Today

Today I am..

Feeling..That winter is truly on it's way! The pigs left yesterday in a trailer of glory - having spent their happy little lives being so easy to care for! We had no break outs, no pigs in the garden, no pigs trampling helplessly dumb chickens..no mishaps at all. It was a blessing. Getting them out of here was one giant mishap - we realized after they were loaded up that the livestock trailer couldn't turn around in our little drive, so our poor pig-hauler had to back all the way out. But he was such a trooper and never even got frustrated. God bless him!

Seeing..the differences between my left and right hand in sharp focus today. It makes me grateful that I have a husband who brings out my creative side, and frustrated that I could have been a better writer if..I'd had more romantic trauma? More time to travel? More self-discipline? Who knows..It also makes me long to wipe away the differences and have too matching hands. Perfectly balanced. But then, what would I spend my mornings studying?

Smelling.. Jasmine tea (yes, I am an addict), grapefruit, and honey. A friend is calling me on to greater homesteading as she overwhelms me from her house in the city. She's also kind enough to offer buy ins to others when she finds a good deal on all natural, raw, local honey. I now have close to 12 lbs to winter over on, and right now I've got a tablespoon smeared all over my face, with just a bit of apple cider vinegar mixed in. It's on of the best facials ever. And there's honey in my tea too..

Tasting..honey...obviously. And jasmine, and a bit of apple with almond butter that Yarrow just nestled into my mouth while I wasn't looking. She likes to share..and 'share' sometimes translates to 'force-feed mama/daddy/Luba/chickens..' She loves to terrorize the chickens buy throwing heavy foods at them and then running after them with her arms outstretched.."love you TOO chickens!!!!"

Listening.. to the whirl of the stove-fan (it runs off heat!) and the squawks of the chickens (I forgot to pen them up last night) as they continue the hunt for abandoned pig food and try desperately to break into the kitchen. 

Grateful...for a daughter whose primary joy seems to be in having pockets sewn onto all her clothes and reading "Each Peach, Pear, Plum" and "Gossie" incessantly; for a dog whose primary joy is in acting like a moody teenager and sulking on the couch all day; and for a husband who cares enough about having home-made breakfast bars and apple-pear breakfast crisp this week to buy a new elbow for the kitchen stove-pipe! And for pigs that will return in just a few days to nourish us throughout the winter with their deliciousness.

Reading..Each Peach, Pear, Plum and Gossie..I've been sort of absorbed in my own reading for a while, and Yarrow deserves a day of just her books. We'll do Caps for Sale, Corduroy, and the book of jam recipes too later, I'm sure..but I'm all baby books today.

Loving..my husband, and God, and the sausage that will be in our freezer soon, and so many things...

Hoping..to focus fully, write more, see clearly, and laugh often in this new week. And to stay warm! We're having such cold nights now..but oh my goodness did we get a lot of firewood together this past weekend!