The journey of a woman, who encountered the Love of God so powerful, she was never the same again. Follow her as she homesteads like a Hobbit and prays like a soul saved.
This morning I got up to log onto work for the day, and I noticed an anomaly that I haven’t seen in these parts in a long time. SNOW. Now sadly, I didn’t get a chance to take a picture, because quite honestly, my brain was not at normal functioning levels for me to even think to do that. For the last 2 ½ years, my wake up call was between 9-9:15AM. Now, it’s 7:30AM. That 90 minute difference is a bit much for this soon-to-be 47 year old. Hopefully after a few months of this new schedule, I will be more cognizant in the morning.
Winter has finally arrived here in Southeast Pennsylvania
We haven’t seen snow in my town in a couple years. Call it climate change, call it global warming. But the last couple years, snow has been almost non-existent in my part of the world. And for someone that has had some serious difficulty with snow/cold temperatures in general, I’ve been completely A-OK with this. Yet, if this year has taught me anything, it’s to appreciate the present and stop thinking/worrying about the future.
Honestly I cannot even believe I’m saying that! If anyone knows me, you know that Winter is extremely difficult for me. My Seasonal Depression (also known as SAD), is usually over the roof between now and Mid-March. My energy levels plummet, my motivation is practically non-existent. And yet, 2020 showed me that it is NOT worth it! The warrior in me wants to fight this. Until I get to my Heavenly home, I need to understand that where I am living at right now, I need to deal with the good AND the bad. So I need to make the most of the time I have here.
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of documentaries about my ancestors from Ireland, Scotland and Scandinavia. I’m a Scotch-Irish Viking, dangit! And let me tell you, they did some really cool stuff back in the day when it came to Winter. Without getting in all the magical properties of their culture (I cannot go down that rabbit hole for personal reasons), I’ve been mainly watching the culinary and domesticated ways my ancestors handled the cold. Especially in that part of the world, there are areas that sees the sun rise and set and only a few hours from each other. Darkness for most of the year sounds incredibly upsetting to me. But I like to think of myself as a domesticated pet who has NO idea how my feral brethren did it for as long as they did. In many ways, the Industrial Revolution made many of us lazy. As easy as it is to switch on a light, or turn on a fireplace heater, I can easily say 90% of this population would die in the event of an EMP disaster.
How much would I love to have a wood burning stove in my house, as well as a window in my kitchen, part of my deck covered, and a cobb stove outside? These are things on my wish list, and until then, I need to work with what I have. We are planning on staying here for a while, and until then, we might as well really get into the nesting process that I ignored when I moved in here 5 years ago. The moment cold weather hits, I retreat into my own depression, and it’s really easy to just stay there. This year, I am going to press on through that and force the change that needs to be made. There’s a big difference in hibernating during winter and retreating. In my eyes, when you retreat, you walk away, you surrender. When you hibernate, you go into quiet mode for a temporary amount of time. Retreating is permanent, whereas hibernating is temporary.
So, this year, I’m going to hibernate.
Taking from my Scandinavian ancestors, I turn to the old tradition of Hygge. (pronounced Hoo-Ga). It is the tradition of nesting, getting cozy, hibernating. There are amazing YouTube videos that talk about Hygge and what it entails. SLOW AND SIMPLE LIVING. If you want to understand my need for slow and simple living, go check out my blog post here.
The Lord created this world for a reason. There’s a reason why we are born to a certain country, race, culture, climate, etc. I have spent countless years trying to get away from a season that I never really got to understand. Why would God have me live in the North if I’m not supposed to enjoy it? There’s no doubt I LOVE the change of the seasons. Even Autumn into Winter, there is a small period where my body, mind and soul enjoy the change. But it’s a very short time, and I spiral quickly afterwards. So, how does one try to keep the joy for that entire season, like I do the other three?
This is my quest.
Now that I am working from home, I have the ability to nest a bit more. Before, I was out of the house somewhere between 6:30AM and 9PM, depending on where I was working. No more! Linus is quite happy that Mama is home every day, and if a puppy’s love is not motivation enough, I’m in big trouble!
