Christmas Letter 2023

 

A picture of this beautiful church taken this past summer

Christmas 2023

In the early morning hours, words started swirling about to write a Christmas letter.  As I crept down the stairs the house is quiet, a good time to reflect on this past year.  With a freshly brewed cup of coffee,  a cozy spot by the fire, I wish each and every one of you a very blessed Christmas. 

If you have ever watched the movie “The Way” (which I recommend wholeheartedly) it’s about a man walking a path towards a very specific journey's end.   And I realized that everyone’s life is a lot like that movie.  In that each of us is walking on their own path with the end goal to a specific destination.  We walk along with others, some for a time, sometimes alone.  The people we meet along the way help shape us in ways that teach us lessons about life, love and hope.  Sometimes the lessons are brutal and harsh and sometimes they are pure beauty. For me, it’s fair to say that overall, the most significant experiences were the hard ones, but that they resulted in learning about faith, hope and love.  I don’t know about you, but my pathway on my personal journey has been filled with many people, many lessons to be learned (usually the hard way), but nonetheless, each has had an impact on me that helped shape who I am and where I am going.  My end goal is eternal life with God. I am filled with the knowledge that our God is a great one.  This year for the first time, I’ve been reading a chapter a day in the book of Luke.  As I go about my days in this Advent season, it’s so easy to get side-tracked by all the hustle and bustle and forget the “Reason for the Season”  the birth of  Jesus.  Maybe you are like me getting so busy that all I see are the "to do lists"....and then in the quiet hours of early dawn, I realize what a magnificent gift has been bestowed to each and every one of us.  All we have to do is accept that gift of God’s love. It’s free.  He shows up for us.  Each day is a new one to get up and try our humanly best to live it in ways that honor our Savior. 

On a personal note, this year has been filled with so many blessings.  Rod & I did a commitment ceremony with his good friend and pastor performing the ceremony and attended by our immediate family.  For us it represents our commitment to each other before God.

This past year has been filled with many wonderful family gatherings and adventures, some close to home and some afar.  And regardless of where we were location wise, it was all about being connected to each other. We laughed, ate, drank and yes sometimes cried together - bonds formed of what makes up a family.  Is our life perfect? No, but each day we get to try to be the best we can… for me that is where “grace” is either given or received when I stumble and falter. 

I find as the years go by, filling my days with quality people that include family and friends, is where a person sees true beauty in life. We have also found a wonderful church and are forming a lovely church family there.  Words sometimes fail to convey the beauty of connectedness.  But it’s real and I can say both Rod & I feel it.

And with that, I wish for each and every one of you that as you walk down the path of your personal journey, that you find those good people who make your life beautiful, the ones who help hold you up when life knocks you down. And I hope you will take a moment to reflect on all the blessings in your life and give credit to God. My hope is that as you walk on this road that we call life, that one of your goals is to ask God to be your walking partner as we go up & down the hills towards our final journey’s end.  

Merry Christmas,

Gayle

Our family....not a blended family... A BLESSED FAMILY 

Saying Yes to Living Life Large

And he says yes…. to adventures, to projects, to my whims, to the requests made by the inherited grandkids to do things and mostly to living life large. That’s my sweet man, Rod who I usually refer to as “Mr. Right”.  Who knew five years ago when I accepted a date with this guy that we would end up enjoying life together, embracing each other’s kids, family members and friends?    This is the guy who doesn’t complain when the garbage disposal switch went out on Christmas Eve morning. He just went to town to get the part and fix it.  This is the same guy who has never told me no to any project that I think up… nope, he just figures out how to do it. With that thought in mind, what does he ask for Christmas? More power tools for projects, so that is what I gave him. 

Yesterday on Christmas morning as Rod’s kids weren’t here with us, we invaded Jen & her girls to watch them open gifts and have breakfast.  And the girls made seating placements for everyone, and where do they put Rod (a/k/a “Pops”)?..... well he was the only one invited to sit at the kid’s table.  And when they asked Pops to take them skiing today, he said yes, so off to the slopes is where he, Jen and the girls will enjoy the snow. That makes my heart so happy.

