Red Dirt Farm and Studio

Intentions for this new year of hope.

 

 

 

To keep myself grounded and connected to nature.  To take pause and honor the gifts around me from nature.  To spend more time with my camera.

I am also putting my intentions out there to start writing my first book this year – stories from the farm.

 

 

 

Amber Ale chick is doing better, but I fear that as soon as she is returned to the flock, she will fall ill again.  I have to tell her to eat and drink, something she should be doing on her own.  She has a good appetite but needs me to encourage her.  Getting her to drink is a bit more of a challenge.  I went to a local gift shop yesterday and purchased a handmade pet bed for her.  She walked around it pecking at it and talking to it but did not get inside.  She lay down beside it and eventually went to sleep resting her head on the outside.  It was a beautiful sunny warm day yesterday.  I put Amber’s food bowl out on the front porch so she could get s some sun and fresh air.  She did not want to spend time outside.  She went back inside and laid down in front of the TV and went to sleep.

 

 

 

On day 9 of the 10-day quarantine, my mother-in-law started having mild COViD symptoms, the nursing care facility has decided to keep her in quarantine a bit longer.

 We are so relieved to have her doing as well as she is.  It has been a bit daunting, holding our breaths each day waiting for an update on her condition.  Such heartbreaking times for so many, we are so fortunate.

My neighbor friend mentioned that she heard a recipe on the radio that she thought would be good and wondered if it was something I knew how to make. Cheese crackers with rosemary, indeed I had made it and could do so again. So, I headed out to the garden and cut a big bunch of rosemary, and got to baking cheese crackers.  Recipe here.  I took a tray over to her fresh from the oven.  I used to make these regularly for the holidays but haven’t made them for many years.  It was an enjoyable treat.

New Year’s Eve, I was feeling a bit tired and run down, so off to bed I went by 7:00PM.  Yep, no celebration here.  The New Year had to ring in without my help.

Next week I will work on putting away the few Christmas decorations that remain.

I didn’t put that many out this year.  I found the most joy each night when I went into the bedroom and could see the lights on the barn through the lace at the window.    The glow from the old fashioned big bulb multi-colored lights hung on the barn.  Something about their simplicity speaks to my heart.

Back this summer the new main bedroom addition that we have been working on the past few years was in a ready enough state to be moved into.  I am still working on decorating and doing the finishing touches.  After sleeping in the same room for thirty years, it feels odd to be in a new space even though it is in the same house.  It is a lovely space warm and cozy and That Cat moved right in and didn’t miss a beat getting comfortable in our bed.  I have a vintage lace table cloth hung at the window.  I have gone through boxes of collections that have been packed away for years, deciding what to decorate with. It has been so enjoyable to recall the memories of these family pieces and pieces that I purchased over the years.  There are some pieces of new artwork alongside my life long collections.  It is a good space.

It’s a good place to call home.

 

I am sending you all good wishes for this new year.  May we all know it to be better.

Until next time,

xo, Kim