Good Morning from the Ozarks,
How well I know the feeling of "ice" everywhere!
In 2007, we had a huge ice storm here in the Ozarks that caused our electricity to be out for 13 days.
We were not ready for the isolated feeling, the sounds of the trees crashing around us in the woods, and the dreaded lonely feeling when the sun set.
For a long time after that winter, I dreaded the sound of ice rain tinkling outside.
We have learned to prepare all year though so there are no surprises.
We keep solar batteries charged, we keep our little "ice storm pantry" filled with everything imaginable, and that seems to help.
We found out that when we get iced and snowed in, taking our sled to town for forgotten items is a way to combat cabin fever, going to thrift stores thru the year and buying books and crafts helps keep our spirits up, and reaching out to others in our little town who might be needing firewood or
emergency items helps too.
That was the worst ice storm in 84 yrs. we were told by an elderly friend,
but it taught us so many lessons in life, sharing with others, and being prepared.
Fight the fear of winter with fortitude my dear, and remember, after a long winter, comes the beauty of spring! ~Hugs from Diana in the Ozarks!

What an incredible story–13 days without electricity!  It sounds like you came out on top with new experiences and skills to share with others. I have an inkling feeling I’ll turn out the same :).  Thank you for your words of encouragement!

My heart goes out to you, sweets, especially at this time of year. Many friends have SAD (Seasonable Affective Disorder) due to death or other traumatic experiences during the holidays. Life is not easy under the best of circumstances and it helps to remember the warm, pleasant events when the snow, rain and ice permeate your world. I’m holding you in my thoughts and wishing you a better new year.
Hugs,
Adrienne

Thank you Adrienne!  I have friends and family with SAD, too.  I don’t think I totally fit the bill, as you are supposed to feel it for two years in a row…but it is a likely possibility.  I think this year will be just fine, hopefully the hard times were just packed in to the first few weeks…Thanks for your thoughts, Best, Alex

You are missing the Brainerd Ice Fishing contest on Saturday! The ice is at least 16 inches thick. The temp should be about 15 with a 40 mile an hour wind. See what you are missing?

About this time of the year I miss green vegetation. Anything. A few years ago we went to Maui in February and I absolutely drank in the green and the flowers. Absorbed it. Felt much better when we got back to Minnesota! SAD is a definite possibility.

My heart goes out to you…I think the other ladies have said it all, hang in there, life will get better continue to find the joy in the little moments love and hugs xxx

I am sorry to hear of your loss. You have a beautiful and lasting memory of him. You, right now, are living and vibrantly alive in one of your most important times in your life. You have the right attitude and gumption to pick yourself up when you stumble, slip, slide and fall.

Go ahead and make that time to call or hand write your loved ones, and be with them as often as you can. It is and will be the most important thing you can do in your life. As for the beauty, awesomeness and fierceness of ice there is much respect to be had when facing God’s creation.

(I’m not so sure you are aware of it or not, but popular as Yoga may be for physical health, it is still a religion. The movements have meaning, there is worship of a god, and it promotes a certain way of living your life. I, for one, am glad you have been lazy with it. Stick to that wonderful, rugged, outdoor life you are blessed with. It’s a workout.)

Thanks for your thoughtful words, Lilyrose.  You are right, ice demands much respect.  I have been practicing a semi-yogic lifestyle for several years now.  It isn’t a religion, it is a lifestyle. There are gods respresented in asanas, you’re right. But, at least to me, these gods aren’t spiritual gods in the same way that the Christian, Hindu, Wiccan gods or goddesses.  Instead they are representations of different aspects of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual selves. Some religions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, have branches that include yoga as a part of their practice.  I still love my outdoor lifestyle though too–there’s nothing better than doing yoga high on a mountain!

resolved to eat more greens, and yes, do more yoga, and take more walks outside 😉

I think that messy people are the most creative so don’t stress to much!

Hi Alex,
I’ve decided to keep my ears held close to my heart so I don’t miss out the direction I am supposed to be going in…!
I also started walking just before Christmas and as soon as I get over this blasted flu I’ll be bundling up at 5:30 am to meet my walking pal at the end of my driveway for a new year of exercising more regularly! I do think winter time makes us all feel a bit yo-yo ish as far as inertia setting in… after all we are supposed to be resting up for a busy spring! Good luck with your resolutions and your lists! Can’t hurt!
Deb ( your farmgirl sis at the beach )

I still would like to read my way through the Classics…that is an ongoing resolution. Would LOVE to have Buff Orpington chickens…still trying to talk Hubby into this one!

I love these resolutions! As an English Major, I have a special spot in my heart (and library) for the Classics.  Maybe you can make some kind of deal the the Hubby about the chix?  You can let him read the Classics and report back to you, and you can get chickens.

You share a very poignant message, from your heart and it made my heart jump. Teachers are so very important in our children’s lives – whether it be in a school setting or in life. I am going in to my grandsons school today to help decorate for their Christmas party tomorrow, just being with all those lovely beings makes one know that life is so precious and it is a joy to share it with them. Thanks for being a REAL TEACHER, God Bless and Merry Christmas.