Linus’ spot during the day, which is literally 12 inches from me
How do you hibernate in the Winter? I’m legitimately curious. This is a big challenge for me, so any advice would be truly appreciative!
It has been what feels like a millennia since I’ve written on this blog. Yikes.
A friend reached out to me this past week asking me if I was alright, and wanted to know if I was no longer blogging/vlogging, etc..I assured her that I indeed, WAS still doing it, but once again was put on a hiatus for one reason or another. 2020 hasn’t necessarily been unkind, however, it HAS been challenging to say the least. So that my readers understand the impact change has on my life personally, I will give you a brief description of these last 10 months.
Depression, Anxiety and Adapting to Significant Change. 2020 in a nutshell, folks.
If anything, that probably is the theme to most people for this year. Between the pandemic and getting laid off for almost 3 months, my son graduated from High School, when I was finally BACK to work, I was out for over a week from a virus (Thank the Lord it wasn’t COVID.) I’ve also endured some other physical, mental and emotional changes that come with a woman my age, oh, and due to some serious financial distress, I almost lost my house, and many relationships within my inner circle.
Yet, I would not surrender. My Dad (whom I proudly call Papa or Daddy still at 46 years old), once told me that one of my best traits as a person was that I refused to give up in the face of adversity. Truth be told, I thought I was going to give him a run for his money this year, because for the first time in my life, I actually THOUGHT about giving up. I’m not going to go into detail about that, but when life continues to hammer you down into the ground to the point you no longer can breathe, let alone see the light, one would want to succumb to the darkness too.
I did not falter, however. I kept my eyes on the prize, which was my Heavenly reward. I talked to God EVERY DAY. Sometimes, I felt that He was the ONLY one I was talking to. When I get depressed or severely anxious, I tend to retreat, or even hibernate. A personal dark space where my mind, body and soul can commune with the unknown, I wanted nothing to do with the world around me or its inhabitants. I craved being alone. The only time I felt happy was with my church community. And even that was a challenge, as it was months before I started even being physically around them because of this blasted pandemic.
I wanted desperately to fit in somewhere yet be by myself, which seems almost a paradox, but I was willing to do anything to make it work.
Did it work?
OF COURSE NOT!
I invested into things that I found I couldn’t keep up with, and those who I thought were supporting me were really just another facade into trying to fit into something. As soon as I removed the investment, they removed their support. Such is life in this day and age. It stung for about 10 minutes, but then I moved on, as I knew deep in my heart there was something out there for me.
During a much needed Come to Jesus talk with my parents several weeks ago, my Mama told me something, or more or less reminded me, how being a dreamer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you don’t have a balance of reality with your dreams, they will never come true. And for most of my life, that’s all I did. Dream. It’s one of my favorite pastimes. I LOVE to dream. Dream about what’s to come, dream about what I could have done better, and through all that I forgot how to live. I was always in the future or the past, because being in the present was always so uncomfortable. I’m sure that sentence resonates with many people. Right now, LIFE itself is extremely uncomfortable. Whether it’s political or civil unrest, religious adversity, financial distress, our world seems to be crumbling all around us. And as long as we keep thinking that way, it will continue to crumble.
But my mentors, Ace and Rich Guzman, said something to me the night before that gave me the gut punch back to reality:
“When there’s going to be a breakdown, there’s a breakthrough…”
BAM.
Welcome back, Bridget.
Since my breakdown back in Mid-September, things changed drastically. When I decided to live in my uncomfortableness, change started to happen. My house became abuzz with wanting to do better. My familial relationships were healing, positive things like getting a new job that will have me work from home came, my husband got a new car. My son was getting more work as a video editor. Things have started to pick up. The anxiety is full on, and I SO want to retreat into my dreams right now and plan for things coming up, but I know that is NOT where I am needed right now. Right now, I need to save my dreams for sleeping. Right now, I’m DOING.
I hate it. I truly do. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It’s humbling. But it’s necessary. I can no longer be complacent in life if even so much as ONE thing is out of place.
