An Invitation for your Soul to Grow

"As you psychically mature by giving up ego law and following spiritual law, you'll recognize that every event and experience in your life, good or bad, is an invitation for your soul to grow. If you're in doubt as to how to grow in a challenging energy, remember that applying love always works best."

-Sonia Choquette

in 'Trust Your Vibes'

Explanations

"Your friends don't need an explanation 

and your enemies won't believe it anyway."

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Today our friend Thurman told us this saying that his dad always said to him when he was growing up. I liked it so much, I asked him to repeat it so I could be sure to remember.

Divine Fire: Spark of Life

"The Holy Spirit is the Divine fire in you, 

the spark of life, 

the creative catalyst for all things; 

and it must be expressed."

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-Sonia Choquette 

in 'The Power of Your Spirit'

Have you read this?

While my mom and grandma were visiting, they told me how good 'The Help'  by Kathryn Stockett was and recommended I read it. (Yes, that's snow in the background! A storm came through last night.) So I checked it out from the library. I was hooked immediately. As I read a little each night after Bracken fell asleep, I kept looking over at Jeff saying "this is such a good book!" (He was reading another book and telling me the same.) Last night I finished it, even staying up a little past my bedtime (which is a very rare occasion for me since I value my sleep so much.)

It's one of those stories that will always stay with me, with characters that I hold dear. I appreciated this book immensely and found it so touching. It was powerful. It moved me.

When I read a really good book, I feel changed after reading it.

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Have you read this?

 

Interview on Dark Star Farm Blog

Linzie (of Dark Star Farm blog) and her family, have been building their own home. She wanted a special light switch plate cover made for their new home and Jeff made the one above, specially for them. (I took this picture of it on our magical beach day, back in January.) 

Linzie wrote about it on her blog, along with an interview about our life and art. 

You can read the post here.

(You can also find a coupon code there for 15% off, good for one week, for both of our Etsy Shops.) 

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Thanks for the interview Linzie!

The Dirty Life

When we went to the library recently, this book called to me from the shelf, as I walked by the new selections. The red barn on the cover pulled me in first. Then I saw beneath the title 'On Farming, Food, and Love' and thought this is my kind of book!

And it was. Each night before bed, I wanted to read just one more page. (Yes, that same book I was writing about in my Gratitude Sunday post.) There were times I laughed out loud (then quickly caught myself because I didn't want to wake Bracken sleeping next to me) and times I cried because it was so heartwarming and the words touched me so deeply. 

It's a true story of transformation from New York chick to Farm gal and Kristin tells it so honestly and beautifully. I finished it last night, to the sound of rain outside, while drinking ginger tea with honey that was cold by the time I got to it (but tasted just as good.) Yesterday had been a long and somewhat frustrating day- stretching my patience. I felt the weight of the day lift, page by page, as I plunged into the story. 

As I sat with the last page open, I let the pleasant chills sweep over my body as the words sunk in. Then I shut the book quietly and sat for a moment. I looked over at Jeff and Bracken sleeping next to me. Bracken had rolled over in his sleep and sprawled his legs all over Jeff, which looked quite comical. I thought about the days I complained, when I felt exhausted and frustrated. And I realized there was nothing like a good book to finish the day and bring my life back into perspective. With love humming in my heart, I looked at those two asleep- those two souls that I completely adore and whom I get to spend my days with. I felt full. Oh yes, that book was just what I needed to read.

The Fairy Dew Drop

The Fairy Dew Drop

February 1915

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Down by the spring one morning

Where the shadows still lay deep,

I found in the heart of a flower

A tiny fairy asleep.

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Her flower couch was perfumed,

Leaf curtains drawn with care, 

And there she sweetly slumbered,

With a jewel in her hair.

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But a sunbeam entered softly

And touched her as she lay,

Whispering that 'twas morning

And fairies must away.

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All colors of the rainbow

Were in her robe so bright

As she danced away with the sunbeam

And vanished from my sight.

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'Twas while I watched them dancing,

The sunshine told me true, 

That my sparkling little fairy

Was lovely Drop O'Dew.

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-Laura Ingalls Wilder

The book on digestive healing

I've been meaning to write about this book for awhile. 

In My Body's Healing Journey, I wrote about how the 'Nourishing Traditions' cookbook changed our life. Where I left off in that post, we were looking into the GAPS diet because of our overwhelming list of food allergies, which we learned were because of poor digestion. A 'Nourishing Traditions' diet is great for people with good digestion. But that wasn't us, so we went searching for some answers, the next step that our bodies were needing.
A wonderful blog reader let me borrow her 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome' book. (Thanks Sarah! I mailed it back to you today!) The GAPS diet is great for people who need digestive healing, beyond the traditional diet outlined in NT.
I found it to be a fascinating read. I was amazed to learn more about the complex workings of the digestive system and how it affects every part of our bodies. To be healthy, we need to have healthy digestive systems, and that means being populated by a plethora of beneficial bacteria! There are many things that kill the beneficial bacteria in our digestive tracts, such as- antibiotics, birth control pills, and drinking chlorinated water. When the beneficial bacteria is killed off, the pathogenic bacteria takes over and starts causing lots of health problems. The purpose of the GAPS diet is to remove foods that feed the pathogenic bacteria (grains, starches, sugars, certain dairy) and fill it with foods that promote beneficial bacteria (raw fermented sauerkraut) and that are healing to the digestive system (bone broths.)

