week 52: and with that...
this week on the little dream farm
Happy New Year’s Eve, friend!
I hope this 52nd and final Farm Note of the year finds you and yours happy, healthy, and well rested as we tie a bow (or maybe slam the door, if that’s the kind of year you’ve had) on 2023.
Here on the farm, Chris and I spent the week in heaven! We had a wonderful, quiet Christmas at home and made a lovely prime rib dinner, took some fun holiday photos with the animals, plopped ourselves down on the couch for holiday movies, and made the absolute most of our time together.
Neither one of us had to work this week—a full week of freedom to do as we wish and we took full advantage of it!
We took down the farm’s perimeter electric fencing that’s used for the LDF cows. All the fiber glass posts and electric strand wire gets stored until spring when it has to be set up again. It needs to be taken down so that our neighbor can mow along our perimeter, but also because it helps keep the equipment in better condition when it’s not out in the winter elements, too.
We’re finishing up our mega house clean out which feels SO very good! Next year, I’m going to plan to do this in October or November so that it’s not taking up our last weeks of the year, but our home feels lighter, more roomy, and it feels like a weight has been lifted from all the stuff we were hanging onto that we no longer need!
That’s a big theme of mine going into 2024—letting go of what no longer aligns with who I am, with what we want, with what makes sense for us here on this farm. Having my job end so abruptly like it did and then getting the not-so-awesome Hashimoto’s health news was like a wake-up call for me. It thankfully has turned out for the best at the moment, but having the rug pulled out from under me like that and struggling so hard to find a job in the civilian world made me do a lot of thinking, self-reflection, and decision-making for what’s next beyond this current contract I’m now under.
It made me really search my soul and ask myself what I really want, and more importantly, what have I been holding back on? And in asking those questions, I decided that anything that does not align with what I truly want, now has to go in order to make room for what is to come.
We’ve been quiet on social media this week, partly because I am wading through this process for myself, but also because we wanted to make the most of our uninterrupted time together.
On Thursday we hopped in the car and drove up to Burlington, Vermont and we had ourselves quite a nice adventure! We ate at the most amazing Turkish restaurant for breakfast and then walked the streets of downtown Burlington and stumbled on the coolest tea house, too. We sat and sipped a flight of tea together and had a long, deep conversation about life…something I’ve always valued so much about our relationship.
On Friday we hopped back in the car and headed to Keene, New Hampshire and stopped at one of our favorite coffee shops for the best maple latte and an incredible breakfast, and then walked around their adorable little main street. We then popped over to Brattleboro, Vermont where we walked around and stopped at a few shops and enjoyed how busy and full of energy it was. Finally, we stopped in Wilmington, Vermont where we love to drive through their little main street and stop at our favorite farm market for all kinds of local goodies—meats, cheeses, fresh cider donuts, local ferments, chocolates…so many things!
And finally, to round out the week, Chris is in NYC for a night to visit with a friend and I’m getting to spend a Saturday evening at home with the fireplace going, candles lit, the Furmers all sleeping around me, the donkeys tucked into their cozy run-in shed, and the chickens all huddled up together on the roost in the coop. It’s just the kind of night I needed!
All is well here on the farm and in our hearts, and we’re beyond grateful for the blessings all around us.
2023 was an incredible and challenging and growth-filled year. In so many ways it didn’t go anything like we’d expected, but in a lot of ways it feels like the year that led me, specifically, a heck of a lot closer to so much healing and surrendering. I know I’m making that vague…but I also know I plan to share with you more about it in the coming year.
As far as reflection goes, may I just say that this Farm Note was one of the absolute highlights of this year! When we published the very first Farm Note on January 7, 2023, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just wanted and felt like I needed a way to talk with and connect with you off social media. I can’t thank you enough for subscribing, for reading, for making us a part of your routine by reading each week and catching up with us here on the farm, and for all the ways you’ve made our year so much brighter. Maybe you don’t necessarily feel like you’re doing anything for us, but you spending your time with us means more to me than you know, and we thank you!!
I’ve been planning away for the 2024 editions of the Farm Note and I’m really curious to hear from you—what would you like to see more of next year? Are you interested in more how-tos? More on gardening? More on how we strategize and schedule things? More food? Do you want more hands-on info? Is there something you’re dying to learn from us or better understand how we do certain things? Do you just like that this Farm Note is a review of our week? I really, truly want to know what you think so please, if you have a moment and there’s something that comes to mind, leave a comment below and let me know what you’d like to see more of in 2024!
And with that…our friends…I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve and that you get everything you could ever want and more in 2024…that you make this coming year the best you’ve had by far!
Maybe it was some of the holiday sweet treats, but whatever it was my face was not loving it! Thankfully I recently discovered these pimple patches and I am telling you, they are a total game changer. I am a recovering face picker and these little patches have saved me time and again from picking at my skin. Instead, you just pop one of these patches over your pimple before bed, and voila! It zaps all the gunk right out of it. I even wore one while we were out and about this week—they’re pretty discreet! Do yourself a favor and order a few packs, you’ll love them!
Ok, ok, ok! You asked and you shall receive. Got a few messages about the sweater I wore on Christmas and have to say that you can never have enough simple, timeless pieces for your wardrobe. I really don’t buy a lot of print, bold color, or one-off type things that I know I won’t wear regularly. This sweater is staying in the usual rotation, for sure!
In need of a warm puffer jacket you can roll up to pack and take anywhere with you? I just needed a better winter chore coat this year, so that was my reasoning for getting this one, but it would make for a perfect travel jacket or one to have on hand to roll up and throw in your bag when the weather is sort of in-between. It’s such a great price! Size up one if you want more room to wear bulkier clothes underneath.
I’m setting some BIG goals this year to match some of the BIG dreams I’ve been sitting on for far too long. That’s requiring me to really level up my mindset and how I spend my time. So, I’m reading this book as an inspiration for strategizing my schedule and how I intend to reach those goals and I’m loving how it’s motivating me to take action!
The Furmers absolutely love this cat scratcher. I just ordered our third one since they completely destroyed the current one—thankfully they last a few years, even with seven cats all using it! But they can’t get enough of it. Every few years I try to refresh some of the scratchers after they really wear out. This one is a Furmer favorite!
*Note: Not all, but some of these links are affiliate links. That’s no matter to you, as it costs you nothing. However, if you make a purchase, we -may- receive a teeny weeny commission.
Hi! I would love to see more on your meals during the work week, and of course the cats! How do you maintain a sense of calm all the time?
Hi! I enjoy the weekly roundup of mostly the animals: cats, donkeys, chickens; and what you have been up to. I also love hearing about your philosophies on life.
All the best for 2024! 🎉💞