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Archive for farm days

farm tales . “I can’t wait for that to happen”

“I can’t wait for that to happen. It’s going to be so fun.”

Baby Girl has always been an old soul. Deeper than oceans, that one. We were sitting on the farmhouse back deck in rocking chairs eating lunch, and she was talking about picnic tables. Where we might put one in the pasture behind the house. And how we could build bunk beds in the middle bedroom. For when she and Travis and Elisha bring their children out here. “We can ‘kid-ify’ everything again like you did for us. And they’ll grow up together, all the cousins.”

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A World Where There Are Octobers [printable calendar]

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

I’m glad, too. I think October may be my favorite month, although it’s certainly hard to choose. When the weather cooperates, we get those first few cooler mornings that are such a blessing after Mississippi’s long, hot summers. October’s blue skies are distinct, and the season’s signature goldenrod and golden light always inspire me. At some point, we’ll probably get one of those yellow-orange harvest moons, and I imagine we’ll schedule a s’more-making bonfire. No matter how much summer wants to hang on, the calendar says autumn is here!

As the temperatures slowly drop, if only by a few degrees, everyone’s spirits seem to get lighter. This year, the month ushering in nature’s season of transition also seems to be bringing some transitions to our family. I feel like my heart is juggling health changes for my parents, the ever-changing flux of children growing more independent and, I guess, more themselves, along with the perpetual array of work opportunities – blessings, to be sure – that all require weighing choices. With October, I seem to be on keen alert to notice every hint of change toward the fall days we love. So, I’m excited to look back at a few of my favorite autumn glimpses along with this month’s printable calendar.

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sojourn . Flora and Fauna from Summer at Busy Bee

Farm days. They are always full of discovery, and the theme for last week’s trip seemed to be green, green and more green! We’ve returned from our annual sojourn to Noxubee County to kick-off summer vacation, and I’m always amazed at the new flora and fauna we find. It was unusually hot this year for May. At least it felt that way. So, lingering in some of our favorite activities was a little uncomfortable. But we enjoyed at least a few drives through the pastures and exploring. So many greens and blossoms. And, although some of my close-ups got a little grainy, we got to see a few critters, too. I hope you enjoy some of the sights of summer at Busy Bee, including some of the inspiration for the Small Pond…

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Hello, June… And Summer [free printable calendar]

Hello, June! It’s a new month, and that means a new printable calendar…. I’m sort of congratulating myself for being more regular with these printables this year. The school year finished up last week, so we are about a week and a half into our summer vacation – excitedly! We’ve spent this week getting lazy at Busy Bee for our annual summer kick-off trip to the farm. The weather seems unseasonably hot for May, but it hasn’t stopped us from enjoying these first days of summer slowness and freedom – early morning quiet time on the deck, pasture walks, pancakes for breakfast, a few wanders through county roads, water fun, bonfires for hot dogs and s’mores, and searching for ripe blackberries and wildflowers. It’s not quite time for wild blackberries yet. They are mostly green and red right now, but we’re spotting them everywhere and hoping to come back in a few weeks when more will be ready for picking.

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celebrate . Thanksgiving Tree on the Farm [printable]

The Thanksgiving Tree has become a farm tradition. We have a branch, old and dry now, that stay’s standing in a crockery pitcher in the corner, waiting to be set at center stage on the table during our Thanksgiving holiday week. Held up by rocks collected from the road, the “tree” started as my effort to sow some seeds of gratitude when my children were young. That first year, we set up our tree at home using a branch we had found on the farm during October. Baby Girl was only a couple of months old — too young to offer her contributions, and the boys were at a stage when it wasn’t hard to get them to look for sticks! The idea was to add paper leaves or shapes to the tree each days with little “Today I’m thankful for…” messages written on them. We never did it every day. We weren’t that disciplined. But, it gave us a chance to talk about gratitude at the dinner table, and make note of our blessings.

Since then, we’ve spent every Thanksgiving at the farm, and the Thanksgiving Tree has become something we do during our week there. The first year we stayed at Busy Bee for the holiday, we found a branch, and we’ve kept it since. Some years, we’ve cut out our own leaf shapes. And, several years, I’ve created a printable for us to use and also share the tradition with others. I was looking back at a few “leaves” from the years, and it was such a blessing to see each of our hearts revealed in those few words. The treasured places, possessions, and people. It was sweet to see my loves’ handwriting change over time as they’ve grown. And, neat to see that some of our gratitude hasn’t changed. Through all the changes in our lives, what a blessing to count our blessings!

I’ve shared some of our memories here, and I’ve included another printable for 2017. You can download here or click the image below if you’re celebrating with your own Thanksgiving Tree. I’m looking forward to pulling that crockery to the forefront again next week, and adding these tags to it.

As I wrote about that very first Thanksgiving Tree…

I’m convinced that gratitude is an antidote to worry and complaint, and it’s the catalyst for kindness and generosity. In times of joy, in times of hardship, I need it. We need it.

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