On the front cover, you can see the different health issues that the GAPS diet helps heal. There are also so many others not mentioned on the cover, like food allergies, diabetes, obesity, headaches, diarrhea, and constipation. If you are looking for answers to a health problem, this book just might have some answers for you. I've found the GAPS diet is very similar to the Paleo/Primal (hunter-gatherer) diet, so I've been looking into those areas to find more recipe inspirations. 

We started on the Full GAPS diet rather than the Introduction Diet, because I'm breastfeeding and also because it was a much easier transition for us in an already busy life. We chose to cut out dairy completely because of our severe allergic reactions to it. We are a sugar-free household (have been for a long time so this was nothing new to us), but if there is a little sugar in our CSA bacon or sausage, we'll eat it (and enjoy it guilt-free.) We're not total GAPS purists (Jeff partakes in popcorn here and there), though we understand the importance behind eliminating certain foods for healing our guts. People wonder how we satisfy our sweet tooth without sugar? To them I say, we LOVE fruit! (fyi: honey is allowed on the diet.)

Since we've been on the diet.....
Benefits?
-Eliminating grains from our diet has made us feel so much better!
-And has also increased our vegetable consumption a lot, which makes us feel great.
-We can feel our bodies cleansing and detoxifying.
-Our blood sugar levels feel more steady.
-Improved digestion and overall well-being.

Challenges?
-Missing certain foods.
-Very difficult to eat out (though we rarely did that anyways.)
-Die-off symptoms (when the pathogenic bacteria is dying off and the body is eliminating toxins.)
-Staying creative and not falling into a rut in the kitchen.
-Learning new recipes and ways of eating.


Those are just a few things off the top off my head.
We love learning new things (it makes life fun and exciting), but it can be tough to not be a pro at everything right away, huh?
What a food adventure we're on!

I'm not saying that this diet is right for everyone, but I feel it's best for us right now. We are finding healing for our bodies on this path, so I wanted to share in case it might help you find healing too.
 Blogs I love that write about GAPS are  
Nourished and Nurtured,
Health, Home, and Happiness,
and occasionally Nourished Kitchen and Food Renegade.

For those of you already on the GAPS diet, what are your experiences?
It's nice to have a community of support and sources for new recipes!

Learn more about Krista

Calling all Deva Luna fans! 

I just read a beautiful interview with Krista Lynn Brown, artist of Deva Luna, on Aja's blog, Moon Woman Rising (a popular place this week, huh?) I really enjoyed reading it, learning more about Krista (who I find so inspirational) and seeing pictures of a few paintings I had never seen before. The images are deeply stirring. You'll see what I mean.

Love to inspired souls who share their gifts with the world and make it a more beautiful place!

What is beauty to you?

I love and cherish the amazing people I've met through this blog. 

They've brought....

Friendships that nurture me. Words that encourage me. Support that lifts me. Humor that cheers me. 

And Honesty that gives me a peek into their world and makes me realize how much we have in common.

Thank you all.

Recently, Aja, (one of those amazing people I met through this blog) sent me an e-mail called 'An Invitation to Beauty.' She asked a few friends to share what beauty meant to them, on her beautiful blog, Moon Woman Rising. You can read what I wrote here.

Wishing you a beauty-filled summer day!

Light Shine

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~ Nelson Mandela

April

First issues

Recently Jeff's Aunt Isla surprised us with a magazine subscription to 'Mary Janes Farm.' 

The first time I ever heard about this magazine was in a book called 'Made from Scratch' by Jenna Woginrich (a very sweet read.) She highly recommended it. 

Then our fellow homesteader-friend, Lara, said how wonderful it was (along with Mary Jane's books.) Lara actually got to meet Mary Jane Butters, who sounds like an incredibly inspiring lady. When I saw a few issues of this magazine at Lara's place, I knew I wanted to check them out. 

Not long after, we got the surprise notification in the mail. How did Aunt Isla know? Well, bless her heart because we are both delighted!

We just received our first two issues and I've been diving into them, feeling right at home among the community of farm girls.

Do any of you read this magazine?

I've learned...

When you spend your time complaining, life brings you more things to complain about.

When you spend your time being grateful, life brings you more things to be grateful for.

Jeff's Quote of the Day

This was Jeff's status on facebook today. Loved it and wanted to share, such a good reminder.

"There is great Freedom in just Being your Truth, without feeling the need to explain yourself."

Yearly Delight

Every year I look forward to the new edition of 'Locally Grown' coming out! 