I long for a simple, slow life. Full of coziness, cottagecore/hygge living, with all the trimmings. The good Lord in Heaven has shown me exactly what I HAVE to do to achieve that.
And so, as I sit here, typing this out, I have much to do. I will be leaving my beloved Book Store job effective November 11th, taking the rest of the week to prepare my new office space for my new job that starts on the 16th. I’m devastated to say the least about leaving the book store, but they are going to keep me on as a per diem employee, so I can at least still be a part of the family that I have come to know and love as my own. I’m going back to a company I was once with, one that I loved just as much, and look forward to making new memories. All while being exactly where I WANT to be: HOME. I think my puppy Linus is going to be thrilled over this, when he sees Mommy isn’t going to be leaving every day.
This will give me even more of a chance to continue building my Personal Brand, The Homesteading Hobbit, with the help of my mentors, Ace and Rich. I have so many people supporting me, within my family, friends, coworkers, and community. I am richer than I think. Money is definitely important in this day and age, and in order for me to succeed in this world, I’m going to need to make it, and make a lot of it. But without the beacons in my life that is this circle around me, I would have continued to live in the darkness.
This simple word means different things to many people. Some
see physical locations, other see people. But for those in the Body of Christ,
Yeshua Messiah, Home is as simple as American Apple Pie. We don’t need any
fancy adjectives or words to describe what Home means. It’s just simple.
Many Christian songs describe Home in the eyes of the writer. And although our descriptions may differ, the end result is the same: To live in eternity with our King, our Savior. Yesterday my church sang Chris Tomlin’s “Home”, and earlier in the week, I was listening to Mercy Me’s “I Can Only Imagine”. Those are just two small descriptions of what Home in Heaven COULD be like. Truth be told, there isn’t a single thing on this planet that can truly describe the awesomeness of what Heaven is like.
But it’s sure dang fun to think about!
I may have tapped into Heaven in previous blogs, but as I
get older and closer to the day when my earthly life is complete, I can’t help
but imagine what my eternal life will look like. I’ve read books by Kat Kerr,
Mary Catherine Baxter to name just a couple, and my imagination just blossoms
into this never-ending dream of life with my Creator.
From the streets of gold, to the Throne Room, the Court Rooms of Heaven, the storehouses, the Hall of Tears, heck the Lamb’s Book of Life itself…it’s HOME. And I want to share with you my personal prophetic dreams I have during my sleep, as well as blurbs throughout the day that the Father gives me.
Now, some people like Kat Kerr bring up places in Heaven that aren’t biblical, but I have learned that our Father in Heaven is so Almighty, that to judge a person’s perspective on Heaven is just not worth doing. Who am I to judge what someone believes to be a prophetic vision of their Home with God? Now, I personally believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and therefore what’s in the Bible is Truth. But to limit the Almighty Savior to this beautiful little Book is just silliness. So, let’s delve into what the Heavenly Father has shown me:
(Left: According to Biblical measurements, the size of Heaven would literally span almost the entire United States. Right: What the Three Heavens look like according to the Bible)
It’s important to say that the boundaries of Heaven are indeed protected by the most beautiful layers of jewels you’ve ever seen. Each gate being a single pearl, they are surrounded by 12 layers of gemstones no Universe could come close to the beauty and strength they have. Angels stand guard at each gate, allowing only those who are worthy and stainless to enter.
When you enter, you are surrounded by parks and vistas too far for our earthly eyes to comprehend. With the flowers and blades of grass humming praises to God, the aromas surrounding you make Viktor and Rolf’s Flower Bomb perfume seem ordinary. The streets you walk on are literally golden, yet transparent, far as the eyes can see. The sky above you is the clearest blue you can see, yet, near the horizon, are majestic purples and pinks and yellows, not sure if you are looking at a sunrise or sunset. But there is no nighttime. The closest you can get to the skies darkening is when you are in the heavenly woodlands, thick and lush with oaks, maples, willows, ash…every tree imaginable.
