Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

In My Garden - Mid August

My garden has come a long way since May.

I am enjoying cut flower bouquets from my dahlias, raspberries, and cucumbers, and we just started getting a few red tomatoes.

It looks like we will have an abundant grape harvest and lots of apples.

The changes I made to this garden space have helped make this garden more manageable and appealing to me. 

This year I am also putting less pressure on myself to can and preserve, as our big family seems to have no problem consuming our fresh garden without waste.

This garden and the balance of the joys and challenges of it all continue to be an active part of my summer season rhythms.

 And, this space continues to produce abundantly. 

A Mid-Week Escape to the Shore

Grand Marais

Britton Peak Mountiain Bike Trails - Tofte
Tetteguche State Park

James and I are just back from a mid-week escape to the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Occasions to spend time together like this are few and far between, so we are calling this part of our 20th-anniversary celebration, which we will officially mark in mid-October.

We had a lovely time together where we enjoyed good food, tried out new-to-us bike trails, and spent time rock-picking on the shore.  

I am glad we made this getaway happen!

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

 

Snapshots from Voyageurs National Park

We are just settling back home after four days of camping in Voyageurs National Park.  We have been doing this for several years now and have been making beautiful memories.  

Enjoy these snapshots from our trip and be delighted by the beauty and bounty of this beautiful area of Northern Minnesota:

Summer Blues

I am finding wild blueberries plentiful enough this year to have some surplus to put on a tray in my freezer to collect for the winter. This blueberry bounty makes me feel grateful we are not in the position where we were last summer with wildfires and drought. 

The rhythms of the seasons are persisting and here in July, were are blueberry picking, lake swimming, and ready to embark upon our annual boat camping trip.

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

Our Adventures in Iceland

Our family trip to Iceland was an adventure! 🇮🇸 

We were blessed with great weather and safe travels.

I am full of gratitude for this time, these experiences, and the memories made with my favorite people.

❤️

Snapshots of June

The wildflowers are blooming, we have spotted green berries, the garden is growing, walleye are being harvested from our local lakes, and I am enjoying opportunities for mountain bike and trail running outings. 

It feels like June!

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

My garden is in!

 

Yesterday, 5/24/22, was the official start of my zone 3 gardening season.

This year I am making some changes to my approach, to make this space feel more manageable and appealing to me.

I have been gardening for many years, and this space has produced abundantly. 

I have kept it up by weeding and watering and making the most out of the bounty by harvesting, canning, and drying.

It has been a lot of work.  I have made some small changes over the years and this year I have reconfigured my garden, again,

and I am actually excited about it!

This year I have planted and plan to maintain what I  want to tend and nurture,

which really aligns with the ideas I expressed in my most recent Taproot Magazine contribution "Not Quite Walden."

This year my garden includes:

four Valiant grapevines, three rows of Boyne raspberries, four Early Girl tomato plants, one cherry tomato plant,

a patch of pickling cucumbers, and ten dahlia plants.

I have laid down rolls of matting to create pathways and to deter the weeds.

My husband helped move the gate entry centered, rather than offset to the side, to create a more symmetrical garden design.

I am feeling good about this space. It feels far less overwhelming and I am looking forward to a harvest of a mix of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. 

Time will tell how this garden space comes together, but as of now, I am happy that my garden is in and ready to grow.

A Trip to the Shore

This Mother's Day, I enjoyed a day trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior with my crew.

The waterfalls were flowing and we were entertained, as always on the shore, throwing and collecting rocks.

It was a gift to spend the day whole day together as a family.

Taproot Magazine Issue 50::SOW

 Taproot Magazine - Issue 50::SOW is in print!

I recently received my copy and was able to see the product of my most recent contribution to this lovely magazine in my own hands.

In this issue, I shared both text and images for:

"Not Quite Walden"

Writing for magazines is a creative outlet that I thoroughly enjoy. Thoughts and ideas formulate in my mind, then are transferred thoughtfully and intentionally to words in print on my computer screen.   My completed articles are then sent to my editors, who polish my words, and graphic designers or illustrators who complement my writing and work their magic with the layout on the pages. When all is ready the magazines are published and sent out into the world for others to read.   When I pull up to my rural mailbox and receive a magazine that includes my contribution, I always get a rush of excitement and a feeling of joy and accomplishment!  

And, as I have mentioned before, writing for Taproot Magazine is a certain kind of special. 

I hope you find the opportunity to get your hands on a copy and read the article that I wrote about our family's narrative about life on our small hobby farm and how I am working to live a life that is grounded with purpose and connection, as well as balance and joy!

 

 

Winter Lake Harvest

The boys and I enjoyed some time outside together fishing on a frozen lake through holes in the ice. We were successful in our lake harvest, and got a great dose of spring sunshine, just before winter weather returned once again.