Frigid and Beautiful?

Did I mention we're having subzero temps here in the Hollow lately?  And that's after the 12-15 inches of snow that fell from the heavens on Sunday.

I thought the sleigh mug was appropriate for the weather, because choosing your mug in the morning is "choosing your vibe."  It's a small thing but savoring the small things truly helps me savor real, everyday life.

Who knows what the Blossoms were ogling here, but there were all sorts of cutesy comments.  I love this.

(That's Blossom4's signature slime being stretched there.  I'm currently wondering if she will be an entrepreneur that builds a business around this. In the meantime, I won't tell you how many random containers of slime are all over our house.)

What a perk of homeschooling!  Blossom3 and Blossom4 were in between subjects.  It's a snack and a furry snuggle time sort of break.  

I don't have to understand how it works to know it helps to build healthy humans.

Blossom3 passed her learner's permit test!  Afterward, she sipped her celebratory Dunkin' frozen matcha and we took a few minutes to chat about anything and everything.  It was such a busy day that day, but all day long, we came back to relishing the victory of surpassing that milestone.

Celebrate the milestones.

With words.

With a matcha.

With a smile.

With a hug.

A dear friend from our church family passed away last week and we organized the funeral meal.  I got a kick out of our three instant pots all lined up, cranking out delicious homemade refried beans.  

There was something so beautiful about being together all day, working toward the same goal, problem-solving, and remembering Melvin.  Remembering how he was always serving in the background and loving people.  

Involving our children is something near and dear to my heart.  

This is how they learn to serve.  

This is how they learn to spearhead and conquer events like this.  

This is how they learn to show love. 

I once heard a comedian say something like, 

"Drugs were a big part of my upbringing.  

I got drug to church.  I got drug everywhere."

I can attest to this, and I hope you can hear my humor when you read this.

I got drug along to serve.  

I got drug into raking leaves all day at a camp.  

I got drug to outreach events to man carnival games and serve food.

I got drug into baking hundreds of cookies for campers.  

I got drug into washing tons of dishes.

I got drug along to clean the church.  

I got drug along to serve right along with Mom in whatever she was currently doing,

and guess what, it was good for me.  

I can now (and many times, then too) attest to the joy, fellowship, and beauty of serving together.

Dominique

Just Winter Lately

Every now and again, I like to do a "Life Lately" post, so here's...

What I'm decorating lately:
A cozy winter view of our living room is something that makes me smile.  We said good-bye to the Christmas tree for the year and embraced the wintry decorations.  I'm loving the birch logs with twinkle lights over top.

Homemaking doesn't have to cost a lot.  The tiny snowmen on the mantle are Christmas ornaments I picked up dirt-cheap on post-Christmas clearance circa 1999.  This makes me laugh that I still have them and that I still like them.  The large snowflake was a gift from a dear friend.  The Blossoms and I made the tiny yarn hearts.  Pretty glass bulbs from the Blossoms' Corning Museum of Glass field trip with Grandma were just too wintry-perfect to put away.  Sometimes homemaking is another way to keep me "smiling at the days ahead." (Proverbs 31:25)

What I'm reading lately:

Our current family read-aloud is Rainbow Valley, book #7 in the Anne series by L.M. Montgomery.  I love that my Younger Blossoms are getting to know characters that are near and dear to my heart.  The antics of the manse children and the Ingleside children are so fun and remarkably insightful, which is a delightful hallmark of Montgomery's writings.  

I just finished You Bet Your Stretch Marks by Abbie Halberstadt and it was a wonderfully encouraging and convicting read.  Is what you're doing as a mom worth it?  It's a resounding yes!  It was encouragement for when I feel weary.  It was also full of Scripture to keep me plowing ahead in the way that God would have me to mother in this season.  I read a chapter a day so that I had time to digest what I was reading, often journalling or writing down key thoughts.  Writing down thoughts and principles really cements them in my heart.

What I'm drinking lately:

I ran out of my favorite daily tea, Tetley British Blend so I had to find an alternative.  This Irish Breakfast blend from Taylors of Harrogate might be taking its place!  I love the quality, strong, full-bodied flavor as my early morning pick-me-up.

When Blossom1 or Blossom2 are home, I say YES to a hot latte.  The Blizzard of '26 means I had luxurious lattes yesterday and today, with my favorite people all around me!  I don't take this for granted!

What I'm thrifting lately:

I was thrilled to discovered this $1.99 neck scarf find was Anthropologie 100% silk!  To think I swiped it simply because neck scarves are current rustic style AND this one matches all the denim I'm always sporting.

This LL Bean vest in mint condition was a $3.00 find.  I knew it didn't fit anyone in our family, but I was able to resell it for a profit.  I don't mind doing this when the right piece falls into my lap.  

Where I'm travelling lately:

Blossom3 and I spent her 16th birthday in the Sweetest Place on Earth.  I was supervising my current fair queen during the State Fair Queen competition.  Blossom3 got to enjoy Hershey Lodge, junior fair board activities, delectable Hershey food, and one-on-one time with me.  We had such a lovely time!  And we even squeezed in a successful foray to a new thrift store.  I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and jokes!

Life is always full here, but the wintry bright spots are exquisitely beautiful!

Farm Show 2026

The Farm Show was a big part of the last two weeks.  It's traditionally about good food and agricultural education for us but as the Blossoms grow, our involvement and responsibilities change.

We were there a couple of days in multiple family configurations.  Blossom1 and her fiance were with us one day ~ tasting delicious food, purchasing local skyr yogurt, and exploring exhibits.  Oh, and the Rugged Mountain Man was VERY happy with his turkey leg, but not the parking situation.  