Downtown Heaven is like a city, with tall, crystallized buildings, sending off prism waves of light that literally pulse with energy from the praises in the air. As if the very air in Heaven is worshiping. Inside each building are homes and businesses where people who mastered their arts and crafts on Earth could continue what they loved doing. At the end of the main city street is the Throne Room. The closer you get to the Thone Room, the heavier your chest feels, because the Glory that is our God is so powerful, that the only thing that could handle it is our eternal bodies. Our earthly fleshy bodies would not be able to withstand the awesomeness that is His Glory. In front of the Throne Room is the River of Life, literally flowing within the building itself. At the center of the River, right smack in front of the doorway of the Throne Room, is the Tree of Life. A different fruit grows every month, and the fruit AND leaves on the tree have heavenly healing powers. As you go up the steps into the Throne Room, you will encounter Men, Lions, Lambs, Horses, Eagles, and Angels with eyes all over their wings. They part in two to allow you into the building, where all your family and friends, loved ones, acquaintances, really anyone who wants to be there, to greet you, as you enter and walk down the aisle, where your Bridegroom Jesus, our Yeshua Messiah, is waiting for you, smiling and ridiculously happy to see you. Clouds billowing at the bottom of the steps lead you up to the Father, who sits on the Throne waiting for you. Jesus takes your hand and walks up with you, His bride, to present to His Father. This is where your get your crowns and your robes of Salvation and any other rewards for your works during your earthly life. Once you embrace the Father for your return Home to the Kingdom, Jesus turns you around to present you to the Heavenly people. It is a massive homecoming, and the day is all about you. This is the part where you will finally be reunited with your family, friends and loved ones. This includes any children who passed before their own earthly birth. Many of these children will still be infants and toddlers, as the growth rate in Heaven is incredibly slow, for the sole purpose of being able to raise them.
There will be a feast for you, provided by Yeshua, because it is your wedding day, and you are home in Heaven. Multitudes of people will be present, and you will be able to remember all those you met during your earthly life.
Once your feast is over, you will be brought to your Heavenly property and be given the official tour. The great thing about where you live is that you will be living amongst those you were closest to on Earth. All your friends, family, loved ones, people you called your “inner circle” will be living around you. Mind you, it sounds unreasonable, because there are just millions and millions of people out there. However, because Heaven is Omnipresent, there are things our Earthly minds cannot understand. Like dimensions. Imagine your heavenly inner circle is like a multidimensional cube. You may be only able to physically see one dimension, but through thought you are able to travel to dimensions where your property is part of, where others live. I understand it may be hard to comprehend but remember this is God we are talking about. Quantum Physics cannot even apply here, as that’s just child’s play to what Heaven is like.
Now, for me, I want to tell you about my personal property. This vision has been coming to me for a long time now, and although I have no idea if this is truth or not, I have faith that God is showing me what I am building up there. Because that is what we are doing here. Works do NOT guarantee our salvation, no, only belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, who died for our sins, who gave His life to destroy the penalty of sin (death), we also know that faith without works is dead. So, although our faith gets us inside Heaven, our works are what build the place where we will call home in Heaven. I was shown what used to be a small shack of a house that I had been building, because even though I was doing so many good works in my life, my lack of faith in Jesus thwarted it’s building. I’m grateful to say that coming back to Him has assured me that my soul will be in everlasting bliss with my King. And I am building a palace! Why? Because I will be ruling with my King! That’s what we are called to do! So, our Lord WANTS us to have majestic palaces. We were not born to live in sadness and unfulfilled servitude. He created us to rule along side with Him! In all HIS GLORY! We have made ourselves believe in this notion that we cannot feel happy when good things happen to us, thus allowing negative ideas and events to be put in our world, forcing us to believe we deserved these bad things, linking them to “life lessons”. Sure, our God is a Mighty and Just God, but if you think for one moment God put you on Earth for the sole purpose to suffer, you really don’t know Him.
Suffering comes from the enemy and the enemy alone. Does God allow suffering to happen? Well, yes, of course…. we are living in Satan’s world, you know…the Earth is Satan’s domain. Just as God allowed Satan to put Job through suffering, we too, are given trials and tribulations. It is through faith, prayer and commanding the authority through our Almighty where we can defeat the enemy! Otherwise, the suffering will continue to happen. So, think about that before blaming God for your troubles.
