Retreat

April 17, 2018April 16, 2018 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

Despite the grey, drab day, my girls and I were teeming with excitement last Wednesday as we slowly drove down Rockton Road, where the path before us turned from asphalt to crunchy limestone gravel beneath our tires. We knew we were nearing our destination.

Coming into focus on our right was the farm that we visited many times in the past. That wonderful place where naturally and ethically grown produce and animals thrive, and people aid in that growth with so much vibrancy and respect for Earth and what she provides for us that it is truly inspiring.

But this was not our final destination this afternoon. Today we were venturing to a new space on the property of Angelic Organics. Today we were lucky enough to visit the new Angelic Organics Lodge, nestled on the north side of Rockton Road on a gorgeous limestone bluff.

This space was beyond what I envisioned. We walked through the entrance of this newly renovated space and quickly found ourselves standing on a deck overlooking an expansive oak savannah. A muskrat scurried into the bend of Kinnikinnick Creek that lay before us, and we could hear nothing but the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, and the birds chirping happily in anticipation of warm spring weather soon to come. The quiet of this space was so pleasantly overwhelming. Such a change from the busy sounds of the city that we are often engulfed by on a daily basis.

Inside the walls of the lodge itself were lovely bunk rooms, a commercial kitchen, and a stunning dining hall that boasted a gorgeous stone fireplace. And perhaps my favorite part of this building was the floors. The flooring was made with craft paper, glue, water and then sealed with a water-based finish. It was simply stunning!

This summer the lodge will be the home of Angelic Organics Learning Center’s Overnight Farm Camp, but the best part is, this space is not just for kids! The lodge will host family weekends, adult farm camp, and even a weekend wellness retreat, complete with farm yoga. Yes, please!

And if seeing the new lodge was not enough, our afternoon concluded with a chance to see baby goats, newly birthed on the farm. And not just see them, but hold them, snuggle them and just love on them for quite some time. It was the absolute best!

I invite all of you to check out the Angelic Organics Learning Center website for more information about all of their amazing programs. The staff there is beyond words, and they are so helpful in answering any questions you may have about their workshops, camps, and more. We are so blessed to have a space such as this in our area!

Social

February 27, 2017February 25, 2017 / makingofahome / 5 Comments

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My girls and I have found a new love: ceramics. We happened upon a class that had some open seats and immediately we knew it was a match made in Heaven.

A common misconception of homeschooled-children is that they lack socialization. My experience (be it only a brief one and a half years so far) has illustrated to me that the exact opposite is actually true. Not only do my girls interact with children their own age while at homeschool co-op, through sports and camps, and during their involvement in scouts, homeschooling allows time for my girls to interact with those much younger and older than them. My girls love helping out with the little bitty ones when they are at the YMCA or at co-op, and they also cherish the moments they get to spend with residents of their great grandmother’s retirement community.

Our new-found ceramics class has also offered my girls a wonderful opportunity to, not only learn a wide array of artistic techniques, but also interact with a lovely group of ladies of an older generation. My girls love listening to their stories, and watching their experienced hands craft the most beautiful pieces of art. Our time spent in the studio on Tuesdays with these women is definitely a life experience for which I am so very grateful.

Old Becomes New

February 22, 2017February 20, 2017 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

A few years back I shared with you my love of all things old: books, clothes, music and furniture. I love that in nourishing vintage items, we can breath life into them and make the old become new.

My husband’s grandmother recently got some new digs, and she was unable to fit all of her furniture in her new place. I was thrilled when she asked if I could use them for something. Yes, please.

It’s amazing what a bit of paint and some clearance fabric can do! The only downside of this project is that now I have the itch…and I want to do oh so much more 🙂

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After

Before

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From Dawn to Dusk

February 8, 2017February 7, 2017 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

One of my favorite times of the year arrived this week! In the wee hours of Monday morning, we began pouring over our 2017 seed catalog (We order our seeds and transplants from The Seed Savers Exchange, based in Iowa.) and envisioning what it is we want our garden to look like this year. Now that the girls are older, they too have taken on an added interest in this task and our day was filled with talk of which herbs would grow best inside their cinder block garden boarder, and whether or not we want to skip growing cucumbers again this summer. (My girls no longer eat pickles. Say what?!?)

We normally peruse the seed catalogs in February because this seems to be an especially difficult month to get through for us. So dark. So very cold. This year, however, proved to be a bit strange in that this particular February day was unseasonably balmy. So, we packed up our seed-browsing-paraphenalia and headed to the backyard. There we started a nice fire and continued our quest for garden goodness outdoors, well into the evening. Such an incredibly nice treat.

Joy in the Present

August 10, 2016August 9, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Each of us has a handful of life experiences that truly changes us. Those experiences that get deep into our veins and alter the core of our inner self and the lens through which we view the world. I can confidently say my family and I just experienced such an event.

Over the course of the last eight days our family ventured East. We made many, many stops and saw numerous amazing sights, but the reason for our trip was to participate in a family stay at the Knapp family’s local living school, Koviashuvik. While on this absolutely gorgeous homestead we learned, laughed, created, and soaked up all we could from this astounding family of four who live in harmony with the earth in a way I have never before witnessed.

As I sit before this screen, I realize there is no way I can adequately express, in words, our time spent with the Knapps. Instead, I have decided to let the photographs tell our story. The word Koviashuvik means, “a time and place of joy in the present moment” and I invite you come along with us on our adventure to a time and place where I can say I was fully present and filled with the most wonderful sense of peace and joy.