Thank you for sharing your feelings about the tragedy. I’m much older than you are and I remember the first time I heard about a victim of gunshots. We were told to go home from school on November 22, 1963, and be with our families because the President had been shot. It was the first time I saw a nun cry and there was complete silence on the streets of my neighborhood because everyone was home watching the TV. I was 15 and my brother was 9; my sister 4. We understood what happened but I don’t think my siblings really grasped the fact of death. We played with cap pistols and pretended we were cowboys or Zorro or Wyatt Earp. Pretend death was different: the President wouldn’t get up off the floor and appear on a different program tomorrow.

I hope the survivors receive all the psychological help they need and the support of their neighbors and friends.

Dear Alex,
Thank you for writing, even when you felt you couldn’t. Thank you for sharing a large part of who you are with us…You are a seed planter, a nurturer, a teacher. You understand the preciousness and value in children and in being a child. You are a blessing and those are some lucky kids in your top photo! Keep up the ‘good ‘ work… the world needs more like you working with kids!
Love and farmgirl hugs from the beach farmgirl!
Deb

Dear Alex:
I, too, want to thank you for writing this essay. I have been struggling with understanding the Sandy Hook incident and am a strong proponent of restricting the sale of assault rifles. Your quote of the poem of Wendell Berry touched me greatly. I have several grandchildren in elementary school and I remember when I was in third grade and President Kennedy was shot. I cannot imagine the pain and grief of the entire town and especially the families whose children were killed. I pray that in the New Year something is done to alleviate the uncontrollable use of weapons of mass destruction. I feel that people have the right to protect themselves and to have handguns and shotguns for hunting food. However, only the military should have the equipment needed to protect our country. God bless you and the feelings that you have expressed concerning your love of your students. It is evident that you are a tremendous teacher. Teachers are great people and they do a great job. Thank you again.

Rural? Oh, yes! Congratulations from another naturalized farmgirl!

Beautiful words to start off my thankful day. Peace and love to you!

Hi Alexandra,

Just read your blog post. I love what you have said here:

"This is a good exercise in appreciation. In a culture focused so much on criticism and constant improvement, it is great to take a moment to focus on what is great right now–not on what could be or what is desired." ~Alexander Wilson

It is so very, very true and if being in the wilderness breeds life learnings like that…. you are bound for higher thoughts. Thoughts that will continue to inspire.

God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Alex You do have lots to be thankful for, and it’s good that you so lovingly appreciate it all. I read an article a couple of years ago about being thankful, and the author wanted to get in the habit of being thankful for lots of little things as well. I took that to heart, and it is amazing how many good things we have on an everyday basis that we take for granted. For me it starts real early each day with a hot shower! then the coffee. You get the idea. Love your post — regards, Anne

Alexandra you say Thanks so well,I enjoy your Blog so much ,this one was the best. Thank You

You totally cracked me up! Loved this post! That candy is such a battleground! I know all the facts and then I consume and then I get sick and then I fight back and vow never to eat candy again…so the battle continues!

Oh my goodness. You are channeling me, as far as the last two paragraphs go. I am a candy addict and truly struggle on a daily basis. I cannot eat candy in moderation — it’s all or nothing. Thank you for your perspective and for helping me not feel so alone and so derelict as a health-conscious Farmgirl. We are going into that dangerous time of year when treats abound (including homemade). I also have an "only homemade treats" rule that flies out the window the minute someone puts a Tootsie Roll or an Almond Roca under my nose. I guess I need to read Sugar Blues again. That book scared me out of sugar for a long time (years). BTW, I too am glad the political environment has settled back down to the usual weirdness.

I enjoyed reading the post, it is sweetly uplifting and positive!

Alexandra,

You have "hit the nail on the head" – we ARE omnivores, but we don’t need to be ridiculous and we DO need to make sure the "critters" we eat have been given the best life that they can have for the type of critter they are. The DH & I practice what we like to call "sustainable omnivorism" – lots of veggies, but when we eat meat it has come from a source we know about.

Well done!

I agree one hundred per cent with your view. I learned a while back not to name the "food" critters…..actually, my spouse, in no uncertain terms, requested that I not name them….apparently my strong man felt a little tug about that issue as well….lol. There is nothing like your own home grown food source, whether meat or vegetable. So with that!…..and a repeated….don’t name the food critters!…thanks so much for your continued musings of the farm life. Blessings in All of Your Endeavors.

As much as I don’t want to eat any meat whatsoever, I find myself craving the protein (from chicken) every few months. (This doesn’t happen with beef – no desire whatsoever). So I’m a sometimes-omnivore with a serious aversion to eating any animal I’ve ever actually known. And thus I totally resonated with this post and thank you very much for taking the time to write it.

I found a super easy bacon recipe that you might enjoy. "Pig Candy" – simply dip bacon pieces in melted chocolate – dark or milk chocolate, whatever your preference. MmmMmmmmmm 🙂

I’m a part-time meativore. Love veggies, most fruit and meat a few times a week. My occupation: cattle rancher 🙂 I was raised on venison and it is still my first love.