I digress, back to Heaven!
My property has a bit of everything on it. But, most of what lives there are animals. I asked God years ago that any neglected animal, domestic or wild, be put onto my property to live eternal happiness. So, it’s a bit of an animal sanctuary, with rolling hills, a mountain range, woodlands and meadows. The valley of my home is an eternal Springtime, however the closer you get to the mountain range the seasons change to Autumn. The people that live around me live in a village-like setting…like the Shire meets a rural Scottish village. There is a lot of farming that goes on there, with lakes and ponds in different areas. The majority of the trees on my property are different types of Willow, my favorite tree species. In another dimension of my property is a tropical area where the leaves are as thick as the humidity. Clear blue waterfalls and tropical life live here, that connects to the Crystal Sea. I do not have Winter on my property. Although many residents of Heaven have Winter on their property, it’s just not my cup of tea.
Some of the structures in Heaven are for specific purposes. There’s the Storehouse, where body parts, both internal and external parts, sit and wait for their purpose to be fulfilled. Whenever you hear of a miracle, the Storehouse is usually involved.
There’s the Hall of Tears, where every teardrop fallen from
every human ever lived on Earth resides. Each tear is documented. When you hear
of God wiping away your tears, this is precisely where He puts them.
The Great Library is one of the largest buildings in Heaven (not including the Throne Room). Although the Lamb’s Book of Life resides in the Throne Room next to the Father, our personal Book of Life sits in this library. If you’ve ever seen the Citadel on Game of Thrones, know this is just a modicum of what the Great Library looks like. Every wholesome book as well as documents from everyone’s lives and events on Earth are shelved somewhere in this library. Scrolls, leaflets, even tiny notes on napkins are stored here.
There is such a thing as the Portal, that Kat Kerr discusses in her books. I have seen it. It is a place where people can come and see events unfold on Earth. Many Heavenly residents use the Portal for the purpose of watching their loved ones on Earth get saved/baptized, be born or even as they are leaving their earthly life.
The Sea of Eternity or the Crystal Sea as some call it, is the vast ocean around Heaven. The entire Sea is lined with crystals and gemstones from all over the Universe. Some that are not even of Earth. It is clear as glass, and sparkles like prisms in the sunlight. I have seen people that go there as if they were to go to any beach. Only they are in their heavenly clothes rather than bathing suits. Our heavenly clothes are usually long flowy dresses or skirts, long flowy tops, all different pastels, whites, ivory, etc…Here’s where it gets weird: Sure, you can go into the sea, you can even go into the River of Life. It’s wet, as you know, but you WON’T get wet. Wrap your head around that, now!
One of the most beautiful parts of Heaven are all around within the small parks. Gardens and small meadows, coves, etc., where you can go and be quiet, seem to be infinitely around. You even have a private garden on your property where you and Jesus hang out. Because Yeshua is Omnipresent, He can be in multiple places at the same time. So, when you are in Heaven, when you want to be near Him, it happens almost instantly! My private gardens are filled with pink and lavender roses, so thick it’s almost soundproof. My garden backs up to a covered porch on one side of my home. This is where I have had visions of having tea with not only my King, but I have had dreams of being there with my Mom. (who is still thankfully living here on earth!) Having these visions give me hope and utter happiness that this is what awaits me.
There are ALWAYS parties going on! From as small as private
picnics to massive feasts, people go from home to home, community to community,
to stay with loved ones. Because time does not exist in Heaven, it really is
impossible to comprehend how things go on up there. Parties can sometimes last
days, if not weeks, before things settle down and move onto the next place. Many
of the parties are continuing celebrations of homecomings that are hosted by
your loved one.
Now, although I have not seen in my visions other places that other people have seen, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Heaven is infinite; and right now, this is all that God has shown me.
