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.

A Grumpy Start to a Splendid Adventure

I have a confession… I sometimes get grumpy when life doesn’t go as I planned it in my mind.  But I’ve been really working hard at what I preach….. living life and enjoying those small moments and impromptu  changes.

A Prescription from the Universe - Self-care, Soul-Keeping & Sun

A fav place to enjoy morning, coffee and devotionals

Self-care, Soul Keeping and Sun. The Universe does a good job of nudging me…. And I”ll explain in a bit.

As I drove home after work yesterday, I was looking forward to changing from the office Gayle persona to the farm-gal Gayle and play in the dirt in complete and absolute solitude. 

Seth and Maddie's Wedding - Life Lessons

Seth and Maddie's Wedding

The groom's side - LtoR, Brandon+Sarah, Bridgette+Bill, my brother Doug + Edie, Seth+Maddie, Kyle+Kayla. A beautiful crew I must say!

At a family wedding last week-end two very important life lessons were once again and wonderfully demonstrated.  The first one was sometimes life doesn’t go as planned, to have faith that it will work out in the end.  The second was try to live your life through the eyes of a child – embrace fun!

Last Saturday, it was a beautiful warm day and the forecast was perfect – balmy 70’s and no rain forecast.  A postcard event awaiting!    I texted my sister-in-law the same thoughts, saying so glad the weather had gotten the crazy rain storm out of the way on Thursday and Saturday looks like a gorgeous day for a wedding!  And as the four o’clock hour drew near, the guests were seated for the outdoor wedding ceremony amidst the backdrop of a beautiful barn in the countryside.  And within minutes the clouds rolled in, thunder exploded and huge raindrops started falling.  Everyone ran inside the barn, then in true celebration of the moment, we enjoyed an impromptu cocktail hour as we listened to the roar of the rainstorm which had then turned into a semi flash flood.  Ugh. 

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!)

Another Day In Paradise

Just another day in paradise! (really it's me after a long day of playing in the dirt)

Happy Sunday!

A colleague and I had dinner the other night to catch up  and we had both promised each other the first nice day we had, we’d go celebrate and grab a beer after work.  Ha! Whatever were we thinking? Several of many first nice days came and went and she, like me lives alone on several acres, works full time and well…… when you live in the country, there is always a long list of tasks waiting.  I didn’t need to apologize for not making good on the sunny afternoon lounging over an adult cocktail, as she had the exact same mind set as me.  

Women - the 8th Wonder of the World!

Me in my in my imperfectly perfect place

A few years back, a group of us farm-wives were chatting about our lives and the ever-growing demands on our time, referring to family, jobs outside the home as well as the full time job of in the home and around the farm.  And I’ll never forget the comment one friend said, “I need a wife!!”  Meaning, she wanted a person who would be the behind the scenes fixer, the person who shopped, cooked, cleaned, did laundry, ran errands, and took care of all the details large and small to make life run smoothly.  Basically, to me, it sounded a lot like a personal servant. And I have to tell you it sounded absolutely divine.  The moment she uttered those words, we all stopped talking, looked at her in awe and agreed, we all needed wives!  

A God Kiss

Hello dear friends,

If you have been or are still a follower of the blog, you have noted that it is sadly lacking in current content, mostly a hit or miss event. And I deeply apologize and will strive to do better. And while I have all sorts of words that have been wanting to get said, I’ve been floundering….. big time.  And I miss you and I miss writing regularly.

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.)

                                                                                        

Unexpected Lovely Start to 2019

Some serious bliss and indulgence

Greetings and blessings to you on the first day of 2019

Sometimes unexpected quiet days are truly a treasure to cherish and indulge.  For some reason the unplanned day to spend in pj's by the fire just evolved and it feels like a guilty pleasure of pure bliss.  The snow-covered ground with its bone chilling temperatures make me feel grateful to be able to snuggle in the warmth of the sunroom and fireplace.