Who’s Gabbing and Who’s Gushing

This time of the year we are itching for Spring, I know it is kind of early, but we are ready...

The sheep were stuck in the barnyard for a short while when the temps were below zero.

They are happy to be back out in the fields. We have been able to keep Emmet with the ewes. He is a mild mannered Ram and it is just easier to keep him with the ladies ... Read more →

Cead Mile Failte! (One hundred thousand welcomes in Gaelic). There are a handful of things that I didn’t get to say last week about hospitality. For what it’s worth, here they are:

Inspirations:

My plan for my adult life has always been to welcome people into my home, lots of people. I'm sure there were other sources of inspiration, but one was certainly my grandmother, whose home, where I spent many, many hours of childhood, was sort of a Grand Central Station for cousins coming and going. To me, that made it home ... Read more →

One of my favorite little birds has returned to the backyard feeders. So sweet,

The Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is just so cute and flits around from feeder to feeder ... Read more →

Yesterday was my 42nd birthday. And while normally I wonder about where time has gone, not this time. Instead I thought about how wonderful the aging process is. Yes there are lines in my face that were not there decades ago, even last year. But they tell a story. My story. The quintessential beauty Sophia Loren once said:

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.

When I fall into a moment of vanity at my aging face, I like to remember the stories my lines tell. The deep line between my eyebrows-- the frown line -- appeared during my first company command. It reminds me of the trying time leading Soldiers, dealing with some unruly ones, listening to family issues, trying to comfort those who lost a loved one, or simple concentration when dealing with a task at hand. Even worse, anger and pain at the loss of a fellow Soldier in the war. But the fine lines in my eyes remind me that through all those times, and actually all through my life, there has been laughter and even the mischief of an innocent prank ... Read more →

The thing I love most about living in a new area is that we get to be explorers. Especially here in Washington, where hundreds of miles of untapped wilderness is just a very short drive.

My schedule is different this week because I’m working the “late” shift (12p-9p), but I’m working from home, so my mornings are free. We decided to explore and we ended up down on the Chinook Pass Scenic Byway. This road eventually traverses two mountain passes within Mt. Rainier National Park and reaches an elevation of over 5000 ft. At that point, it’s closed this time of year due to snow. We stayed in the lower elevations of the Cascades, only reaching about 1500 feet, but the temperature was still 17 degrees cooler there than at our house.

Our destination point was the White River ... Read more →

This past weekend we got as many family members together as possible to have some snow fun. Our oldest daughter's boyfriend is here visiting from Australia and this winter is the first time he has experienced snow. So we wanted to show him how we play in the snow around here.

Brothers and sisters in next group of pictures ... Read more →

Winter morning sunrises are always so stunning. They make me happy ... Read more →

While many of you across the country (especially in New England) are buried under a couple of feet of snow, I’m sure you’re thinking more about snow shovels and rock salt than seeds and grow lights. But it is that time of year to pull out your seeds and plan what you will get started indoors in preparation for spring planting. Here in the South, this weekend will be about eight weeks until last frost. It’s now time to set up my germination station again! Last night, I organized my seeds and separated them into two piles: indoor starts and direct sow. Today, I’d like to share with you what I’ll be planting in my grow room this weekend.

There are certain plants that must be started indoors at least eight weeks prior to last frost, and most of them are in the nightshade family – tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. I also start my squash indoors to help them fight the dreaded squash vine borer. Whatever room I have left in my flats, I’ll plant some of my melons (though melons can be directly sown after last frost) ... Read more →

I have exciting news - I have two new co-hosts. They will be on board for hosting on Wholesome & Wonderful #6 but for now I hope you will take a look at their sites and get to know them a bit…

Introducing:

Tiffany from Finding The Story

Janet from Chuck Wagoneer

They will each pick their favorite recipe(s) from the previous hop and will share them on social media which means more exposure for those who share ... Read more →

It happens every year about this time, and as always I am ready with my tired and true homemade sore throat soothers.

I don’t get sick much, but when I do it is usually a sore throat and I am always ready to whip up one of these homemade remedies. I have tried them all, and the one that works the best for me is the Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar recipe.

The next time you have a sore throat give one of these old-fashion sore throat soothers a try ... Read more →

Dennis, age 11, learning from Andy Koukoulis at Ross Allen's Reptile Institute in Florida how to milk a rattlesnake. Knowing how to milk a rattlesnake is a skill important to reporters.

Dennis Powell is a gift to Southeast Ohio. He is a columnist for The Athens News, the better option in my geographic for news. His column, The View from Mudsock Heights, is a favorite. He is a connoisseur of words, an award-winning reporter, and a talented photographer. It is a great honor to have Dennis here; I think we can all learn from his wisdom and advice ... Read more →

Good broth will resurrect the dead. ~South American Proverb

Bone Broth - it doesn't sound very appetizing but stay with me for a moment. Bone broth has been resurrected as a healing and healthy food to add to your diet regularly. Of course, it is a practice as old as cooking itself.

What benefits could be there be for you? There is a lot of nutrition locked inside those bones whether from chicken, lamb, fish or beef. When the bones are long-simmered, nutrients like magnesium, potassium, calcium, amino acids and collagen all become accessible to your body. Getting this nutrition is as easy as sipping a warm mug of broth - maybe even in place of (at least one of) your cups of coffee. :) If you can't see yourself sipping a cup of bone broth, you can use it in your other cooking. Replace the water for making rice with the broth for example ... Read more →