I pray this gives you peace and yet a sense of urgency. The King is coming, everyone. This is eternity we are talking about. You must ask yourself: Are you so rooted in the Earth that eternity is nothing but a fleeting thought? Do not have that backwards way of thinking, loved ones. I have seen things, been blessed with things given to me I wish I could explain more than I have here. Our life here on Earth, albeit important, is the “fleeting thought” when it comes to the scope of eternity. This life here? This is just a blip. Eternity, however, well…I do not need to give an explanation on how long eternity is. You have the choice to decide where you want eternity. I pray you will be blessed in reading this. I pray seeds have been planted in your heart. For I would love nothing more than to spend eternity with you all. God Bless.
I really wasn’t planning to do an obligatory “final words” post for this year, but honestly, as 2018 comes to a close is a few hours, I cannot help but think back to what happen in the last 12 months.
Like seriously, 2018 was ridiculous in terms of joy, heartache, abundance and loss. Let’s reflect on this gal’s year…starting with the sad stuff:
I went to 14 funerals this year. FOURTEEN. In my 45 years here on this earth, I think I attended as many funerals in this last year than I have in the entirety of my life. Honestly, this was the biggie. Loss was a big part of these last 12 months. Not just in death, but in career and finalities in relationships. I lost a job I cared about and was devout to for almost a decade. Acquaintances come and go, as well as some friends. Back in February a woman I considered like a sister decided to attack me on social media for coming back to Jesus. This woman, who I loved so much, who had an open door invitation to our home, and someone I could confide in, turned so cruel, something I am still thinking about 11 months later. I’m no stranger to controversy when it comes to my transition from pagan to Christ following, and most of my pagan friends have been kind and honest with me, even if it hurts them that I no longer believe in the things I once did.
In the last week alone, we were hit with a missile right to the heart and well, I guess all I can say is we all need to lick our wounds sometimes. I think of the song by Aaron Shust’s “You Redeem”, when he says:
“Miracles will happen, Healing will come, The plans of our enemy ruined undone”
As well as:
“You redeem, You redeem, You restore what’s been stolen from me…You reclaims, You release, You rebuild with the words that You breathe….”
It’s a powerful song that has helped me get through some really tough times in the last couple years, most importantly this year. But if I focus on just the loss, I’ll never truly see what I RECEIVED. So let’s talk about the good stuff:
I became part of an amazing ministry called Philia Ministries. Founded by my friends James and Lea DiNonno, they are two of the most loving and compassionate people, with such deep love for our Lord. They do their best to follow God’s original instructions, well, the ones that can be followed. Because of their devotion to God, they have been chastised, belittled and mocked in ways I never thought people would be capable of. But, this is what being set apart is all about, right? I myself have been trying to follow suit, because to me, many of those instructions aren’t burdensome. They are not filled with bondage others claim them to be. So, it meant I was also on the receiving end of that mockery. One actually threatened to call my Pastor! HA! For wanting to follow God in a way she did not agree with. Religion sucks, folks. That’s why I always tell people I’m not in a religion, I’m in a relationship.
In the last 12 months I have found kindred souls with a couple dozen people across the world, people that truly love unconditionally, people that are in the world but not of the world. There is so much humility in this ministry, I talk about them often. This is one of the greatest gifts God had given me this year. One I will NEVER take for granted.
What else…Oh, I got a job! Who would have thought that a girl who had been in the corporate world since 1999 would end up working at a humble book store a mile from my home? For me, this was life changing. There is very little stress, and a lot of laughter. I actually ENJOY going to work! I feel each time I open those doors, I am walking into my own private library. For a Bibliophile like myself, it’s a dream come true! And it’s pretty awesome I have amazing bosses and coworkers that make my days go by fast!
My health has improved significantly. In the last 12 months I am down over 30 pounds. It’s amazing what not having lots of stress inside your body does! Don’t get me wrong, this year was stressful in itself, my pulmonary issues are getting worse, as well as my memory continues to slip a little, but thankfully the good outweighed the bad. How did that happen, you ask?
FAITH.
FAITH.
I’ll say it again, folks. FAITH.