I have to admit, I’m not really a very smart person and often get tunnel vision on life.  The good thing is that I am a committed life learner and I absorb so much from others on how they enjoy life. Plus, for an added benefit, I truly feel God knew he had to give me some earthly human help and placed Mr. Right in my life.  For that I know I am blessed beyond measure.  Funny thing is - that Rod says he is the one who is lucky.  Either way, life is good, we are grateful for all that we have.  And yes, we both know we are far from perfect and when we drive each other crazy… well we take a step back and yep…. You guessed it – we look at what is “right in our lives” and that rebalances us.

And what did I get for Christmas from Mr. Right?  It’s a “mystery history tour adventure” scheduled for next month.  All I have to do is pack for cold weather, bring books and be prepared to enjoy the fun he has planned. Seriously, is that not the best thing ever?  The recipe for living life large brought to me by this very special man of mine.    

And as 2022 will be ushered in within the next few days, once again I’ll try my best to saying yes more often to the unexpected opportunities for fun and playing.  We’ve both worked so much of our lives, that now is the time to seize the moments of joy and see life just like a 5 year old does.  It's about seeing more good and what is "right" in life, in people and in our everyday surroundings. How about you? What are your goals and hopes?  Hugs, blessings and love to all, Gayle

 

Harvesting Faith and Good

Soul restoring Montana style

The one thing that I learned from being on the farm for so many years, is that despite your best efforts, sometimes things don’t go as planned. And perseverance and faith are your best friend, along with a good dose of hope. That learned life skillset has served me well and as I continue to learn new lessons from less than desirable circumstances, there are blessings and silver linings to be found.

And the reason I am sharing this is because of a setback on a goal of mine.  Without getting into the weeds too much, my application to host other events at my barn was denied by the Planning & Zoning Committee.  All the events Rod & I had dreamed about hosting were now in ashes.  The application hearing & process as a whole was basically awful and I was unprepared for mudslinging at me by one distant neighbor. (I now have even greater empathy for politicians who endure name calling). Anyway, after the dust settled and a recent soul restoring trip to my beloved Montana, a new dream is in the making.

Let me share my story on the magic of when things don’t go quite as planned.  After the P&Z hearing, I was feeling a bit off balance and said to my “Mr. Right” that “this girl’s soul needs Montana”. His response was, let’s go!  As Rod described a leisurely trip up Lolo pass and on over to Philipsburg (P-burg), I could hardly wait.  Bless that sweet man of mine.  Anyway, we arrived in Montana late afternoon and hungry. We were beyond disappointed that our favorite brew pub diner was closed… on a Wednesday of all things.  So after a quick bite at another place that wasn’t all that great, we discover that our hotel reservations were for Philipsburg, Kansas…. Not Montana.  Ugh. No hotel room was available in this cute little tourist town.   I was trying to not be glum as this evening was turning out not as I envisioned… so we decided to console ourselves by getting a beer at our other fav brew pub.   There the magic began, as we were sipping our adult beverage and getting a game plan, we struck up a conversation with another couple who didn’t live in P-burg, but spent a fair amount of time there. This couple were nothing short of being fascinating (she was an appellate judge in Ohio & he was a contractor building a small cabin here in Montana) and we felt like instant friends.  We head over to a different bar so the other couple could grab a bite to eat and (only in small towns) is a hoola-hooping contest in progress.  Out of the blue, a woman walks up to me and hands me the hoola-hoop, so I give it a try and win the contest. I guess I impressed Rod with my new found skill and got high 5’s from all the patrons…. Lol.  Basking in my new fame, in walks the mayor & owner of the beautiful historic hotel to find us as our new friends had called him after learning of our hotel situation.  He has a drink with us and says he has one room available with a king bed. Glory be! We follow him and the hotel is spectacular, the great room has comfy chairs, a wood stove and books that made you want to stay all winter and read your way through the room.  All the rooms were themed and we had a rustic style room decorated with skis and sleds and a divine plaid Eddie Bauer down comforter that you melted into on the chilly rainy evening.  The universe was putting just the right people in our paths and let me tell you,  I felt blessed beyond measure.  The next day we headed over to see my cousin Ginny & Scott with plans to see their fav Western themed dinner show in Jackson Hole, WY.  Family, music, good food… heavenly! On our way home, Rod & I do a day trip through Yellowstone and opt to spend the night in Virginia City, again another historic hotel and good conversation with the manager.  Getting to soak up the magic of Montana, spend quality time with beloved family…. this girl’s soul was filled up and I was ready to move forward as I felt there was just something better out there for me to do.  