Yesterday we were running a few errands before Jeff's root canal (it went well, by the way, and he is healing nicely) and I happened to see the new 'Locally Grown' issue was out! I was so happy I literally almost started skipping.

Are there any other local people that look forward to this yearly treat as much as I do?

Here's why I think it's so great. 

It's a guide to a bunch of local farms. It tells about each farm and what they grow. I love to read about them all. My excitement level over reading this guide is a further affirmation to me of how passionate I am about farming, growing food, and eating locally.

Jeff and I harvest a lot of food from local farms every year to store away for the winter. This guide has introduced us to a lot of new farms during the few years it's been out. Every spring, I look in this guide with anticipation. I wonder if there are any new farms added?  What will they have? I look at all the u-pick options for each type of food. Jeff and I love u-picks because we love harvesting the food ourselves (it's fun!) and we get the best deals that way. I call farms and ask them prices and ask about their growing methods.

We are so blessed to live in an area that has so many small, family farms and a community that supports them. This is truly a place that values local food. You can tell that by visiting the Farmer's Market on Saturday- it's packed!

If you do not have a guide to local farms in your area, check out your local Farmer's Market and ask around. You can connect with many wonderful farmers that way.

Improving Health & Longevity with Native Nutrition

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." -Hippocrates

Hippocrate's quote was in the beginning of this book- 'Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine: Improving Health and Longevity With Native Nutrition' by Dr. Schmid, which encompasses perfectly what this book is all about. I love reading about native nutrition, I find it fascinating to learn what ancient people ate. Sometime I wonder what the people on this very land ate so long ago. I imagine they ate huckleberries, nettles, salmon, bear, mushrooms, elk, deer and so many edible, wild plants that I don't yet know about.

This book featured my hero, Weston A. Price, in the first chapter. It talked all about the isolated indigenous cultures that he visited and what they ate. It's amazing to read about their incredible health, freedom from disease, and extremely long lives. 

If this fascinates you like it does me, check out this book, it's an interesting read and makes you think about food in a whole new way.

Nature's peace will flow into you

 “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” J. Muir

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I just want to keep reading these words over and over and letting them sink in. Our friend Lara posted this quote and I absolutely fell in love with it. Thought you all might enjoy it too. This quote describes how I feel when I hike up the mountain behind our house. This morning as I hiked with the dogs by my side and the trees surrounding me.... I thought of this quote and I smiled.

A Midwife's Story

I just finished this book, 'A Midwife's Story' by Penny Armstrong & Sheryl Feldman. It's very inspiring. If anyone is interested in midwifery and homebirth, I highly recommend it. Plus I love pioneer books and learning about Amish life, so this book had a lot of aspects I enjoy all in one. (I guess it's the sweet simple country life that I love reading about so much.)
The spirit of this woman is so strong. She follows her heart and lives the life she was born to live. Reading about others following their inner calling can inspire us to do the same.

Good Read by Nina Planck

I requested this book from the library and they ordered it for me- Hooray! I finished reading it on the train ride up to Portland. 

I've been very shocked and surprised by the typical advice about diet in pregnancy books. I'm not interested in low fat diets while I'm pregnant (or at any time for that matter.) I'm interested in the nutrient dense foods that will help build my baby's organs that are forming right now. And that's what this book is all about.

I've read Nina's previous book 'Real Food: What to Eat and Why.' It's devoted to giving you information about why natural foods are good for you. Foods like butter, eggs, bone broths, grass-fed meats, raw/cultured dairy- basically food that our ancestors have been eating forever. Indigenous people ate local food, close to it's natural state. This makes sense to me. And this book also lets you know why food created in a laboratory is not good for you- margarine, vegetable oils, empty nothings in over-sized cardboard boxes.... you get my drift. Would your great-grandmother or early ancestors recognize what you are eating as food? This is a great question to ask yourself.

Producing our own food on this homestead has changed my ideas about food forever. When you pour energy into planting seeds, watering the garden, milking the goats, gathering eggs, picking berries- you learn what real food is. You can taste the incredible flavor. You can feel how good it makes your body feel. Now all I want to eat is real food. 

Food is a top priority in our life. We know people who make lots of money, but only buy the lowest quality, cheapest items from the grocery store. Their health suffers. We don't make a whole lot of money, but we find ways to produce good food ourselves, ask about trades, and learn about wild foods to harvest. You'd be amazed at all the trading opportunities that are out their once you ask.We've traded with friends at the farmer's market (who have early harvests due to large greenhouses) for fresh produce before our garden gets going and with neighbors so we can harvest fruit off their trees that would otherwise not get eaten. It's all about what's important to you because that is what you'll focus on creating. 

Food is so vital for good health. I learn more about this every day and I see how good I feel when I'm eating well.

I recommend these books by Nina Planck if you enjoy reading about diet or feel curious about real food. But if a lot of scientific facts are going to bore you, then heading to your local farmer's market will satisfy your need for real food more than any book will. 

Give thanks for every meal and appreciate the flavors in your food. 

Pay attention to what you're eating and enjoy yourself!

Happy Eating!