Friendships, the best Christmas presents ever!

I hope that everyone has had a very Merry Christmas!

This year, I wasn't sure what Christmas would bring to us.  We had moved away from where most of our friends and family lived, and hadn't lived here long enough to make a lot of new friends yet.  But we found out that it is not in the quantity of friends, but in the quality!

A few months ago, most of our neighbors had been mere acquaintances.  Talking for a few minutes as you both found yourself outside, checking the mail, etc.  Most of them still are, but one in particular has turned out to be a great guy.

He has been there for us at every turn in the last few months, and I hope that we have made a difference in his life, too.  It's funny how real friendships can start sometimes.  He just happened to be talking to my husband, when I called for a ride.  My hubby asked him if he wanted to come along for the ride to pick me up from work.  After a fantastic meal of Chinese food, he was definitely no longer in the mere acquaintance category.

This auspicious beginning paved the way into inviting him over for movies and dinner on Friday nights, and so much more.  We knew that he has had some hard times this year, and hoped that our friendship helped him take his mind off of things, if only for a little while.

Yesterday, the hubby and I weren't sure what we would be doing for Christmas Day.  But, we ended up spending it with a great guy.  He went all out and made a whole Christmas meal for us. The conversation was enlightening and fun, the food was delicious and neverending, and the entertainment was, well,...entertaining!!  "Elf" on the big screen brings on the Christmas cheer, and then the guys all enjoyed watching YouTube videos that involved power toys, speed and crashes!

I miss spending times with my old friends, but new friends can be just as special.  I am so glad that we have taken the time to get to know a fascinating man.  His friendship with us has truly become a wonderful Christmas present!

And friendships are some of the best Christmas presents ever!!

Three-day Weekends...

     Three-day weekend...whatever shall I do?  Hopefully, a little of everything, if I am lucky! My husband and I have several projects that we want to complete this weekend, but other than that just plan on enjoying each day as much as possible.
     We just moved to a new area and have been busy exploring the county as much as possible. Between local festivals and county sightseeing spots, we have kept ourselves busy just having fun!
     Last weekend, it was to a neighboring town for a Tractor Show, that also featured pioneer living and flea markets. My hubby and I both had a blast enjoying our own interests and learning a little more about the other's.
     So, who knows what this weekend has in store. Will it be more exploring, or just getting the TV and DVD player hooked up for a movie or two? I vote for errands, a small project or two, a little exploring and, maybe, still time for a movie.
     What do you think~Can I fit it all in? What does your weekend hold in store for you? I would love to hear what is going on in your world!

Back after these messages...LOL

     Yes, it has been a while since my last posting, but so, so much has been happening in that time.  So, I was being thrown into real life for a while, but not having the time to stop and write about it. Don't you hate when that happens...

     Seriously though, the hubby and I are back on track to making our dreams a reality.  We spent several months in my old hometown, housesitting for relatives.  It was property that has been in my family for about 4-5 generations, or over 150 years.  While it was fantastic being back on my grandparent's farm again after all these years, it wasn't our path for us to stay there. 

     My passions in life seem to revolve around reading, libraries, genealogy, writing and photography. Well, I have been fortunate enough to find a job that appears to combine all of these into one position.  I am now the adult services librarian for a small town in Indiana.  I have already scheduled programs for the fall for smartphone photography, genealogy classes and so much more.  On top of that, the job has a lot less stress everyday than what I am used to dealing with for the last decade. 

     So, while making the transition back to following the dream (just had a short detour, is all!) has been a little crazy, I am excited and feel blessed to have a job that I love going to everyday, and then get to come home to our country place with beauty and wildlife all around me!  Except the bugs~I could do without the bugs!!

Loving the life!  How about you?

Dreamchaser Spotlight

     Promises, Promises...I am truly a woman of my word!  It may take me a little while, but I will always follow through on my promises.  Today, I am more than excited to keep one of those promises.  I have been inspired to follow my own heart because I have met some quite adventurous people that are following their passions everyday.

