A Brand New Year

Another year has gone by and many of us are asking, "What do I want to accomplish THIS year?"  A valid question.  But, the question, "Is writing down all of my "resolutions" really going to add up to a hill of beans by the beginning of next year?" seems to me a bit more realistic.  Yet, resolutions are not always about being realistic.  They are about DREAMING.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  Our dreams can take us places that we have never been or never will be!  But, this year I would like a healthy balance of reality and dreaming if there is such a thing.  I am not here to tell you all of my resolutions or goals.  I just want to encourage you to have some of your own.  I believe that we should dream big and set goals for ourselves and try new things.  It's alright if by the end of the year the goal is not met.  But it is exhilarating and rewarding if we have accomplished something we've been working at for a very long time.

The important thing right now is to DO SOMETHING.  Do something for others, friends, family, your community, complete strangers and even for yourself.  You might be surprised at the BLESSINGS that abound even in the simple doings of life.  But sometimes that does require a concerted, organized and planned effort.  That is where your goals come in.  First pointer is to write them down.  Secondly, put them in a place where you can see them every day, and even read them out loud.  There is evidence if you follow these tips you will be more successful in achieving what you are out to accomplish. (This is not to say that spontaneity should be ignored! Enjoy life! Have fun!  You don't have to have a list to do that.)


Here are just a few of the Goals that I am going to be working on and toward this year.  Some of them are Farm related and some are not.  So without further ado, here they are....in no particular order....

*Plant a spring garden with lettuces, strawberries, and herbs
*Read the Bible everyday
*Read at least one new book a month
*Go Rock climbing (indoor or outdoor doesn't matter just always wanted to do it)
*Visit Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, or Yosemite this year
*Surf in Hawaii (this is where I dream BIG! and should probably add learn to surf to the list.)
*Try one new food a week. (this week is actually Sardines.  I saw them at Whole Foods and knew I had to try them.  Never had them before.  Something I remember my dad eating when I was younger.)
*365 days of photographs 
*Help a stranger
*Raise baby chicks

That's just a taste of what I am shooting for through this year.  What will YOU be doing?

The Turning of Seasons

It's hard for me to believe that our Pumpkin season is over.  All we've been doing for the last year and a half is eat, sleep, talk, live, and pray pumpkin patch.  The whole experience has been a blessing, and we have learned so much along the way.  We had a very successful season from our standpoint.  We were an unknown family farm this year, and now people have at least heard of us, or come this year for a visit.  Meeting people with their friends and families was a joy, and truly the most rewarding part of this journey.  A journey that pretty much started with a big plot of dirt and rocks, to a charming, beautiful field of pumpkins that glowed at dusk and a pretty awesome play area, if I do say so myself. It's just difficult to sum up almost 2 years of dreaming, planning, and doing.

Thankfully, with the Ending of one season marks the Beginning of another.  I like that.  I like new beginnings.  Even though the winter season is laying trees and plant life dormant, and the weather is not as pleasant for being outdoors, it is actually a time of renewal and rest.  And I need both. 

So, here's to a new season and new beginnings.  

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Some people believe that Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year."  I beg to differ!  Fall, indeed, IS the most wonderful time of the year.  The weather is perfect with cool breezes and crisp air. The smell of the first fire of the season burning and leaves floating and cart wheeling from the trees makes me want to get out the marshmallows and graham crackers and go digging through my drawers for my long sleeved t-shirts and Smart Wool.  There is definitely something comforting about this time of year.

We seem to gather together with such ease during this time of year, as well.  There is no rush.  No presents to buy and not a million places to be.  We just get to BE.  And that is a wonderful thing.  We get to dress our kids in costumes and eat their Halloween candy ( a perk of being a parent).  We get to come together for a meal in thanks to God for His love and blessings and for each other.  There really is no better time.

I don't know if my sentiments have changed your mind about what truly is the most wonderful time of the year.  All I know is that whatever that time of year might be for you, that it may be full of the same comforts and joys that I experience during the fall.

From Registered Nurse to Farmer

If you know me, you may not believe what I, along with my husband, have been embarking upon these days.  Never would I have thought myself to become what I am right now.  To give you some background,  I have been a registered nurse for the last 8 years working with sick people to newborn babes, from surgery to home health.  With that said, what I am doing now is a far cry from the maternity ward, stethoscopes, specimens or IV's.  I have officially become a farmer.  And not just any farmer, but a Pumpkin Farmer.  What?!  I have been saying the same thing to myself for the past 3 months when my husband and I began handplanting our pumpkins seeds.  And that really isn't even the beginning.  My husband used a hand tiller to prepare the land, only for it to be washed and soaked by Tennessee's Flood of 2010.  Thankfully, we did not have any seeds planted at the time, and were blessed with the generosity of someone tilling the land with an actual tractor the second go round instead of my husband having to use the hand tiller again which originally took him a week.  (The tractor got it done in about 30 minutes.)  So, here we are in the midst of an attempt at growing enough pumpkins to have a pick your own patch this fall of 2010.  It has been long hours, excruciating heat, and mostly a lot of praying that has brought us this far.  I hope you will join me and my family on our journey to sharing a little bit of land, some big orange fruit, and  faith that God provides in ways we could not have imagined.