Tea time: crushed sugar and cardamom seed to top banana bread, a little sparkle and such a great herb for the winter season (I love it in my coffee--no sugar). Like vanilla, though, its cost is crazy high right now, so I'm thankful for the little I have. Is there a particular herb pr seasoning that you really reach for during the dark season?

Baking, making, knitting, reading. Keeping the woodstoves and kettles and soup pots full and hot. Lots of people coming and going and showing up for jam nights 🎶 and afternoon tea ☕️ Sleeeeeeeping. You?

Happiest of Thanksgivings. Enjoying a short moment with a sourdough cinnamon roll. What you don't see is two of my kids, one on each side, trying to grab it while I type 😂 #coffeechain #momlife

Fruitcake baking! 😋

Today's project: diagnose where the leak is in the player piano.

It's dark outside but the oven is on and a fresh and warm carrot cake with chopped dates and walnuts sure sounded good for tea time. #teachain ☕️

Messing around on copy paper for my art journaling. Power's been out. My art and crafts don't generally require electricity.

Progress. The ribbing is done and now to the body. This will be an experimental and no doubt wonky sweater; my goal is to use up all the scraps of yarn in my stash. I have zero idea how this will turn out.

Finished making a little book. Little indoor handcrafts make me so happy.

My latest write up is on using herbs for sleep. Do you have any experience doing that? #herbalist #grownostr

Herbs for Sleep

A desire for a good night's rest

Surprise visit from the county assessor/resident appraiser. It was so off putting to show up uninvited on my property, and he plainly couldn't understand why. I pointed to his wedding ring and asked him, "So you're ok with complete strangers showing up out of the blue and uninvited to your family's home to take pictures and notes?" Guess I would understand it more if we were selling or buying. And if I had had advance notice. But apparently this happens every six years and after living in this county for close to 30 years I'm obviously clueless on this. Hopefully he won't raise my taxes for wasting his time asking too many pesky questions. Is there any place on earth where you can be just left alone to peacefully live your life?

I knew that regardless who won last night, I was still going to wake up today and love my God, family, and country. But as the day went on, I found myself hopeful that the American spirit might be truly alive and that we do indeed love our freedoms and one another. This was already obvious to me IRL but the constant propaganda did get wearisome. Four years ago, heavy oppression and censorship and name calling grew exponentially to a roar. Today, we as a people dumped all that crappy tea into the harbor. It's a new day. Love the Lord your God. Strengthen your homes, strengthen your marriages, love and raise your children, take care of your body, do the neighborly things, do your best work. This country will only heal from the inside out, and--actually--no matter who is in charge, that's the way it always is. As for me, I'm so glad to be turning the page, I'm preparing a new book to celebrate.

Everyone else can party. I'd rather have a quiet evening.

Layer one in my art journal. My thinking place. #artjournaling #artstr

Really enjoying (indoor) fire season again. If I can't have the sun outside, sun-grown-wood-warmth will suffice me inside. Plus, the start of baking season. Sourdough buns for the lunch burgers today, yum.

Starting sweater number 3 🧶 #knitstr