No crowds.
No shopping, no stores, no malls, no travel.
No early sales. No gimmicks, no gizmos.
No aggressive behavior…
No biting…
No pushing…or shoving.
No stampede…
For us, just a serene day at home.
We leave consumerism to the experts.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
Enjoy your bountiful day as you give thanks.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost ~ 1874 – 1963
Where will your road lead?
When it’s time, we will be ready to welcome you on our road less traveled…come along.
Until tomorrow ~ in His time ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
To be among power and greatness…
To be the leader, if only for a moment…
To see another farmer show the fruits of his toil…
To encounter wisdom…
To have a special tree, on which to lean your back…
To experience wonder…
To tease the senses…
To know you have friends, who share your passions.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
For me, a good weekend is one where I come home from work Friday night, and I don’t leave “our 40” until Monday morning.
This was a good weekend.
On Saturday we enjoyed the nice weather and went for a pre-hunting season walk, among other tasks.
Sunday brought more bliss.
A day of leisure was welcome, knowing what lies ahead once the storm clouds move in.
During our Sunday dinner, which consisted of BBQ pork chops on the grill (our pork), small red potatoes sautéed with onion and bits of Maple bacon left over from breakfast, homemade applesauce and baked beans, things felt right.
It felt like November, and it felt good to be in the main cabin with the wood stove kicking out warmth.
We watched Mary Shield’s “Season of the Sled Dog”, as we do most weekends. I love watching Mary and her husband, John’s, special way of life ~ living rustic, camping, and using the sled dogs in their daily tasks. It validates the sometimes harsh life we have chosen.
We had asked Mary to come to Michigan this past August for our Meet the Mushers event. She was unable to do so at the time, but we are hopeful for some future encounter. Ironically, Mary is like us…she doesn’t like to leave her animals.
Mary was the first person to finish the Iditarod in 1974 with an 8-dog team. Upon finishing the race, she decided not to fly home due to the cost, so she headed back down the Iditarod trail, bound for home. She has also run the Yukon Quest.
Mary also knows the value of a small team and what they can accomplish, which fascinated both Russ and myself in her book, Sled Dog Trails. It would be a pleasure to hear her stories and meet her first hand. Until then, you may wish to check out Mary’s video and book selection on her website.
You can find Mary, and our other friends too; on a new Blogspot we created. Don’t worry, it’s not to replace this venue ~ it is just another avenue to keep everyone posted on our activities.
All roads lead home.
We hope you had a blissful weekend too.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
Blessed…
are the meek,
…for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
I’m not sure when my fascination began.
It’s like wondering when you began loving nature, or having a dog by your side.
But I know I’ve always been fascinated.
Mystified.
If asked, my boys could remember back in their childhood and teen years, traveling through Amish country. I would give them a dime or quarter, and later, a dollar, to inform me of any sightings of the “plain people”.
Our vehicle was famous for traveling the blue highways. (Those lines on the map which signify the back country roads.)
Appreciating life in the slow lane, we also traveled by Amtrak train to Pennsylvania to visit the Amish of Lancaster County.
My sons were 7 and 4 years of age, carrying their little backpacks on their tiny shoulders. We saw beautiful, immaculate farms and clotheslines abundant with bright, colored broadcloth. Clip-clop rhythms were the norm.
We also traveled to Harmony, Minnesota.
And Cashton, Wisconsin.
But truly, we didn’t need to go any further than our own state.
Michigan.
Sunday, May 14, 1995
Yesterday was a dream come true. I attended the Amish Auction in Clare. We watched the buggy and horse auction take place. There were 10,000 people estimated to be there ~ on the John Henry Yoder Farm. After the auction, we traveled one town over, Beaverton, and stopped by the H farm to see Delilah. Husband, Sam, had driven the buggy to the auction. (10 miles – 1 1/2 hours). Too bad we didn’t see him on the way. We visited. I held Jacob, one of the twins. Jeff (my 4th grade teacher friend) asked to see the barn. We all went to the barn, leaving Naomi (age 7) in the farm house with the twins, who were just a little over a year old. Delilah tells me on the way to the barn that she is expecting her 12th baby in August, but the other children do not know…and she does not want to tell the other children just yet.
How did I get to know the 13-member family and get to be a part of their lives?
Slowly…stay tuned for more of my Amish Sojourn.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing and always in the lead,
Woodswoman
I don’t think a day goes by, that I don’t think of the Amish and their way of life.
In the next week, I will be sharing from the pages of my Diary of 1995, when I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into an Amish family.
Sam, Delilah, and their 12 children have remained in my heart for many years.
Perhaps they will soon reside in your heart too.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
Several weeks ago, I took a much needed day off from work and treated myself to a day of adventure.
My friend, Amy, and I headed a couple hours down the state to the small farming town of Coral.
From there, we followed the rural directions to meet Homemaker Ang, her friendly husband Matt (aka…Gentle Giant) and the delightful, engaging children.
I learned how to make cheese. (Click on link to see and read about the most amazing farm kitchen luncheon imaginable, which was part of the day’s adventure…)
But it was so much more than that…
We entered into a world much like what I envision, and live by.
One of simplicity and hard work.
You see, Homemaker Ang and the Gentle Giant moved their 6 children into an Amish farmhouse, where they are farming and living off the grid.
Everything is done by hand, and by God’s grace.
And His direction.
The children expressed their love of their life.
They didn’t need to verbalize it, although they did so.
It shows in their demeanor.
Their willingness.
And their passion.
Homeschooled.
An integral part of the working family.
Where everyone works.
Human, horse, and dog.
We hated to leave at the end of the day.
Even though I was returning to our rustic place, I felt at home at Maple Valley Farm.
Good, Godly folks.
Who tested the waters of the Amish community…(Click here if you wish to sign up for a newsletter outlining their journey.)
Doing what others only dream of doing…
You too, can experience this for yourself.
Another cheese class (not to mention soap making class/pumpkin pie making class, etc.) is coming up November 3rd and beyond. Check it out…
Don’t be surprised if you leave with a tug on your heart.
Maple Valley is like coming home.
Until tomorrow ~ God willing,
Woodswoman
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