Picture perfect in Jackson, WY

Barn envy

Yellowstone and Old Faithful, be still my heart

Once home, I connected with a lovely woman named Sara who sought me out and asked if I wanted to partner with her and do an antique show as this was also a dream of hers.  We plotted, planned and found a venue at the fairgrounds and now have two dates, the first will be a Spring event, April 2, 2022 and the second will be a Holiday sale November 12, 2022.  We’re starting to attract other cool vendors and I’m beyond excited!!!!

In the matter of a 3 weeks, I got my soul restored and a new events partner by trusting in a higher power and that Our CREATOR had something better in store for me.  The power of good people put in the right spot in the right time and seeing the magic of silver linings in situations that you didn’t plan for.

Again, those lessons learned from my time in Agriculture, this is an industry unlike no other. Besides feeding the world, I got to see firsthand how hardworking farmers/ranches paychecks depend on circumstances beyond their control – weather and the market.  This creates in you the power of faith and hope in all situations.  So no matter what speed bumps come up, I’m grateful to have gotten through them, I’ve prevailed and come out strong.  As for the barn, well we are blessed to have a large family and it will be the central point for our family gatherings, and that is  always a good thing.

Wishing you a very blessed Sunday.  Here is a special blessing I came across and want to share.  “May you always have enough happiness to keep you sweet; enough trials to keep you strong; enough success keep you eager; enough faith to give you courage and enough determination to make each day a good day”.  All my best, Gayle 

 

 

 

Remembering the Good

Hi Friends,

It’s funny what a person will remember about someone after they leave this earth.  It’s been slightly over one week since my sis-in-law, Denise had of change of address from here on earth to heaven.

It seems almost like a lifetime since last Tuesday and then I realize it’s only been 9 days but I feel like my heart and soul has traveled hundreds of miles and saw and felt so much.

Forever a Beautiful Soul - Denise

A beautiful set set on a sad day 

With a heavy heart I learned that my dear sister-in-law, Denise passed away on this bright, warm and sunny day.  And the thought that registered was that the day she passed away was just like her personality, bright, warm and sunny. She was one of those people who lived a vibrant life.  She had a heart bigger than Texas and as my youngest daughter said, it is hard to believe she is gone, as she was always here for us.

Christmas Letter 2019

Dear Friends,

As I write a Christmas/New Year letter, it’s been a good year.  As I look out the window, it is snowing…..finally.  With that coat of fluffy white stuff, it just makes this girl’s world a bit more magical.  

Happy Times Past and Present

I just love this picture as Rod was dragging home a perfect tree

Hello friends,

The urge to write overpowered my desire to finish up decorating the house for Christmas.  I chalk it up to long ago happy memories that swirl around my brain as I acknowledged the passing of my beloved step dad on this day eight years ago. He may be gone, but the heart never forgets.

Cozy Sunday

There is something incredibly cozy on a cold rainy Sunday afternoon where the kitchen beckons to whip up something.  My plan was to hang home and start decorating for Christmas, but when you get a message that your daughter and kiddos miss you, well…… it spurs you to finish up in the kitchen and go hug on those grand-angels and their momma.

