Sunday, April 30, 2017

Happy Land and Life



Looking out the window my dad commented, the land looks happy.  He isn’t a man that believes in chit-chat and is often more silent than not.  And the comment just struck me how true it was.  As I looked at the scene along highway 95 that I have looked at for the last 30+ years, I had to agree with him, the land looked happy. 


One of my fav pictures I took of the "happy land" here in the heart of the Palouse
 I’m not sure about other people, but for me the connection between my life and the land that I live on is a direct connection to my personal happy factor.  This week-end marks the 4th week  I have lived on my new farmette and as I gaze around,  I’m enjoying the progressive surprises of seeing what new plants pop up.  And today when I was in Genesee, I looked over my farm ground and by gosh, it looked happy too.  A bit soggy in places, but happy.




This is becoming one of my favorite things to photograph at my new place. Can it get any better? A barn, fields amid the backdrop of mountains?



A couple of days ago I had my office peeps over for a going away dinner party for a dear friend who is also my mentor and supervisor.  I’m going to miss her terribly and wanted to create a special evening  to send her off on her own new chapter of life.  As I was puttering around in the kitchen, there was a sense of well-being and good mojo vibes.  Long story short, it was probably one of the most enjoyable nights as a hostess ….ever.  Over a glass of wine I gave them a tour of the house, and my friend said, I thought you had moved from Genesee  into  town .... and someone else in the group piped up with the comment that “for Gayle this is town living”….  Meaning that being out of town a couple of miles is my version of “town living”. Something about wide open spaces is good for the soul. Anyway the dinner party was a success – hearty comfort food (a couple kinds of dessert), conversation was great, and we lingered at the table from 7:30 to close to midnight. Having friends over was like a big ole dollop of whipping cream over something yummy. I’m thinking this needs to be a regular event of gathering friends and family around the dinner table again. It's time.

Berry Cobbler and Chocolate Raspberry infused cake

 With that, I hope wherever you are, that your abode is your happy place too. And with that, I'm signing off as this scene of a recent sunrise  will be here in a few short hours.... as  always, feel free to send an email with questions, comments or thoughts either on the blog or at www.swheatfarmlife@gmail.com.   All my best, Gayle


Sunday, April 16, 2017

Spring, Easter and New Beginnings


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Hello friends,

I began this blog post in the wee hours of the morning and it’s been on hold for a couple of weeks awaiting being connected up to the internet. Tonight, having just arrived home from a large family gathering to celebrate Easter, it just seemed fitting to write about new beginnings.  It has been a hectic few weeks since we last connected and one morning in the quiet darkness, somewhere inside me it said it’s time to write again.  And when it’s time for the words to spill out on paper (so to speak) I have learned better than to try to ignore it and now it’s time to catch you up…..

In the last Home and Harvest magazine article I wrote about the journey of getting here .   By here I mean a new beginning in a new town and in a new place that feels like home.  There have been so many changes going on - some expected… some not.  The expected ones were my old place sold in record speed and the closing was in 4 weeks….. and oh my!  A big task for all the treasures this girl had gathered.  Pairing down was put into breakneck swiftness for the race to pack and move.  I had anticipated a fast sale and had found and bought a vintage beauty before I had put my other place on the market.   

The unexpected change was in my relationship status and in the midst of all the moving chaos, my significant other and I had to part ways.  There were callings on his part that he had no choice but to take care of and it meant the end for us.  And while he was here for a short time in my life , he was the catalyst for helping me see that I needed to begin again in a fresh new place to make new memories.  Plus he helped me start thinking that maybe someday I would consider marriage.  My friend Heather says, sometimes people come into your life for a reason, and it might be just a short time or maybe a long time, but they come to help us learn what we need to learn.

And so  tonight I am here in my new-to-me “ vintage beauty”. 
The Sun Room, a fire going, music playing... next step is to get it furnished with a comfy sofa!

I truly fell in love with this place, the moment I saw it,  and just like Spring, a new beginning has come.  I moved in the night before my birthday as I wanted to awake in my new home.  When I went to bed that night the view from my bedroom window was spectacular, almost magical and it reminded me of my childhood nights looking at the stars under the big Montana sky.  
 
My room and the view of the night sky is breathtaking. There is an apple tree just outside the window too!
 The next morning, a cup of coffee in hand, I introduced myself to all the rooms in the house and then wandered around the acreage with the dog in tow.  I took delight in seeing all the budding plants emerge and can’t wait to see this place in full summer ware.


It's like having my own little park

Wheat fields and mountain views.... nothing prettier for this girl

A greenhouse!  I'm hoping there is a book on "greenhouses for dummies" 
I had been thinking I needed a barn cat and just last weekend a black one showed up.  So I’ve been feeding it and named it Black Magic.  Hopefully it understands its role here on the new S-Wheatfarm locale.  Also I’ve decided I need a pick-up truck…. and I was telling family tonight about needing a cat and one just showed up…. So now I’m hopeful that the pick-up truck fairy will show up and drop one off.  Like the cat, I don’t think I’ll get to choose the color….  And when I awoke this morning, well….  I didn’t see  a truck today, but I’m thinking tomorrow looks pretty good!  (yup that is the hopeful side of me)!! Lol    I’ll let you know how that one works out.

I love this picture.... it makes me smile
With that, thank you for stopping by and I hope your Easter was as wonderful as it was for me. And if new beginnings are awaiting for you, well I truly wish you the best.

As always, feel free to drop me an email at swheatfarmlife@gmail.com  or leave a comment.  I can guarantee you that it makes my day.  Well back to unpacking.... and I'll share more soon!
All my best, Gayle