I thought it was time to post a little farm & #HomespunSummer update for posterity’s sake if nothing else.
After 8 years of blogging, I depend on this blog as a sort of scrapbook for our life in between deep thoughts and recipes.
So here is what is new at Preservation Acres for July 2015:
1. We got a pig. His name is Winston Independence. He came to live with us on July 4. He is a mini-pig, but he will not be long-term house pig. Eventually he will be a helpful plow and fertilizer for our gardens and pastures, as well as our pet. He has one brown eye and one blue eye and is growing fast. We might be a little bit smitten, and it has been suggested that Winston needs his own YouTube channel. We shall see.
2. Happy Dogs. The puppies are happy and are becoming more “dog” and less “puppy” slowly. Currently their favorite thing besides being lazy is swimming in the pond. I am going to Periscope it one of these days… (PS – I am on Periscope under JerusalemGreer..)
3. Mowing. Mowing. Mowing. Our 8 acres is largely “yard” at the moment. Next year we hope to have it divided up into pastures and gardens and fields and pens, but for now it is a beautiful and massive lawn. This means lots and lots and lots of mowing. Luckily everyone in-house is big enough to help. Unfortunately it is now too hot to mow in the mid-day and it has to be done in smaller chunks in the evening.
4. Our fruit trees are blooming!5. But. Most of them have brown root or some other ick. Tackling this issue is on our to-do list for the winter. I aspire to become a master prunner. But we are hoping to maybe get a few decent pieces this summer. Fingers crossed.
6. Meet Sister. We bought a boat for the pond. I named her Sister. I need Jeanetta to come and paint the name on her along with some Mexican embroidery flowers.
7. I love having big kids. Miles is an excellent boat captain and I like to sit back and relax while he charters me around. We haven’t used the boat as much this month as again it has been TOO HOT and we have been nutty busy. But I am hoping to talk Sweet Man into a late night fishing excursion under the stars soon.
8. Golden. Have I mentioned how much I love the pond?
9. Porch Life. Early morning and late late evening are lovely on the deck. But I do need a swing. Or a great lounge chair. Or both….
I am growing basil and sage out on the table and having fresh basil on hand is one of life’s little luxuries. I am putting it on everything and it just makes me so happy.
10. Jonathan. We sadly lost one of our cats in June. Jonathan was a lover and a dreamer and the sweetest cat I have ever met. We miss him daily.
11. The 4th of July. We celebrated our first 4th here on the farm! It was truly amazing even though it was small and simple. I had so much fun watching the boys set off fireworks for the first time over the pond. What a memory.
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Despite what the pictures might show, life here isn’t perfect. Our kids still fight. Money is tight. There is so much to do to the house and the land I often want to curl into the fetal position and wait there till the real grown-ups show up. Occasionally wonder if we did the right thing.
But then something small will happen. A smile, a laugh, an image. We will do something like set fireworks off over our pond, or chase Winston around the kitchen, and I will see the forest for the trees. And I know in those moments more than ever that this is right where we need to be. Even on the hard days. Maybe especially then.
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