Tag Archives: farm-life

A New Year!

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 The New Year is literally my favorite! I so love the start of a new year, all fresh and sparkly in my mind. I have been enjoying not only the holidays and Christmastide, but a feeling of energy and new beginnings in the quiet coziness. This is the beautiful blessing I often share on the New Year, from my home to yours:

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours.

-From an Old Irish Blessing, author unknown

My wishes for you in the New Year:

May this year be the one in which you are ENOUGH just the way you are.

May this year be the one in which you are content.

May this year be the one where you are loved as richly as you deserve.

May this year be one of bountiful and deep friendships, beautiful family memories, and love.

May this year be the year that you help someone else, the year of your generous spirit blossoming.

May this year be the one that is perfect for you and where you are in life and may you enjoy it abundantly!

I love the more introverted vibe of this season – nesting with blankets and hot drinks and inside fun, but still being able to go outside for a walk in the rain or bright sunshine with colder temperatures!    

January is actually one of my favorite months of the year. Suzanne Down had a beautiful little story in her most recent newsletter, and I found the public domain version of it here to share with you: https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/165/buttercup-gold-and-other-stories/2902/the-little-new-year/. It would be a lovely one to tell with puppetry for your children but it is also worth a read if you have older children or are an empty nester to remember the spirit of Christmastide and new beginnings all around!

Here are some of the days we will be celebrating in January:

January 1 – New Year’s Day

January 6– The Feast of Epiphany and Epiphanytide that stretches until Lent begins on Wednesday, February 18 this year (and Easter is on Sunday, April 5th for those of you planning ahead!)

January 18 to January 25 Week of Prayer for Chrisian Unity

January 19– Martin Luther King, Jr Day – also celebrated January 15 and April 4 in The Episcopal Church

Janaury 18– The Feast Day of St. Peter

January 25 – The Feast Day of St. Paul

Rhythm is strength, and I have things in place for the house with outside the home work, farm work, and homeschooling our tenth grader. This is key to fitting in my priority of health and family plus work! I still work for two different companies providing physical therapy and lactation services plus have my own business so the days can vary, but I am learning to streamline more. I hope to eventually move into teaching at the college level and will streamline clinical work even more.

The farm is at only three horses right now that require care. We had six horses previously, two were boarders – one horse very sadly died, one horse went to his family home as they were building a barn, and one of our horses is being leased and is at our trainer’s farm down the road. We still have two beehives plus our indoor dogs and cats. We still have many renovation projects to go in the house (this year we are renovating our master bath), and landscaping and pasture pieces to fulfill, but slowly we are getting there. This house and property has been an incredible project. We were lucky to find this during the pandemic, but it has been a ton of work with literally not one thing from insulation, plumbing, water lines, heating, etc needing to be redone up through the pastures, barn, etc. It can be overwhelming at times, but then I remember how much I wished and prayed for this place and get my gratitude on again!

I usually pick a word of the year instead of making resolutions, and this year I chose the word “ROOTED.” Do you have a word of the year to bring you focus and clarity? My past words have included words such as radiant, abundant, vibrant, bold (2023) ,replenishment, and last year was commit  This year, I have really sat with a planner, a vision board, and a prayer board and just thought about how to bring pieces of “ROOTED” to life this year and what types of support I will need to make that happen.

These are a few of the things we are enjoying this month:

  • Daily outside time – when our children were small and we lived in neighborhoods, this was mainly in the form of a daily walk, and park time. Now it is mainly in the form of barn chores but I also am starting to walk again. I actually don’t generally mind the colder weather.
  • Puzzles and board games
  • Green smoothies and juicing
  • Making freezer meals
  • Exercising – I go to the gym, and generally do a combination of hot yoga, lifting weights, and Zumba.
  • Creating
  • Going out as a couple
  • Playing with our horses, dogs, and cats
  • Beekeeping
  • Indoor microgreens!

If you are looking for fun things to do with children, these are things we have enjoyed:  Cut out paper snowflakes, including really cool 3-D snowflakes; dip candles; roll candles; play board games or card games with your children;  draw, paint, model; whittle wood; make popcorn together; bake together; play in the snow – build snow forts; have snowball fights; snowshoe; downhill or cross country ski;  ice skate on a pond; read and tell stories; build forts inside; take a walk outside in the cold – look for animal tracks or berries or birds or all of the above; knit, crochet, cross stitch, finger knit, spin, sew; sing and make music together – learn some new songs; clean, scrub, dust, work around the house – rearrange furniture; go bowling or find an indoor swimming pool to swim in; write letters to family and friends; write stories together; snuggle on the coach with hot chocolate and marshmallows; cook for a neighbor; find a place of worship to attend and get involved; throw a party; clicker train your dog, cat, or other animal; take care of plants; start seeds indoors when it it is time

On the parenting and  homeschooling front, our oldest lives and works about an hour from us but comes to farm frequently because her horse is here. Our middle child is working towards her own business in the equine industry, and our youngest is a sophomore in high school. He is enjoying being in Sea Scouts. Homeschooling doesn’t look quite like it used to when I was homeschooling three children Monday through Friday, but we still have days of homeschooling in addition to several days of classes at a local hybrid high school.

