enjoying the sourdough starter I have started!

I am wondering.....An exact due date for Indie the goat....she has gotten very large and quick?!

I am reading......Finishing the harbinger with the Lumberjack this week.  Also picked back up and intend to finish....Eggs in the coffee sheep in the corn.  As well as a new book given for free, downloaded and printed off...very enjoyable...Exploring the Senses by Susannah Conaway

I am hoping.......As much as I love snow...and I do and have every intention of enjoying every moment of it "today"...Im hoping it doesnt last longer than the beauty of it.

I am learning......What "Rhythm' looks like in my everyday life.  Oh and how blissful it is.  Always changing with not only each and every day but each moment of the day.  Some days I can barely keep up with it and some we lay low together.  But always each day the rhythm of my heart changes so many times throughout the day.  Paying attention to the pattern of it all.

Around the farmstead.....Eggs have started to be collected and setting aside for the incubator next week.  Meatball...the beef cow is growing wildly....Indie the goat is looking like she may kid sooner than expected...the garden is coming along so nicely now that the trees have all been removed and I have a visual of the space....the generator/wash room has been completed and looks so lovely.  Looking forward to creating in the space back there.  Oh and did I mention eggs...oh the abundance of EGGS!

In the kitchen......YUM YUM!!  Enjoying the new handmade cutting board with all the room necessary for a row of fresh veg, the stick blender another christmas gift makes the best smoothies and is so much nicer than having to use the blender.  A wild Pheasant was to be had for Christmas day and truely enjoyed.  Sour dough has been started for the new year, sour cream is setting atop the fridge fermenting away, mayo is on the way this week as is more homemade yogurt!

I am pondering.....All of 2015...the plans for the cottage, the farmstead critters and veg, and ME!

One of my favorite things.....Fresh fallen snow!!

A few plans for the week.....Home ALL week during the week and I could not be any happier!  Then lunch and coffee with Tess...oh how overdue that is.  My heart skips just thinking about our time together...A special church service and meal on Friday and a date and movie with the lumberjack over the weekend.

A peek into one of my days the past week.......

Monday.....January 5, 2015.....

Big Huge SIGH.....today the "rhythm" of life as I have known it has seemed to return and with such a strong soul pull to just enjoy every single moment of every single day.  Today has been amazing.  Time in the barn, in the garden, walking each of the three pups, knitting, making fresh sour dough starter, creating in the journal, some fresh wheat grass/pineapple juice.  Dinner in the oven ready for the lumberjack to come home.  I know these days wont last forever.  There will always be those days when im wanting to just throw in the towel but I will treasure each and every one for what they have to offer of themselves.  The fire is burning and warming this little cottage so well, wood is in and ready for another night, the animals are warm and snug and the snow is to fall.  And to top it all off.....Just got a message from Tess for a lunch date on Friday....OMG....its been far too long and oh how I miss her.  We did go to a church yesterday...it was an ok church...not exactly for us but it was warm and welcoming.  Still on the search.  A very dear couple friends of ours are starting a fellowship in their home not far from us and im thinking we will give it a try this Friday evening with a special speaker and meal.  Their roots in Messianic faith is very inspiring.  Well off to settle in onced he is home.
Be well,
Lisa

Saturday....January 3, 2015

What a LAZY day here on the farmstead.  But im not complaining as the two previous were terrible busy.  While calling it a night on New Years day around ten pm I got a fb message that my brother was in an ambulance and headed to the hospital.  Left in a terrible flurry and headed there.  Met my sister and my brothers wife and oldest son.  It turns out he had a heart attack.  At only 44!  They admitted him for observation.  Home by two and bed by three and up at eight.  Got a call they were to do surgery...was to be three but now one....onced again packed some fruit and water and headed out the door.  He was already in surgery when I got there as they decided to rush him in NOW!  He ended up having a stint put in.  His entire right half of his heart was totally blocked.  Lucky to be alive they said.  Home by nine and right to bed.  Slept like a log till nine this am.  So glad lumberjack has been home to tend to things here.  So today we rested, took a walk, watched some movies and rested.  Hoping to get to a new church in the am.
Be well,
Lisa

January 1, 2015.....Thursday....

What a blessed New Years Eve!  Spent the night boding farewell to 2014 with some dear friends of many!  It was a good year.  A year that saw so very very many changes for us.  A year that dreams of many years became a reality.  But not without hardships and so very much physical, mental and even emotional labor.  We have come to the place of true contentment.  Looking forward to what 2015 has to offer.  Spent the last couple of days being quiet and searching within myself to find my word of the year for 2015.  I thought I knew it but awoke with a word that was totally NOT ME...gave that some thought and finally felt totally led to my original word.  So here I go forward with the word RHYTHM....in my heart.  The kind of ebb and flow rhythm of pulling and pushing...changing and accepting.  Im excited to see where and how this new year looks.  And im so very thankful for those of you here with me on this journey.
Be well,
Lisa