So from this gal’s kitchen, I wanted to share a quick update on some recipes. First I wanted to try a new recipe - Pickled Cranberries” and an old  recipe for the best Snack Mix ever. 

November Thoughts, Grateful

Oh November, just the mention of the month and my mind registers on one word…. grateful.  It’s a beautiful concept and of course, I am thankful for the good in my life, but the weird thing is I am more grateful for all the hard lessons and dissatisfaction of situations that forced me out of my comfort zone and to have to take action.

Family+Love=Summer Sweetness

A couple nights ago, I BLISSFULLY ENJOYED DINNER OUTSIDE and soaked up the warmth of the fading sun.   I checked my urge to work at my front door and let myself  keep the mindset of being on vacation mode after having just gotten back from the coast. After the sun set, and darkness forced me into the house, the scent of ripe peaches that I had picked the day before spurred me into action to do something with them and pronto! So I made my first batch of peach-butter, canned peaches and made two peach pies.  Yummm.

Idaho+Montana Family=A Good Crazy Time

Remember when your kiddos were two years old and if they were quiet that you knew they were probably getting into something or up to a bit of mischief?  Well it dawned on me that in my self-imposed vacation from social media  and blogging these last 3 weeks, that a lot of times when I’m quiet…. It means I’ve been up to something.  Lol 

Over the July 4^th holiday, a few of us Idaho relatives invaded  the Montana relatives to enjoy our nation’s birthday camping at the family property under the big skies of my home state.

3 Day Week-end+rain=R&R

Greetings friends,

I don’t know about you, but I love a shortened work week, there is just something about the extra day off. Of course I’m extremely grateful to all who have and continue to serve to protect us ( and I fell short of taking some home baked goodies to my fav local law enforcement….but I’ll remedy that shortly!)

Gratitude Meter

Oh my gosh…. It’s Sunday evening and the end to a quiet week-end.  I was going to turn on the news ….. and thought yuck!!!  I didn’t want to see or hear about any of the negativity that would be reported on.  So instead I propped my feet up by the fire, poured myself an adult beverage, put on a play list of music, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli and Adele…. blissful!  And decided to write to you instead.

Food, friends and gathering around the table

With the beginning of the New Year I’ve been mindful to take ( and make) the time to spend quality time with family and friends.  Here’s a quick overview, Thursday evening a gathering occurred that was a reunion of work pals and their spouses.  We were a band of very different kinds of people who were either hired (my case) or elected to Executive Officer positions (my guests) and through the good and sometimes not-so-good times at work, we forged a genuine affection for one another.  And after a few years apart, the idea had been put out by a fellow colleague to have  a “reunion” and he suggested going to a restaurant.  While I do love going out to dinner, this event just begged for a quieter setting. And with that,  I suggested that I host a dinner to encourage lingering at the dinner table where we could  enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed fashion.  The other’s eagerly adopted the idea and an impromptu dinner party came together.  It was glorious…I have to admit.  I have some very basics on food that I can fall back on and the menu consisted of Dijon Pork Lion,  Gourmet Mac n’ Cheese,  Apple-cider cranberry sauce, and the guests brought a salad, bread, dessert and wine.  We gathered, shared stories, poked fun at each other and laughed a lot.  It was a beautiful evening.  As everyone was leaving, one said, let’s do this more often…..  it seems as a whole, that we fail to set aside time to celebrate friendships forged by shared experiences.  Alas… another resolution for me!

On Friday, I took the leftovers and shared them with my mom, we played Scrabble and I got beat by my 82 year old mom…..she gloated over the winning.   Lol

Saturday I baked and baked.  I called my daughter Jen and asked if she could take a few photos of me to help submit to a magazine I’m trying out for.  After the quick photo session,  a heart-to-heart chat over coffee with my beautiful girl.  Mom and daughter time is always a blessing.