THINGS TO LOVE THIS MONTH!

Things to love this month:

The January Book Box

Warming Meals

The other thing I am really enjoying is Hearth & Home for all things homemaking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do: https://www.myhearthandhome.com/

I hope you are a member of The Child is the Curriculum for seasonal living, Waldorf homeschooling, Waldorf parenting, and support! It’s an amazing resource for those of you Waldorf homeschooling : https://www.thechildisthecurriculum.com/subscriptions/?register=1

Lastly, if you love a good book club I like to see what books they are reading here: https://everyday-reading.com/the-2026-everyday-reading-book-club-list/ I also like outdoor memoir oriented books,( have you seen the books on Rugged OutdoorsWomen on Instagram?) so I have some of those on my list for this year! Other things I am interested in is doing an art class or taking some music lessons again (I play flute). Those might be good spring, summer, and fall ideas! I hope you have some fun things planned just for you!

Looking forward to celebrating throughout the year with you and supporting you on your parenting and homeschooling journey! I would love to hear what is on your mind regarding the New Year!

Many blessings to you and Happy New Year!

Carrie

Eastertide Joy

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Happy Eastertide!  I love the season of Eastertide, which began on Easter Sunday and will last until  Pentecost Sunday (which is on June 8th this year).

I find it comforting that the spiritual journey of Lent, often hard and arduous, gives way to an even longer period of joy and yes, even fun.  There are forty days in Lent, and fifty in Eastertide, which to me signifies and marks the very adult needs of beauty, fun, and play.

Oh yes, to play.  Adults need to play!  Play is not only the realm of children. We need it as well!  Play is often the creative wellspring of adults.  I am also convinced that it is a key to adult  mental wellness.   We often seem to forget this in our drudgery of work, traffic, children’s activities, cooking meals and changing diapers and cleaning the house over and over, but  our need to play (and rest and relax) is every bit as real as our need to work and help each other.  The child inside of us is never far down if only we reach for him or her.

In this fifty days of Eastertide, I challenge you to play, to rest and relax, and to notice beauty. Find and take your joy in the ordinary moments.  They are there, even amongst the chores of housekeeping or holding tiny children.  They are there, even in the times of your teenager dealing with end of semester tests and finals.  They are there, even with your children who are feeling the call of spring and nature to be wild and untamed.   They are there, even in traffic and whizzing cars.  Find those moments and hold onto them for what they are; the seeds of creativity and relaxing love.

I am using this Eastertide to do fifty days of physical activity that nourishes me – walking and exercising, getting out in nature. My husband and I are headed to Alaska and I am excited about that!

I have also been making a list of spring meals for meal prep. I am finding this to be a very important part of the week with working outside the home and on the farm.

If you are looking to celebrate Eastertide with your children, here is a list I shared in 2018 and am sharing again for family activities:

  1. Visit a sheep farm where the sheep are being shorn and then wash, card, and dye some fleece.
  2. Make projects having to do with sheep – I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to to wool and knitting here
  3. Spring clean your house (deep clean)
  4. Get rid of things you no longer use; paring down in the spring feels so good!
  5. Re-vamp your diet to include even more fruits and vegetables and meatless meals.
  6. Take great care of your skin
  7. Cleanse your rhythm from things outside the home that are no longer serving you or your family
  8. Look at our bee and butterfly friends in the garden, in books, and in crafts.  There are some ideas on my spring Pinterest board
  9.  Clear your life from people who bring you negative energy
  10. Make time to spend with those you love and trust – family and friends
  11. Think carefully about new endeavors.  What are you growing for this season?
  12. Find a wonderful new book to read!
  13. Go hiking.
  14. Go camping. If your spouse doesn’t like to camp, gather a moms and childrens group to go.
  15. Spend time in nature every day.
  16. Add some puppetry to your life
  17. Try journaling 50 days of gratitude
  18. Change your priorities so you have time for self-care.
  19. Slow down and rest
  20. Learn some beautiful new songs for spring for circle time or to sing as a family
  21.  Carefully investigate your spiritual path and find a way to deepen your inner work
  22. Go easy on yourself and give yourself space
  23. Find an app to help you meditate or visualize
  24. Go swimming
  25. Get a massage or sit in a sauna.
  26. Spend time with animals.
  27. Get to know your local farmers and enjoy local foods.
  28. Create art
  29. Plan ahead…or not. Whichever brings you joy in your homeschooling!  Here is some inspiration for planning high school and here is some inspiration for planning the grades.  Also, here is  a whole Pinterest board devoted to the  Early Years
  30. Learn some new Waldorf verses
  31. Pick fruit
  32. Plant a garden
  33. Create something beautiful for your outdoor space
  34. Plan new adventures in travel –
  35. Have a May Day festival shared with friends
  36. Plan for Ascension Day
  37. Plan for Pentecost through these musings
  38. Make some rock art
  39. Create, cook, and sing for Pentecost
  40. If you celebrate Pentecost as a family, consider a gathering for Pentecost
  41. Encourage someone or become someone’s mentor.
  42. Drink more water
  43. Set up a new exercise plan
  44. Catch up on your doctor and dentist appointments
  45. Take naps
  46. Walk in nature
  47. Watch a sunrise
  48. Go slow and enjoy spending time with your children.  If you are homeschooling, less books and more play.
  49. Have a picnic
  50. Dye eggs and try your hand at some spring crafts

