I’m a fixer. I take care of people, places, and things. Just give me a list of what needs to be done, and it’s DONE. Ask me to organize a woman’s tea reception, coordinate and facilitate a training program for a crowd, serve as room mother, bake dozens of cookies for...
A Bountiful Harvest Here on the farm, the maple trees are ablaze with glorious red leaves. Hay season has ended, but the harvest is still underway, with soybeans and corn ready for gathering. Harvest generally begins in mid-September and can run as late as...
I am a woman who plans and then works on a plan. My family knows not to stand in my way when I have my checklist - unless they’re willing to help. So, to say the recent power outage disrupted my plans is an understatement. This time, the cause of the outage wasn’t a...
This year, my March On The Farm post discussed my wild, unruly grapevines that I had neglected for so long. But this year would be different, I decided. Through the spring and early summer, my sons and I worked tirelessly to prune, replace posts, and wire the vines to...
These days more than any in recent memory, I see an overabundance of rudeness, anger, impatience, and disdain towards one another. There is a shortage of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Grandparents can be the sugar and spice and everything nice in a child’s life. Mine certainly were. A grandparent’s presence-or absence-is crucial, especially these days, when we see more and more grandparents raising grandchildren. How would you describe your...
Do you remember playing hide & seek as a child? I could find some of the most amazing spots to hide because who wants to be IT? Not I!
Why is a front porch swing so enticing and relaxing? Is it the rhythmic swaying back and forth? The opportunity to greet neighbors as they pass by? A swing certainly offers an ideal place for appreciating and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood – children...
I am rarely at a loss for words. I love words. Words that inform. Words that inspire. I love to speak, sing, read, and write words. Ask anyone who knows me, and they will acknowledge, “Jackie loves to talk, sing, read and write.” My passion for words blossomed as a...
How often have you heard yourself say to your children, “Go outside! Stop whining. Use your imagination. When I was a kid, we….” I could go on, but you get the picture. These are some of the exact words said in 1965 to the children of the Pritchard family who were...