Chocolate Shortbread, Espresso Chocolate Cake,  Nutella Bread,  Cinnamon roll bread (a few successes, a couple of need to work on the recipes)

My other fav place to write when I'm not parked by the fire

This morning on my way to visiting a new church,  I dropped the yummies off to the Sheriff’s office (they were excited). It’s my way to show my appreciation for their dedication and something that I’ve been doing for several years now. Truth be told, I’m not sure who gets more excited, me getting to bring “baked with love” yummes to them, or them when they see my arms laden with baked goods.

And after church, a cup of tea with some dear friends.  Then a nice phone chat with my sweet man.  Can it get any better….?

And I have to tell you, that connecting with friends and family keeps my “Gratitude Meter” fully charged. The beauty of taking the time to spend with those you care about are the kinds of memories that warms this girl’s heart on a cold winter day.  

I hope your first week-end of the New Year was meaningful and that your Gratitude Meter is fully charged as we begin the new year.

All my best, Gayle

P.S. I’ll be getting the recipes up on the website soon – Good Farm Food ( the Espresso Chocolate cake is already on the Cake of the Month page.)

                                                                                        

A Heartfelt Note

Good morning and Sunday Blessings to you.

A couple days ago, I received an email from someone I've met through my writing.  She reached out to me, a heartfelt email saying she was struggling in her life, didn't like being single, was lonely and sometimes wished she would just go to sleep and never wake up.

This is part of what I wrote to her, and I felt moved to share it with you.  By now, I have realized that I don't question whether to share intense personal thoughts, I just do it because I feel compelled to do so.  The words, thoughts and feelings will flow and although it helps me intensely, maybe it helps you too. I hope so.  And with that.....

Dear friend,

My heart truly hurts for you.  Through all my heartache and hard times, I did not ever feel moved to wish I wasn't here on earth.  Please know I care.  As each person is the captain of their own ship, the course where you want to travel is up to you. While sometimes the journey is far from easy, each time I've left the rough waters and sailed into the smooth waters, a lesson has emerged and I've realized how much I needed to learn that particular lesson.  I found the silver linings.  Here are the things that I feel are necessary to navigate life's  journey. 

First, a thorough medial checkup. It is important for body, heart and soul to be healthy. 

Next is realizing you are a true work of art in God's eyes.  You have gifts to share, what they are, are only known to you and God, please don't waste them.  There is a plan and you are a needed part of the over all plan.  Look at life as a recipe being put together, perhaps you are the binder of all the other ingredients, such as flour, or maybe you are a minor part such as salt - but either way, both are important and critical to the success of the end product.  Without either, the recipe would fail.

Next surround you with supportive (good) people, whether it be family and/or friends  - hopefully it will be both.  Also seek out additional guidance, whether it be spiritual or a trained counselor.   

Next you need to commit to realizing that caring for your body, just like you would care for your child, is vital.  Take care of you!  Strive to eat right, get fresh air and exercise.  I love to walk (I’m not so great at getting myself into the gym… no one is perfect) .  I notice when I get cranky or feeling grumpy that I haven’t been outdoors as much as I need to be. Nature is my soothing balm to a hurting heart.

Then commit to doing 3 nice things for YOU..  EACH DAY.  It can be as simple as taking a bubble bath in the evening, giving yourself permission to watch a movie rather than mopping the floor, whatever – just do three nice things for you.

Find inspiration and read something that is good for the spirit.  I have found several books that I read and re-read.  Sometimes everyday, sometimes when I need them. Turn off the TV and listen to music.  Listen, really listen to the words of songs.  My personals fav are country and gospel rock, you can hear, feel and understand the pain, sorrow, joy and renewal that comes through music.

Please know through it all, that you are loved by our Lord, by so many others in this world, and that you a beautiful piece of work in the miracle of this so-called life here on earth.  Never give up.  Learn to embrace life and live the life you imagine.  You are the only thing holding you back.  Give yourself permission to seek what fills your heart, soul and mind.  And may you live the rest of your life with gratitude, grace and gumption.

All my best,

Gayle
swheatfarmlife@gmail.com