     A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman by the name of John Ivanko at the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.  Although I didn't get a chance to meet his wife, Lisa Kivirist, that day, I would love to sit down and talk with her soon, also.  John and Lisa are self-professed "former advertising agency fast-trackers" who choose to  leave the city life of Chicago and followed their passions to the Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast in Wisconsin. 

    They are they authors of several books, including Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life, ECOpreneuring: Putting Purpose and the Planet Before Profits, and Homemade for Sale:  How to Set Up and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen.  Together, they are the owners of the Inn Serendipity Farm and Bed & Breakfast. Natural Home recognized the Inn as one of the "top 10 eco-destinations in North America".  It is an organic farm and business that is also completely powered by the wind and sun.  They also have found a way to make other passions a part of their life:  photography, writing, cooking, speaking. 

     I hope you enjoy learning more about these fascinating adventurous people.  They are truly an inspiration to anyone wanting to know how to make your dreams a reality.  If you would like to learn more about John and Lisa, please visit their website, http://www.innserendipity.com/, or go to Amazon to take a learn more about their books. 

Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko

 

          1.  What is your dream? 

Live in a way that makes the world a better place.  Over the years, that's come to take the form of how we generate electricity with a 10kW Bergey wind turbine and our work in the organic growing fields where we produce about 70 percent of  the ingredients we need for our Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast and our personal needs.  The extra electricity is sold back to the utility.  The surplus of produce is then sold to local restaurants, B&B guests or other farms (in the case of our seed garlic).  Everything is interconnected, so our dream was to make those connections to meet our food, energy, living and financial needs in way that doesn't destroy the planet and yield the greatest degree of satisfaction and happiness.

2.  Was any kind of "large leap" needed to make your dreams come true?

Completely redefine "wealth" and to a large degree, "success."  In our culture, both tend to be measured in dollars and cents.  However, we measure wealth in the health of our soil, time spent together with our son (we home-school him) and quality of the foods we savor every day.  We may never be millionaires, but we sure eat like one.  

3. What were some of the small steps that you were able to make until you made the "big leap"?

Relearning the skills of self-reliance, which we explore at length in our book Rural Renaissance and along the culinary sides in Farmstead Chef.  From cooking in the kitchen to caring for our son (without daycare or babysitters), from generating our electricity on site to harvesting and "working up" the downed hardwood we use to heat our modest farmhouse, the multiplicity of steps over the now 19 years translated to tens of thousands of dollars we never had to earn.  What we did with the money we would have paid to grocery stores, restaurants and the utility companies we used to pay down our mortgage ("death pledge" we call it in our talks at the Mother Earth News Fairs).  Now we're death pledge-free, which is incredibly freeing.  We never set out to be the richest person in the cemetery.  Our focus is on quality of life, not quantity of things.  The planet is not made up of things, after all.  It's made up of relationships:  bees and flowers, husband, wife and kids -- and community potlucks! 

 

 

 

4. What convinced you to make any big changes to your life?

Every living system is in decline.  Climate change means our growing season is widened on both ends by at least two weeks, and extreme weather is so common that the weather report is now called the Extreme Weather Report.  If we don't change, who will?  In our ECOpreneuring book we write about being the change we seek in the world.  It can simply start with a tomato plant or a jar of pickles you share with a friend.

5. On a day-to-day basis, how are you making everything work?

We're always shuffling priorities.  Life can be messy and increasingly, unpredictable.  Like we eat, we live seasonally.  Our farm and the B&B is the priority in the summer months, our writing and speaking more the focus during the long winters in Wisconsin.  To keep everything in balance, we tend to let our livelihood dictate our projects for the season, with a keen eye on diversification.  We follow nature's lead in so many ways.  If it's a nice day, work outside; if it's cold, cocoon inside and work on an article.  Permaculture simplifies this process in a way that's accessible and appealing to us.

6. What words of advice do you have for our readers?

Start a business or enterprise, built around a passion.  We wrote our latest book, HOMEMADE FOR SALE (homemadeforsale.com) for those amazing bakers and jammers out there who, at least in 42 states, can start a food business from their home kitchen.  Like we did with our pickles and sauerkraut, turn your love of artisanal food into a small business, strengthen your local economy, build community and savor the abundance.

