Winter approaches

With our second season upon us here at our new place, we are just barely beginning to get our boots wet, or more accurately, filthy - with the "farming" end of things - the daily care of the animals in our charge. It's exciting to be at the beginning of something - with so much still to learn and discover. So much yet to experience. Everything feels new – because at least to me it was new.  There is much wondering, discussion, dreaming and planning for what and who may (or may not) come next.

Yes, all of this feels new, exciting and wonderful yet frightening, if I may be so bold as to say that.  My heart was happy here, doing this right now and anticipating what's around the corner. And yet - it's also a little bit scary, a tiny bit frustrating, and a whole lot humbling. To be doing this on our own, raising two beautiful little boys. Watching each step they took! Listening to the first words they said!  We were blessed with family who were right there to help us when we stumbled. Helping us in so many ways! watching along as we stumble our way into the beginnings.

The fun times were the hay rides to feed the cattle. Riding the sled down the hill to the outhouse. Making snow ice cream and snow angels. Hooking the home made sled onto the truck and giving the boys a ride down the road. Popping popcorn. Snuggling up in a blanket and reading books to them. Baking cookies and candies. Home mixed modeling clay and finger paints. Coloring Big pictures on Butcher paper that was saved from the frozen meat wrappings. Good clean fun at little cost that were actually learning experiences without the boys actually knowing they were learning a lesson.

Remembering these times make me forget all the hardships we had to endure and made it all worth every minute of it!

Remembering where we came from!

This is a book about people who are shaped by the places they live and the times they've lived through.  I hope I have painting a portrait of the place we chose to live in and loved.

 

I compare our few years on the Prairie to a musical composition with themes and resonating chords that appear and reappear. I am EXPLOREING OUR beginnings but also other birthing and beginnings, moving on to gifts and graces, and then through relationships, homes, journeys and more. A new and fascinating way of regarding life.

What history has taught me is to remember where you came from. Having this connection with the past helps me to see more clearly into the future. We need to pass the connection and the stories to our children and grandchildren. We all need those ties.

Many of us make decisions that set the course of our futures —for good or ill— while we’re still only youngsters. For some it might be a decision to do nothing: the easiest of all to make, just allowing ourselves to be tossed around like corks on the sea of life, washing up on any shore, or maybe never seeing shore at all. For others, it might be a decision to take a path in a new direction that, if followed unwaveringly, will yield benefits in our adult years. I’m happy to say that I made the latter kind of decision at the tender age of 16. It was a very good decision, as things turned out, although I didn’t realize that at the time. I’d like to tell you more about it....