Blossom2 was involved with the Culinary Connection stage,

helping with demos, preparing tasting portions, and 

competing in a Chopped-type competion with other culinary and baking and pastry arts students.  We got to see some stuff in person and some through a livestream.

Let me just say, it is intense to watch your daughter do this.  I was talking to the livestream,

"Check the rice!  Somebody PLEASE check the rice!!!"

"There's only five minutes left, SOMEONE get the plates out for plating!"

(The camera panned over to Blossom2 arranging plates.  That was a proud mama moment!)

Her team won!

Blossom3 did a presentation with another 4-H State Project Ambassador.

They've been working toward this for a few months now.  They wrote the presentation themselves, practiced, tweaked, pulled together a game, and organized a craft.  

It was a major victory for Blossom3 to own this project from start to finish with very minimal involvement from me.  

They also spent time researching categories for future exhibition by other expressive arts 4-H members.  

This is a growing part of 4-H and they are excited to be a part of it.

Blossom4 has been along to support her sisters, be a part of the games, and be inspired by them - her real life role models.  

It's a beautiful part of sisterhood~

learning from their victories AND their bumps, watching their goals from start to finish, and being the best cheerleader a sister can be.

Ag education was another big order of our days at Farm Show.

Blossom3 was inspired... maybe there's an upcycled greenhouse in our future.  Pretty inspiring since her presentation covered the topic of upcycling.

There were bovine organs to be explored.

The alpaca fiber arts were some of my most favorite.  

Mom and I love to admire craftsmanship.

This booth featured 'Paca projects from makers from all across the Commonwealth and we were in awe.

The miniature landscapes are one of our most favorite exhibits.  

We came away determined to exhibit more next year.

Considering how much the girls have matured, I'm excited to see the determination become goals and grow into fruition. 

America's 250th is a big theme for PA Fairs this year, which is no surprise.  Patriotism is strong in the Fair world and it's something we love.

We signed the bell

and marvelled at how many signatures were collected in

only FOUR days.

With tired feet and full bellies 

(with deep fried cheese cubes, bloomin' onion, pierogi, flavored lemonades, cheesesteak pretzel roll, and milkshakes... the list goes on), 

we greeted the police horses, and trekked toward home.  

Dominique

This January Week

Back at the steady plodding of everyday life here.  Clearly, Binney and Finn are adjusting just fine.

As for the humans, we kicked off the week helping to get Blossom2 moved into on-campus housing.  That will help with the very late nights and crazy early mornings of her work and class schedule.  After a pow-wow over assignments Sunday evening, Blossom3 and Blossom4 managed their Monday schoolwork well so that I could help Blossom2.  I briefly mentioned to them how thankful I was for this.  I needed to really recognize this aloud to them though.  

I don't tell the Blossoms often enough how thankful I am for their hard work or cooperation or growth or effort.  Sometimes I mention it others, because y'all know I'm a talker. 

It's something I'm working on - 

speaking the good things out loud to them.  

Young people have so many messages inundating them, including self-doubt and temptation and discouragement.

My voice needs to be that positive echo and reinforcement of Truth, of all that is good and beautiful.

For a little bit more coziness in our living room, I gathered some birch logs from the Rugged Mountain Man's stash and strung twinkle lights over top.  We're enjoying this in the evenings because home should be warm and welcoming.

Here's a little snap of our "Joy Jars."  Blossom2 and one of her comrades decided to write down one thing each day that brings them joy or that they are thankful for! They wanted us to get on board, so the younger two and I have been doing this in the morning about the previous day.  At the end of the year, maybe we'll scrapbook the little slips of paper. 

(Yes, the Christmas books are still out. That Alcott Christmas Treasury is a gem.)

Mmmmm, I managed to bake a few loaves of English muffin bread this morning for a few people in our lives who needed a pick-me-up... and also for those starving humans in our house.  

A little festive iced coffee for tackling my errands this afternoon, because why not?  

Keep the faith, friends!  What we're doing every day matters!

Dominique

Thoughts on Christmas Break

Just like everything else in this season of our lives, Christmas break looked different.  It's what I'm learning lately; things can look different and still be good.  Will I spend that time mourning how it's different or will I embrace it and diligently seek out the moments and opportunities for connection?

Connection has been a huge theme for me.  When the Blossoms were little, connection came about by reading books aloud even though I was exhausted or carrying on a conversation about rabbits when I didn't feel like talking about rabbits.  I wonder if many parents at this stage of the game are just too tired to keep trying to connect.  It's much easier to focus in on my own interests, interests that have take second, third, fourth, or twentieth place for the last twenty-ish years of my life.  

I thought connection was important back then.  I zeroed in day and after day out of a desire to lovingly raise our children in a Godly way.  The mission!  And now, as they are launching into adulthood or inching closer and closer every day, connection is crucial.

Some days I struggle to remember what they said to me.  My brain is processing so many different things at once, it seems and it takes a little discipline on myself to stop and look them in the eyes.  Some days, I'm sleep deprived and I bite my tongue.  Some days, I'm weary because going against the flow is not easy.  Some days, their sass is strong.  Some days, I'm discouraged.  

The same grace that covered me and enabled me to soldier on each day that the Blossoms were little is right here, right now for me in this season.  

To connect.  

To love.  

To support.  

To train.  

To exhort.  

To ask the questions.

To rebuke.  

To engage.  

To be with.

To parent.

Lord, today help me lean hard on Your grace.  

Help me notice the opportunities for connection and seize them.  

Whatever I do today, I do all for Your glory.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Dominique