We use our business to make the world a better place.  We live in one of the most amazing, business-friendly nations in the world.  Harness the power of free enterprise to create a place more beautiful, more sustainable and more convivial to all life.  Our books address this idea in very practical and accessible ways.  Also, we can't emphasize enough the power of the potluck, of sharing the surplus with neighbors and friends.

One last thing, never take your great health for granted.  We never know how long we have on this Earth.  Enjoy every moment and live life to it's fullest.  This is why we often end our presentations with the "strawberry story".  If you missed it, here it is from our ECOpreneuring book:

Eat the Strawberry

A friend visiting the farm recently wore a T-shirt emblazoned with a photo of a big,

juicy-looking strawberry and the words “Eat the Strawberry.” When asked the origin,

he explained that he actually had designed — and sold — the shirt himself,

based on spreading the inspiration he drew from the following fable of Buddhist

origin.

A man was jogging through the woods when, all of a sudden, he realized

he was being chased by a tiger. Surprised to encounter a tiger,

he didn’t contemplate why there was a tiger in the woods but rather

started running for his life — until he ran up against the edge of a

steep cliff. Peering down over the edge, he saw a second hungry tiger

waiting for him at the bottom. Unable to run forward or jump down,

the man noticed a small branch growing out from the side of the cliff

a few feet below where he stood. He jumped and hung on the

branch, not knowing what his next move would be but realizing that

this way he’d at least be alive. Then he saw two small mice intensely

chewing away on the branch, now slowly cracking and about to fall

off. Suddenly, the man caught a glimpse of a single bright red, ripe

strawberry growing from a rambling vine within his easy reach right

above his head. The man picked the strawberry and popped it into

his mouth, readily absorbed by the juicy flavors of this ruby treasure.

It was the best strawberry he ever ate.

While this man’s fate and the tragic ending stands clear, the fable symbolizes the

life journey we share. The tigers represent death, and the mice stand for time, two

inevitable facets of life that will come eventually to all of us. The strawberry reminds

us to live in the moment, to enjoy and savor what is ripe and readily picked when

we have that opportunity, not to be sorry over the inevitable that can’t be controlled.

As ecopreneurs, we remind ourselves to live in the present, take advantage

of opportunity and act on our livelihood dreams before the inevitable tigers and

mice catch up with us and we’re left with regrets. So, eat the strawberry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libraries and their Fantasticness!! National Library Week

     

             

                 Shelby County Public Library

Batesville Memorial Public Library

       Spring fever...are you suffering from some of the symptoms?  I know that I am!!  I can't wait to get out of the house and get stuff done on days like today.  Here in Indiana, it is a beautiful 71 degrees and sunny.  I am not a fan of the really, really hot or cold days, but I absolutely live for days like today.  The funny thing is, that I am spending a good portion of my beautiful spring day indoors...in my
favorite place in the world~~the public library!
        Thank you for bearing with me as I am still trying to maintain the blog without a laptop or internet service at home.  I cannot say enough about how important the public library has been to me and the blog in the last year.  My only problem right now, is that sometimes my free time and the library's hours don't quite match.  If I could only talk them into being open 24/7, that would be fantastic!!  But, my guess is that they won't exactly go for that... Oh, well,  I can keep trying!!!
       I bring up the library and it's fantasticness, because this is National Library Week!  I have been wanting to write a blog post, and where do I need to go~the library.  I have some research to do regarding a book that I am writing~~go to the library.  I am trying to look up some family tree info, in time for our family reunion this fall~~again the library.  Also, want to get my next Debbie Macomber book and a movie or two~~you guessed it, the library!
     Next up, sending emails to my favorite inspiring dreamchasers:  Jenna Woginrich (coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com), Sandy James (www.sandy-james.com) and John Ivanko (www.innserendipity.com).  I would still love for you to get to know them sometime soon!  They have kept me striving toward my dreams for some time now.  By their inspiration, my husband and I have started following our dreams and are working toward them everyday.

     But I will save those ramblings for another day...