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040284 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040289 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040303 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040312 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040390 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040354 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040364

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040424 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040435 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040444 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040463

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040562 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040571 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040572 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040381 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040384 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040609 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040635 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040639 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040643 P1040490 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040521

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040370 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040498

Kale Cubes

July 26, 2016July 23, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Every November, we find ourselves with an overabundance of kale that gets hit with a hard frost and dies. It always makes me feel just sick to know all of that healthy vegetation has gone to waste and ends up in the compost bin. This year my husband came up with a great idea: kale cubes.

When my oldest daughter was a baby, we made her baby food. We threw a bunch of fruit and veggies in a blender with a bit of water, pureed it, and then froze it in ice cube trays. Once the cubes froze, we popped the cubes out into a gallon-size freezer bag. That way, at mealtime, we would just take out the cubes we wanted, heat them up, and viola…ready-to-eat baby food. So, last week my husband came up with the brilliant idea to do this same thing with our kale! Then that way, once winter settles in and we are longing for some healthy greens, we can pop a couple of our kale cubes into our blender to add some nutrients to our morning smoothies.

All I did was harvest and wash some of our kale, threw it in our Vitamix with about one cup of water, pureed it until the mixture was nearly smooth, poured the puree into ice cube trays and popped them in the freezer. The next day, I popped out the cubes and put them in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Now they are all set for those February morning breakfast smoothies 🙂

The Most Amazing News

July 21, 2016 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Oh friends, I just received the most amazing news. My favorite blogger/author, Amanda Blake Soule, will be featuring my garden photos and writing on her blog tomorrow. I invite you to check out the post tomorrow (Friday, July 22) at www.soulemama.com.

I am completely overcome with excitement and gratitude at being given this wonderful opportunity to share with those around the world, what wonderful things are going on right here in Rockford, Illinois. A true blessing indeed.

And, this news does not come on any random day either. Today we celebrate my mom’s birthday. If this is not a true sign of a guardian angel mama always looking out for her babies, I don’t know what is. You always told me to keep writing, Mom. And I have been. Just for you.

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Change

May 27, 2016May 27, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Summer 2012

Summer 2016

We hosted our first “summer family dinner” of the year this week and I couldn’t help but look around me and take note of the changes that have taken place over the last four years since we began these gatherings. One very special person is no longer present, and four more are moving on to exciting new life adventures and will shortly leave our table as well.

When these thoughts of change began to surface, I started to feel that all-too-familiar sense of anxiety, sadness and dread seeping into my veins. I wanted to push those feelings down deeper, think about them another day. But then I thought to myself, No. I want to be fully present in this moment right now. I want to feel the rawness of these feelings of loss and change, because it is out of these feelings that I am able to also experience real and true happiness. For it is not until we fall down into the earth, that we are able to grapple and stand erect again, with our feet firmly rooted in the soil, stronger and more prepared for what lies ahead.

Can You Feel It?

May 24, 2016May 25, 2016 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

The chill in the air has finally dissipated, and the sun remains hanging in the sky a bit longer these days. Can you feel it? I do believe that summer may just be right around the corner. After those strange May evenings dipping to freezing temperatures here in Illinois, and sadly losing some of my plants despite the fact that they were covered, I am so thrilled to see the mercury rise into the seventies and eighties.

Our garden seems to be loving these temperatures and this week’s sunshine just as much as we do, and we have wasted no time getting out there and digging in, in the most full and present way we can. Yes. Finally.

{A side note: The pictures in this post are very special for two reasons…#1: My camera broke last week. Yes, broke. I was beside myself. Then my friend Jodi came to my rescue, and loaned me her fabulous camera. She is amazing. Thank you, thank you! #2: I have been afraid of heights for as long as I can remember. I am talking palm-sweating-heart-racing-paralyzing fear. But this week, while my husband was away for work (he is normally my “aerial” photographer), I desperately wanted overhead shots of my garden. So, I mustered up all the courage I had, climbed onto the top of my shed, and took these pictures. I. Did. It.}

Growing Food

May 4, 2016May 3, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

I love growing food. Love. It. There is nothing that gives me more pleasure than seeing the food I have grown, grace our plates at meal time. And while this time of year requires a lot of physical demand (Who needs a gym when you are working 6 yards of compost and mulch into the soil?), the rewards are definitely worth the effort. The perennials are already popping up, and the cold tolerant vegetable seeds are in the ground. We are not far away, friends. I can almost taste that strawberry rhubarb crisp now.

But perhaps the most rewarding of growing my own food, is sharing this passion with others. I have the absolute pleasure of working with the students of Cathedral of St. Peter School in their school garden for the forth growing season. And as I worked with students last week in the garden, I was reminded of why this project is so very important. Many have lost their connection to the food they eat. They view food as coming from the grocery store and have no idea how it is grown, or the work that goes in to growing it. Working with these students allows them to connect with their food, see how it is grown, and become an active participant in that growth process. Our garden project enables students to try new foods, and learn about the importance of consuming healthy foods and how that translates into fuel for our bodies and minds. Most importantly, our school garden work illustrates how to be stewards of God’s creation, and to value and cherish all that the Earth and God provide for us each and every day.

Happy 2016 growing season, friends!

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