a thursday sunset

dreamin' of homesteading

The first time I saw a Mother Earth News magazine, the cover drew me in. The contents inside were inspiring and enlightening and kept me wanting more. So since then in 1997, almost every subscription has graced my mailbox.

Homesteading has been in my constant interest for years.
One of my dreams is to live off the land as much as possible.

Reading through this Farmama's blog amazes me more & more with each new post. She spends her days working hard to live "closer to being self-sufficient".

Having never acutally worked on a farm before, I do feel as if I'm cut out for it. Dirt & sweat don't bother me. (However I do have an issue with some insects). My 19th summer, I worked at a local paper mill where my dad was employed. Instead of signing up for the cushy desk job where most of the girls went, I opted for the hard hat & steel toe boots. There was lots of safety yellow painting & being put in some smelly, dark places.

We have a garden now (& also compost), that I don't tend to since Terry & his family keep up with it. I just get to reap the benefits. But adding chickens, a goat, & a bigger garden would be a great start.
I imagine taking my veggies, fruits, & herbs to our local farmer's market. Selling eggs, knitting projects, & maybe even honey (sure.. let's get some bees, too).

We all have dreams. Or I think we all should anyway. And I know this dream of mine will slowly come true.

a fall, (almost) full moon, friday fire

Since last night was a clear night with an almost full moon, we decided to have some friends over for a fire. We gathered up our cardboard (i know..burning it isn't very environmentally friendly, we probably should shred it for our compost pile) and a truck load of wood.

The moon was bright, the breeze chilly, but the fire kept us warm. No flashlight was needed for the walk on the dock. Across the creek, there were signs of another group of folks enjoying the autumn night. I am loving this time of year!

an outer banks wedding

Our friends, Candace & Tony, got married this past weekend in Kill Devil Hills. I went to high school with Candace, but we never spent any time together. Since she started dating Tony, we've become closer & I'm grateful for it. She is a fun, care-free, positive woman who also happens to be a great mama to 2 well behaved boys.

Candace had asked me to take pictures at the wedding. And even after I told her that I had no camera, she borrowed one from a friend for me.
The day of the wedding, the weather was perfect. Blue sky, slight breeze.. upper 60's. The bride & groom never seemed to stop smiling.

Dancing, delicious food, wine & beer, toasts, cake, & even a couple of boys "falling" into the pool.. Yes, it was a great time!
I have to throw one in of me & Terry, mostly to document his tie attire. ;)

For the weekend, we stayed with a few friends at a time share on the ocean. Not a bad place at all, to enjoy my morning coffee.

the Festy

This weekend Terry & I traveled west to the Blue Ridge mountains for the Festy festival. We met up with Tracy, Layla, & friends & family of theirs to camp for the weekend & listen to some great music. The weather was perfect & campfires were allowed, which made for a even more fun experience.

It was so awesome spending time with Layla. It was her first overnight camping festival & she is definetly a true festivarian. We played games like Uno & Trouble, along with taking some of her "tests" & introducing me to Word Bird (just like hangman) She's quite a bright girl!


Layla is taking violin lessons.. well, she's had one lesson so far. Here she is using a makeshift fiddle that she made up all on her own. I thought this was super cool!

There was so much amazing music the entire weekend. Some on stages (my faves were Larry Keel, Railroad Earth, & Infamous Stringdusters) & some in the campground.


The festival grounds were beautiful! And Devils Backbone Brewery was right on site. ;) There was also face painting (Layla got a butterfly), rock wall climbing, cornhole, & hoola hooping. It's always hard to leave a setting like that, but now it's back to reality. Hope you had a nice weekend!

this thursday morning

No school work to do.
No library for me today.
Enjoying this morning on my porch.
Watching the sun shimmer off the water.
With my trusty mug of french press coffee.
And a rice cake with almond butter.
Looking forward to the day ahead.
But loving this moment now.