I think of Laura Story’s song, “Blessings”, where she sings:
“What if Your blessings come through raindrops, what if Your mercies come through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near…what if trials of this life, are Your mercies in disguise…”
No doubt, I shed a lot of tears. A LOT. No one can take that away from me. I had some really crappy things happen to me by people I cared about. The last 6 months alone were trials in itself. But as my “Person” Jenny said that it was my FAITH that was a big part of my life this year and how certain things turned out. I truly believe this.
See, I hate no one. But I sure as heck know people out there hate me. Hate me for my past, hate me for my personality. Hate me because I exist. I cannot stop those people from feeling that way, but I sure can use my FAITH God has given me and not engage in that hatred. Life is a precious gift that should not be thrown about. There’s going to come a day when we all go home to the Father. And we are going to have to stand in front on Him and explain why we did this and that, why we felt certain ways, and why we lived the way we did. I for one will not leave this earth with an ounce of negativity within me. And I urge so many who read this to do the same. Love as HE loved us. If this is the only thing I could have taught to anyone in this world, it is that.
So, as the hours grow closer to that clean slate that will be 2019, I am thinking of people like Sally, Helen, sweet little Eliana Grace, Janet, my friend’s mom and brother, Damian, My Aunt Sharon, and my friend’s brother in law…just to name a few, who left this world way too early, and the families and friends they left behind.
But I also think of my dear friends Jenny and Steven who FINALLY got married, my other dear friends Maria and Tim who had a baby girl named Teagan, my sweet friend Alina who gave birth to her little boy, a ministry that I am proud to be a part of and the friends I have now because of it, my son’s professional wrestling training scholarship, and how my faith has grown to immense proportions.
A rollercoaster of a year, 2018. Thank you for it, but I’m ready to get off the ride now and find the 2019 ride, jump in with my arms raised and my heart open for better things to come!
Last week it was hitting over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This week we were lucky we hit 70 degrees. With continuous rains, wind and cold temperatures not suited for mid-May, one would think Noah was going to show up with his ark. Our little homestead has a very large deck in the back, but because of how the deck sits verses the patterns of the winds, we tend to be the victims of broken pots and upturned furniture after a storm here. Nevertheless, we are pressing on and gearing up for an amazing summer.
In the meantime, I am sitting here up in our bedroom, far away from the wrestling-filled family room while the boys eat their Friday-night foods (pizza and mozzarella sticks). With the window fan bringing in soft, cool air, candles lit and fuzzy blankets and pillows, I am all set for an evening of writing.
(My current work station for the evening)
I had a bit of a setback with some family emergencies that came up over the last two weeks. But thankfully all went well and I am back to at least a semi-routine. Saturday, we are heading up Northeast Pennsylvania to Easton to visit some family and help out with some things. As much as I’d like to think it will be a quick visit, I know better after all these years, and between typing here, I am packing some provisions for this day trip, that will include our two teenage boys and our pup, Linus.
Looking out the window right now, it really is chilly, as if we were near the end of September. Because of this, my mood has taken me to the darker, moodier and albeit romantic music that tends to soothe my heart during that time of year. It just felt right to put it on. What’s on that particular playlist, you may be wondering? Well, below is my list, that you can actually find on my YouTube channel (click on the “Autumn Bliss” title)
Some of my favorite artists hail from the other side of the pond, with the likes of folk artists such as Heidi Talbot and Kate Rusby, our Canadian neighbor Loreena McKennitt, Celtic singer Enya and her sister Mairead Brennan, just to name a few. My tastes during Autumn usually hit between Folk, Adult Alternative, and Celtic. It just felt right to play this tonight. As much as I dislike winter with the powerful disdain of 1000 suns, there is something so beautiful when Autumn is coming into her glory, her final triumph, before the long rest begins. And our bodies know this, as we begin to long for things like blankets, sweaters, comfort food and campfires. A feeling I know I feel during that time of year where my mind starts to shift into my achievements I have made over the year, and how I would like to complete the remaining months of the year. I write more, I dream more. I think more. Autumn really is beautiful, you know?