     If you do nothing else today, please at least check out the websites above.  Believe me, you won't be disappointed!  And also, get to your favorite library and tell them thank you for everything! Librarians love to be appreciated...I hear that they love chocolates, cash and flowers, too!  Probably, more cash than anything!!  LOL

     If you can't get to the library, go to their Facebook page and let them know that way instead.  Just show your love somehow!!!

      Right Brandy?!

Woo hoo!! Yippee!!

Spring has finally sprung!!

     I don't know if you can tell or not, but I am excited!!! Oh, get your mind out of the gutter!!!  LOL. I am so, so tired of winter!  I know spring officially started a few weeks ago, but that means nothing until I start seeing the first flowers.

And here they are! Aren't they just gorgeous, and colorful, and just so springy (is that a word to use, or does that just refer to Slinkies and Jack Russell terriers?!) Oh, well~ I am using it anyway!

I hope all of you are enjoying these first signs of spring as much as I am!  If not, slow down and look around...you will start seeing them yourself!

I give you permission to stop and just enjoy the fantabulousness of spring and all that it has to offer us!

And also may you have a blessed and joyeous Easter weekend!!

Let's Spring Forward!!

     Hey, I have nothing against winter...  I actually love the  beautiful winter days where it looks like you are standing in the middle of a snow globe!   I have gotten many fantastic wintry pictures in the last month or so. None yesterday, dagnabbit...because my phone was acting up, but here is a good one from a few days ago, before Mother Nature decided to pile on some more of the white stuff yesterday.
    
   

    The snow coming down yesterday was absolutely gorgeous! But, I will tell you what... I am more than ready to take some spring shots, too. I would love to see this tree with leaves on it and a gorgeous sunset behind it.

 

  Is anyone else with me?

 

 Are you more than ready for spring, too??

   

Turn, turn, turn...

     Do you remember when you were a kid, and you were told that you could be anything that you wanted to be?  Some of us decided that we were going to be ten things at once!!  Ah, the good ole days!!
 
     I have been feeling like that little kid lately.  And no, not because I act so juvenile!!  Well, maybe it is!! Anyway, it is honestly just because I feel like no matter where we turn lately, we are getting choices in front of us that will take us down completely different paths than the choice next to it.  It feels kinda like I'm standing at a crossroads and all of the roads look like a fantastic adventure. 

     So, which road to take?  This is a fantastic feeling!  I love having the freedom to go wherever I would like.  But, it also brings on a lot of thinking and deciding what is most important.  What is on the different life lists that I have going on in my head and heart?

     What are life lists, you ask?  They are those lists that we have consciously, or even subconsciously, been rewriting throughout our lives.  Some of you might have actually gotten them on paper!  These are the lists that help us figure out what we want out of life. 

     So, I think that I will finish this post with a list of lists.  This list is the one that I will finish filling in for myself. 

     And it just might help you out, too.  By defining what is most important to you, it could give you just the direction you need you keep going forward toward the life you want, one step at a time!

Life Lists to Ponder

• What is most important to me?
• What makes me the most content?
• What is on my bucket list?
• At the end of my life, what would I like to look back on and say, "Wow, what a ride"!

What would you do?

     Bungee-jumping? Beekeeping? RVing across country?  What do all of these have in common? They can be any of your possible answers to the following question:

     If you had unlimited resources, what would you do? 

     Someone asked me that question the other day, and I thought it was a good question for all of you, too.  If there was nothing to stop you, what would you like to do with your life? 

   

     

Winter Walk

Beautiful Winter Sky

      Since I wasn't sure how long the snow would last today, I decided to get out and take a walk with my camera.  The snow on the ground froze my toes, but I was able to get some beautiful shots.  Even the clouds cooperated with me, especially in this picture. 

     So, if you love looking at the beauty of a winter's scene, but just don't wanna get cold...then enjoy my winter's walk.  It is so much nicer to enjoy a winter's walk inside at your computer, with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee by your side and a blanket on your lap!!

     So, stay warm and enjoy the beauty!!

