New place on this earth

It's been a week now that Justin and I have been at Maple Hill Farm up on Lake Shehawken near Starrucca, PA.  It's cold and snowy, creeping up to the high 40s some days but usually in the 30s.  that means spring!! 
No photos for now friends, (I can't find my camera amidst the boxes) I just wanted to post SOMETHING so you knew we were here and that the blog was up and running for your reading pleasure.  I can't promise that I'll be any better at keeping up with the blog now in 2011 than I was in 2010. (I think I did 3 posts last year?)  But I have the motivation that this may be the easiest and funnest way to keep all my family and friends in the loop without making 17 phone calls every week :)

the 8 WHRI chickens made it just fine. they were shaken up after 3 days int he moving truck but they've adapted to the cooler climate very well!We're ordering seed flats and clear plastic to repair our high-tunnel. we've decided to convert half of the high tunnel into a greenhouse rather than spend the money to buy a pre-fab greenhouse. this will be some work but will be way bigger and cheaper than what we weer thinking of getting. We just need to hurry! these seeds need to get in the pots NOW!

Justin and I purchased potting mix yesterday from Ant Hill Community Farm in Honesdale, PA.  Google them, they're pretty awesome. They wanted us to come back to hang out before the growing season gets underway and life gets hectic. We met a friend of theirs who has a huge orchard offered to come over (it's an hour drive!) to see our apple trees and help us prune them.  It was actually kind of providiential, our visit to Ant Hill Farm.  Sky (the owner) and his girlfriend had just had a home birth 2 days before and their midwife was stopping in for a postpartum visit.  How lucky for me that in one visit we met some friendly hardworking young farmers, that they happen to be into my second passion (natural birth), and that I got to meet a local (New Jersey) midwife!  I wanted to cry I was so happy.


Well that's plenty for now.  We've got a crazy week ahead of us and I need to do some planning for it. 

I love and miss all of you and am so glad you wanted me to start the blog again.


we'll talk soon :)

plans for the future

Are a bunch of crap... but I am actually going to count on as if it's reality that Justin and I will be getting married on May 30th. All these other things i will tell you about are wishful thinking, taking some faith and trust in the Divine and not worrying if they do or do not happen.

our plans:
a marriage on May 30th 2009 with flowers and music and dancing and sunshine

after this, in chronological order I hope to:
1.not get pregnant
2.lose 5-10 lbs
3.begin doula certification. seriously, I am really doing this one.
4.move to the farm with my husband as an intern Jan 2010
5.figure out a 2 year AG project/apprenticeship in a developing country within a Muslim community/people group
6.move back to texas
7.buy a milk cow
8.begin midwifery school in 2013ish
9.have lots of babies

for all this I am excited.


Yesterday Justin turned 25. We were on the Easter retreat with Hope Fellowship so the only special thing he got was brownies. So tonight I made Justin a birthday dinner. I put in a lot of planning as it was my first attempt at a couple of these things, but all of it was a great success:

Bacon wrapped fillet mignon (cooked medium well. I was shooting for medium, but Ihadn't ever grilled steaks before at all, so we were happy.)
Fresh green beans
Potatoes
Chocolate creme brule
Kendall-Jackson Meritage wine

He was pleased, and I was proud. Papaw would have been too.