The days are growing shorter as the winter solstice draws near. In my part of the world, the sun is rising close to 8 am and setting before 4:30 pm. It leaves very little time to see the garden, let alone work in it, on weekdays when we are scrambling to keep it all together. Thankfully the winter garden doesn’t need a careful eye. Regardless
Signs of the Homesteading Movement
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting down in my kitchen for an interview with garden guru P. Allen Smith (well, I was in my kitchen but Allen was in Arkansas…). He was talking with me via Skype about my book, Modern Homestead, for his public radio program Garden Home. We chatted about our personal journeys with homesteading, keeping backyard poultry, what we are preserving
High Desert Family Vacation
Every summer we flock to the high desert country around Bend, Oregon, for our version of a family vacation. After 30+ years of vacationing there, the trip always seems to mark a moment in time for me. I take morning walks when the deer are awake, but most people are still in bed. Juniper joined me in the Ergo, which for you non-parents-of-wee-ones is a
Environmental Stewardship: My Hidden Agenda
Those cold, drizzly days of winter seem like a distant memory as we soak up summertime in Oregon. I am so much in love with this blissful time of year that I refuse to leave the state between the months of July through September. Instead, summertime is a chance to show off our great state to family and friends visiting from afar. I have to
A Year of Motherhood
Why haven’t I started my indoor seeds yet? Because I have been too busy celebrating a year of motherhood with my little Leapling, Juniper. She came into the world on February 29th last year as the snow was gently falling. I remember the first walk we took to the park in our neighborhood when she met Winter Daphne, one of my favorite early blooming flowers.
Book Review: Plant-Driven Design
One of the best winter gardening activities is actually spent indoors, reading all those gardening books you never have time to get to in the growing season. I have wanted to share a few titles that I have been reading lately. Disclaimer: I am not receiving any incentive to write this review, but the book link will take you to my Amazon store page. If
More of the same, please
This has been a year of nesting, growing our family, expanding the garden, sinking our roots deeper down into our homestead and savoring where we are at in life. Our tiny 700 square foot house is just the way we want it. Cozy, warm, and designed to fit our style. The garden just grows and grows by leaps and bounds with every season. Our winter
Recipe: Apple Almond Tart
This fabulous apple almond tart recipe walked into my life recently a la All Recipes and has become a new favorite. I love it’s rustic appearance and understated sweetness. In a sea of decadent holiday desserts, this one won my heart with it’s restraint. You could use any combination of good cooking apples, although I used half Granny Smith and half Honey Crisp. The color
Homestead Baby Care
Adding a baby to the homestead has presented new challenges in our quest to live simply. When it comes to baby care, I ask myself the same questions I ask about other homestead care: how can we create the least amount of waste, save some money and minimize our environmental impact? Here are some of our strategies for natural, simple baby care. Disclaimer: I’ll mention
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