Don’t shoot me, but I took a siesta in the white sand of Siesta Beach in Florida today. At 72 and sunny, I can’t say I’m missing the 27 and cloudy of home. Why am I here? Because I read a book. Maybe this is the part where I tell you to be careful what you read. Reading has consequences. Reading could transform your entire world – or at least your classroom. Let me … [Read more...]

When was the last time you intentionally drove with your eyes closed? I hope your answer is never. The “why” is pretty obvious. Seeing, while driving, is on par with breathing while living. Without it, catastrophe is basically inevitable. As moms, we’d never endanger those in tow by being so reckless. We’d never think of driving without vision, so why live life without … [Read more...]

Do you have a definition for success in your motherhood? Do we even have an answer for this question? Especially during the holidays.  Think about it. Successful motherhood is ... Home cooked meals? Maybe any meal at all? Is it clean clothes? Maybe folded laundry that actually gets put away? Lots of presents?  Swept floors? A day with no yelling? Or maybe: No one … [Read more...]

“Mooommm!  There are men outside with funny looking skid loaders that AREN’T ours!” my six-year-old exploded. If we lived in the city, I’d think we were having road construction. On the farm, mystery skid steers in the front yard are a different story. “What are they doing?” I questioned from the oth­er side of the house where I was working. “They’re driving into the … [Read more...]

Have you ever written a list of what you did not want your family to look like? What would make your list? Cluttered home? Hurried? Impatient? Overworked? Overbooked? Over committed? Tired? Fighting parents? Sassy kids? What would you not want? I recently attended an online homeschool planning boot camp in which we wrote down our family vision, non-negotiables, and the … [Read more...]

Mr. Google says it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit, but I reckon’ he ain’t never seen nothin’ stick faster than a cowboy drawl, if’n you practice frum sun up to sun down fer just a few days! Google oughta been warnin’ me to mind what I’m practicin’ – ‘cause once it sets in, it’ll stick like a tick on a hound dog! How’s this ol’ cowboy twang sittin’ with ya? … [Read more...]

Everyone knows I’m crazy about kefir, but I heard something this week and I had to share: Did you know kefir can act as a natural antidepressant? I always heard kefir could help your mood, but I didn’t really believe it until this week! A new farm guest was picking up raw milk from our farm store and told me that when he regularly drinks kefir made with raw milk, he can tell … [Read more...]

I have an inquisitive 6-year-old who thinks the best way to get my attention is to repeatedly ask me the exact same question without even pausing for a breath. Even if I heard him the first time, there is literally not a moment of silence to respond to his question before he’s asking it again, and again, and again, and again. It’s frustratingly ridiculous in the moment when … [Read more...]

Long before the current AI craze, farmers were knee-deep in “AI” every single day – but this was a whole different kind of artificial intelligence. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could run algorithms to predict the stock market, or write you a Shakespearean sonnet on demand. Nope, this was the real deal: Artificial Insemination. And I’ll tell you what, if they’re giving out … [Read more...]