Happy Eastertide, friends!

Blessings,

Carrie

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One thing that the changing of the months and years brings us is this steadiness.  In an ever changing life and an ever changing world, the months, seasons, and festivals will always be turning round and round.  It can bring us and our families peace and stability if we choose to embrace it.

There are so many glorious things to celebrate about May:  flowers and greenery, bees buzzing, spring time alive, and the activity of children everywhere perking up.  The world is ready to be outside in May in the Northern Hemisphere, and we feel the liveliness and promise of Spring.

What we are celebrating this month:

May Day – May 1

50 Days of Eastertide

Ascension Day – May 9

Mother’s Day – May 12

Memorial Day – May 27 ( a great time to look at summer plans)

Other things on my mind:

  • De-cluttering and deep cleaning with natural cleansers
  • Skin care (yes, skin care).  Time for radiant, dewy skin in May!
  • Spring tales for children and puppetry for small children
  • Gardening
  • The lake and the pool. Our pool is opening for summer this week, and the lake is beckoning
  • Spring menu planning!
  • Exercising. I exercise 5 days a week and it helps keep me sane.

These are a few of my favorite things for small children:

  • Hiking on The Feast of Ascension, watching clouds
  • Making Pentecost crafts
  • Gathering for May Day and dancing around a May Pole!
  • Making crafts for Memorial Day, Memorial Day parades
  • Pedal toys – trikes and bikes! Have your own Memorial Day parade

These are a few of my favorite things for grades-aged children:

  • All of the above, plus
  • Swimming and miniature golf
  • Playing in the water and sand
  • Observing all the dragonflies, bees, and butterflies
  • Calming rituals for rest times and the end of the day.  

These are a few of my favorite things for teens:

  • All of the above, including screen free week
  • Spring cleaning and spring decorating of the home, gardening tasks
  • Spring cooking, making special treats for The Feast of Ascension and Memorial Day
  • Planning surprise May Day baskets for neighbors, and doing things to serve others.
  • Picnics at the lake
  • Later night walks in the warm air – great time to talk after the smaller children have gone to bed

These are a few of my favorite things for myself:

  • Celebrating our family with family meetings and family game night.
  • Celebrating our marriage (32!) with a night out.
  • Drinking lots of water and herbal teas.
  • Acupuncture

I would love to know what is on your mind for this month of May.

homeschooling/education:

Our older two children (22 and 19) have graduated from homeschooling have jobs and live on their own. Our rising high school freshman will have classes two days a week, and will be volunteering one day a week at his former middle school homeschool program to assist the teachers and mentor younger students.

We will have some blocks of learning at home as well, so will be happy to post those plans as we go.

where is the blog these days?

Well, unfortunately no one really reads blogs anymore.  Compared to its heyday, readership here and in blogs in general,  is super low.  I write mainly for myself at this point, I think, and still hope to compile all these posts into ebooks at some point in the future.

For the most part, you can find me on IG (I am on Facebook as well, but I don’t always like the negativity and divisiveness of FB and therefore think about getting off Facebook daily, so IG may be your best bet to follow me).  I will continue to write here as well, but I do wonder if it will drop off to be just IG in the next few years.

The other place you can find me is on the  wonderful forum that The Child Is The Curriculum.  It is an amazing place, and has all your curriculum shopping needs, discussion groups, book studies, and everything all in one place!  I love it, and hope you do as well.

Lastly, you can always email me admin@theparentingpassageway.com to set up a consult by phone – I have half hour and full hour paid slots. 

Can’t wait to hear what you are up to in May!

Blessings,

Carrie