There are no longer horses at our place here in Scottsville, a farm we’ve come to call “Horseshoe Hill.” Our barn did use to be home to several, though. In ode to them, our town’s location at the horseshoe bend of the James River, and the good luck we had finding such a home in the […]
I profess to have dreams of walking out my back door in the morning, strolling along a merry path just feet from our home, and picking strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. Or, if its later in the season, there are peaches, blackberries, and blueberries. Later, there are cantaloupe, apples, and pears. Obviously- I need an orchard. […]
One year, while turning our kitchen into a bedroom and our former bedroom into the kitchen, it finally happened. I had a very strange desire. Though I had three children under the age of five, I somehow wanted to live a pioneer style. This new obsession meant I wanted to do almost everything by hand. […]
This is a poem I wrote in July 2008, when I was deep in the throes of motherhood and seasonal living. In praise of self-sufficiencyI once holed up almost anacre-island of sand and trees.Many days spent on kneesamongst chickens and rabbits,trowels and error.Slowly, I learnedand from the soil I earnedthe right to eatthe right to […]
Mushrooms on pizza do not excite me. And happening upon a mushroom when I’d much rather find a fried sweet potato or cauliflower in my tempura is always unwelcome. But one Portobello burger can go a long way. Next thing you know, you are looking at seed catalogs and ordering what is known in shiitake farmer’s language […]
How many years did I drink bad coffee, then good coffee, until I finally learned about the beauty of a great cup of tea? When I was little, my grandmother would make me “coffee” to drink while we watched Lassie. It was probably 80 percent milk with a few drops of coffee, and a lot […]
How did I end up with a Lean-to greenhouse? In my early twenties, I moved out of the city with two small children and another on the way. My (then) husband and I purchased a small house. It was a 700 square foot “cottage,”. When things are tight, you can call it a “cottage” and […]
My mother once planted sunflowers that germinated overnight and grew to over eighteen feet tall. I’d heard about these sunflowers all my life and never realized how remarkable this was until I began growing things from seed myself. Conclusion? Growing from seed feels sweet and complete. Stealing away a few minutes to plant in our […]
Many years ago, I edited a newsletter for the Master Gardeners in Virginia Beach called ‘Gleanings’. I often asked other gardeners for submissions. Because assembling a newsletter was new to me, as well as growing things, I needed their support. Occasionally, generous people obliged me, which is how I learned of an excellent idea for […]
Over the river and through the woods (and down the road apiece) lies the 150-acre intentional community Springtree. Located on the banks of the meandering and historic Rivanna River, Springtree has been demonstrating so many of the ideals I strive for (and more) for more than thirty years (Now, for more than fifty, Ed.) We […]