(One of my favorite pastimes, sitting by the campfire)
Anyway, back to homesteading stuff! Still waiting to get our bay window installed, still need to get vegetables into the ground, as the rain and unstable temperatures have caused me to be super behind. But my perennials are back in all their glory, like my clematis, comfrey and burdock. And my onions I planted over a month ago are coming in wonderfully! Now to get down to weeding that purple dead nettle and get those veggies in!!!!
(Just a quick walk around the jungle…I mean garden….with my perennials going nuts!)
Hope you all are doing well and getting into the adventures that summer brings! Talk to you soon!
One would think that not having a full time job would give me more time to write, but in fact its quite the opposite. Funny how one can get writers block the moment you have time!
BUT, Spring is finally here (in the calendar sense), and I am very eager to get back into the swing of all things life! And to me, writing is life for me. If I am not typing something, I’m writing into a book. And I have so much on my mind, that it’s really impossible to put it all into one post.
But enough of that. So, what’s going on at this homestead?
Well, the weather thankfully has moved from the high 70’s to mid 80’s with nighttime sleeping with the windows open. One of the best things about Spring is the scents. Magnolias, fresh cut grass, hyacinths and many more are sweeping through the air and coming into my windows. Especially during vespers, the scents become almost intoxicating! And there is nothing more dreamy for me than to open all the windows and doors.
Sadly, I live with 3 men who don’t like opening anything! My front door has a glass pane and because the door is fairly old, getting a screen insert has been impossible to find. Our side door is a big wood and glass door, with no way to use inserts. There is no screen door to go with it. I always kept the back door open, but the fear of bugs coming into the house causes lots of disharmony when they are home. Over the last several weeks I opened the Magic Screen and purchased a screen all by itself with velcro where you can attach the screen. So, yesterday while my son was nursing his tooth extractions (he had to have a couple removed for his braces), I put both screens up. It didn’t take long for the complaints to begin, but both screens are in place, so that’s a big win over here!!!!
I am also excited to tell you that we are getting a window put in our kitchen!
See, when we first moved in, we knew this would eventually have to do this, as one of the owners from long ago put on an addition to our home, and unfortunately they did it off the kitchen, leaving no light in our kitchen. I personally don’t like it. It’s way too dark in there, and let me tell you, when all you crave is light and life, the last place you want to be in is where it’s dark. I have been waiting to get this done, but our builder can’t do it until we get out of this cold, rainy season. So, we were hoping for a mid-April date, but now it looks like it’s going to be May. Either way, I’m getting morning sun soon! And that’s going to be GLORIOUS! Yay for light! Yay for spring breezes!!!
I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since Jesus remolded my heart and brought me back into His arms. Please take a look at my full testimony on what happened that fateful night, November 18, 2016. God bless you.
Well, hi there! Can you believe I have been working on this website for weeks now, and I didn’t even have a name for it until today! HA!
This is my first post here, and right now, I don’t have anything to say at the moment, because right now I’m still closing the chapter over at The Bohemian Hobbit. So, in the meantime, please be patient with me as I finalize some things over at the other website, and pray that I will have this 100% up and running soon. (It’s amazing how much time you consume putting a website together).
Because The Bohemian Hobbit has been The Bohemian Hobbit for several years, it only stands to reason it’s not going to take a day to close it up. And there’s a LOT of content over there, from posts, reviews, thousands of pictures, links….whew! It’s one of the reasons I still dream of being that stay at home wife and mother that I so long to be in. It’s no great surprise to know this, if you have been following me the last 10 months. I trust the Father is doing everything He needs to do to make sure my needs are met. And for that, I am thankful.
Until then, friends, I thank you for visiting me here, and will let you all know as soon as my very first REAL post goes out!
Last week it was hitting over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This week we were lucky we hit 70 degrees. With continuous rains, wind and cold temperatures not suited for mid-May, one would think Noah was going to show up with his ark. Our little homestead has a very large deck in the back, but because of how the deck sits verses the patterns of the winds, we tend to be the victims of broken pots and upturned furniture after a storm here. Nevertheless, we are pressing on and gearing up for an amazing summer.
The Homesteading Hobbit 