Beholden Life

In Western Pennsylvania, we don't have those bright blue sky and sunshine winters. Those are the winters I dream about.  You know, the places where you wake up and are met with sun sparkling off the freshly fallen snow? Nope, not us. Our winter seems to last almost half the year when you live through it, though the internet says it's merely "3.1". And the majority of those days are dreary, dark and gray. Often it feels like a season to just be endured.

I see you. You want to taste and see all the good this life can offer. You don't want your kids to miss out. You want to give them the world. You ...

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they displ...

It's somehow already been six months since I closed up shop- December 31, 2020. It seemed like a good "ending for now" date. And to be honest- I haven't really missed the selling piece.  I miss pieces but see very clearly it doesn't fit so well into the in a healthy and sustainable way of life that I want to lead. 

Welcome to the Chicken Chronicles- I thought it would be a little bit of fun to have a series chronicling our adventure of raising chickens. We've never had chickens and this is a new type of venture for me. I was a little hesitant about having creatures I need to feed and water every morning and night no matter the weather.  But, I hoped it would ground me and force me to get outdoors each day whether I wanted to or not.

I have had a hard time finding the words for this post trying to both spur others on and encourage in the midst of COVID-19 sweeping the globe and my country. This post has sat on my laptop for the past two weeks with two sentences painfully written. They weren't right so I wrote again and erased and then wrote again and then erased before writing this today (with plenty of erasing).

Fall is such a sweet season to me. I know I'm not alone in this because Pinterest tells me so. Living in the northeastern United States, it's a season of crisp cool air, crunchy leaves underfoot and vibrant colors above. 

Disconnecting from the constant clamor of ever streaming noise is an astoundingly loud endeavor at the beginning.  It's been almost 24 hours since arriving at a little cabin in the woods, just the four of us. No other voices to be heard, considered, checked or responded to. It's been beautiful.

Living in western Pennsylvania, the idea of elusive summer calls to me about 9 months out of the year. Our winters are long and cold and dark. I think about spring and the fleeting summer and short fall during those cold months. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in ...

still·ness /ˈstilnəs/noun the absence of movement or sound. sol·i·tude /ˈsäləˌt(y)o͞od/noun the state or situation of being alone. The...