Congratulations on being able to kill and roast one of your own! I’ve got of our own homegrown roosters in our freezer from last September… ( They were the fellas we didn’t plan on in our backyard flock ) We paid 5:00 each to slaughter them and I’ve yet to be able to cook them… I loved em too much to eat em I guess…I’ve got some farmgirl growin’ up to do! LOL Great post!
Deb ( MJF Beach farmgirl blogger)

Congratulations on the pickle bounty!! Total crunchy deliciousness! We’re having similar weather here in Montana, and I confess to being somewhat relieved that the harvest season is winding down, at least for the heat-loving veggies.

You MUST try fermented pickles – the Nourishing Traditions recipe – super simple and they are so good they curl your toes! Also much faster pickling than standard canned pickles (which you aren’t *supposed* to open for at least 6 weeks)… 3 days on the counter, a week or two in cold storage, and YUM!! All those incredible happy probiotics in a crunchy delicious pickle!! SOOOOOOO good! 🙂

Ok for my first pickling experience, I grew my cucumbers and then pickled them without tasting and they were so bitter. But all was not wasted, as my cousins husband does not have the ability to taste bitterness something about that tastebud of his not working?? soooo, he enjoyed all 12 jars. lol. Now I taste the cucumbers first. lesson learned
by the way, love the bunnies

Pickles!

My mother canned pickles only once when I was a child, and it’s possible for a pickle to taste like a sock.There were simply awful!
Each summer we canned a variety of beets,tomato sauces, and hot peppers with cauliflower and carrots.This was in addition to the many frozen vegetables we had in the freezer,but the pickles and some pears were a disaster.
Being a lover of pickles I must try again.Thanks for a reminder that try we must.

Sometimes in this busy life we take "mini vacations" on the weekends.
We pack up our little homemade camper, and head only 5 miles from our house to a consservation park where it is isolated and serene. For $5 a night, we camp, cook over the fire, take long walks down the banks of the creek,
lay down in the shallow rapids on the over 100 degree days, play card games by the fire, and enjoy. Life slows way down and then we head on home to face
everyday life once again!
Your pictures and story are fascinating, thanks so much for sharing with this farmgirl in the Ozarks of Missouri……..~hugs~

We went backpacking in end of August to the Olypmia National Forest. Beautiful! We take time every year to go camping and hiking. Some years it is only a weekend, but this year is was full week! It is a spiritual renewal for me. Like a sweat lodge, but sweat while hiking. It just puts everything in perspective when I return home. I realize I have much to be grateful and much I take for granted. The problems and issues don’t seem so large.

We have taken vacation in early September, but it seemed it was colder. This year it would have worked great!

I think we all need more down time. I take as vacation as I can get. Thanks for sharing.

Just as a farmgirl can be a condition of the heart, choosing to live as close to an organic lifestyle as possible can be as well. Unless we choose to live in a plastic sphere or bubble, we can not completely stay away from chemicals. I think finding the place that fits our lives is all we can do. I think conventional foods can be nutritious, depending on the ingredients, but continuous exposure to toxins, genetically modified, pesticide-filled so-called food can’t be good. It’s a personal choice and I personally participate in Bountiful Baskets Cooperative and raise livestock. But not everyone is able to do that; hence, we all do what we can.

I am with you all the way here, farmgirl. I don’t need studies and debates to know what feels good and right for our bodies, our health, our earth.
enjoy your early fall!

I have a dear friend suffering from pesticide poisoning and her story had me examining my own lifestyle. Now I am a kosher lacto-ovo vegetarian locavore (someone who eats local) and organic as much as possible. I’m lucky to live in northern California so I have access to fruits and veggies year round, most of them transported less than 100 miles. There are farmers markets nearly every day of the week and once you know the farmers, it’s easy to support them as well as compliment their hard work in growing and bringing their wholesome products to you. My eggs come from chickens that are free range (not just cage free). My dairy products come from a dairy that has their cows in the fields nine months of the year. They have individual stalls and are milked three times a day to avoid stress. Their "deposits" are used to power the electricity at the dairy and it’s cleaner than my apartment.
I saw the Stanford study and it’s one study. Remember when coffee was good for you, then bad, then good? I treat this study the same way. Like the old song "Big Yellow Taxi": "…give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees." Go organic!

Hi Alexandra! Saw that article too…and had a few negative Nellys call me with "I told you so". I am not swayed. I continue to eat organic. Here on the East coast, the difference in price between organic and non is not that much, and sometimes I’ve found organics to be cheaper. Eating organic also means we are skipping GMO’s, preservatives, and chemicals. Several years ago, my family and I went organic, thanks to MaryJane, and have not been sick hardly at all since. We used to be a family that was on antibiotics all the time! Even my pediatrician had thought we switched doctors (because she never saw us anymore), and said she wished more of her patients ate organic. That personal proof keeps me from ever going back. By the way, have you tried the "Late July" brand version of "Oreos"? They have green tea in them, and are a very tasty organic substitution. 😉 Hugs from your bloggin’ farmgirl sis, Nicole (Suburban Farmgirl)