Walk in the Woods

Snowy tree Scene

3 Guys 3 Questions Podcast

     Aaaahhh!!!!  I am showing my lack of technical abilities here!!  I have tried all different ways to add the podcast to the blog, so that it will continuously give the most update podcast.  I will have to figure out a way to get the blog "subscribed" to be able to do that!  I will probably be asking Adam, he will most likely be able to do it in no time flat!

     In the meantime, please click on the following link, http://3g3q.co/ , and it should take you right to their website.  Listen to a few of their shows.  Enjoy.  Subscribe, and follow them.  It is that easy!

     I love that these young men are taking something that is of interest to them and just running with it!  They could have just sat in their rooms talking about starting a show.  But they chose to take the next step and follow through on it, and voila, a podcast is born.  They enjoy it, they hope that you enjoy it, and that just makes life more enjoyable!! 

     So, enjoy, and tell me what you think.  While you are on their website, let them know what you think, too.  And in the meantime, I will continue to try to get the podcast to be loaded onto the blog...just bare with me!!

Cool Changes to the Blog

    Change is good, or so I've heard.  So, I am making some changes to the blog and I hope that you enjoy the improvements!  The first thing that you will notice is that I have added additional pages that you will find in the tabs along the top.

     As part of my New Year's resolution to enjoy each day more, I have chosen to throw some of my interests into the blog on separate pages.  If you share those interests at all (or just wanna be nosy), you can see what I have to say or show you.  Who knows, you may be interested too!  I would love to hear your comments on my posts and to get some interesting conversations going.

    I have always loved photography, but been scared of wasting all that film over the years.  But digital photography has changed all that!  Now, if I don't like my pictures, I can just hit the delete button and pretend they never existed!  And you guys get to enjoy all the fruits of my labor in this area!  By clicking on that heading, you can check out my view on the world.  It may be twisted, it may be beautiful...only you can decide what it means to you!

    I am also excited to spotlight some of my favorite people...the adventurous, the dreamers, the doers!  They are the ones that are starting on their dreams while working full-time jobs. They are sometimes taking the jump into the unknown, if possible.  Sometimes, they are just making the little jumps and just trying out new interests.

     If I can get it to load up right, today I will be adding another new twist that spotlights my stepson, Adam, along with two of his friends.  It is a podcast called "3 Guys 3 Questions".  They each come to the podcast with a question that all three of them have to answer.  I hope that you will enjoy this new feature (and I hope that my limited technical ability will allow me to load it!!)  If not, it may be another day before you can enjoy, but I will accomplish this somehow!

     Wish me luck with the podcast!!  And I hope that you enjoy the additions to the blog!  Keep following along and let me know what you think...the good, the bad, and the ugly!!

Make the most of each and every day!

     Happy New Year!!! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful beginning to the new year.  Whether you partied out with friends or stayed home with family, we all welcomed in the new year with wishes for good health and many blessings.

     This year, I am making only one resolution:  To make the most of each and every day! 

     Life is too short to do anything else.  Spend quality time with friends and family.  Follow your dreams. Take that trip.  Pull out that special china.  It doesn't matter what this means to you.  Just enjoy!

     I have people in my life that think that I've lost my mind with some recent changes that I've made.  Maybe I have lost my mind, ...that is beside the point!  LOL

     But the truth is, I am happy with where life is taking me.  I am making changes everyday that are taking me in the direction that I want to go.  I am no longer just existing and making it through each day.  I have taken control of where I am going and I love it!

     With the start of the new year, I am going to continue more of the same.  I plan on adding more of my interests to this blog.  So, if you have an interest in the same area, please follow along.  I also know some fascinating people that have done just that and I would like to introduce you to them.  They have chosen to start their own blogs or podcasts.  They have started a writing career while still teaching.  They are starting a homestead on their own.

     Once you meet some of these people, you will no longer question following your own dreams.  You will realize that it is just a choice that you make everyday to do something that you love to do.  So, don't let anything stop you this year from what you love (unless it is illegal or immoral...that should stop you! LOL).  But for everything else, go for it!

    Who knows?  It might be you that I will be spotlighting by 2016 because you will be an inspiration to other, too!