Today I’m happy to share an interview with an inspirational woman who happens to be a sponsor this month. She owns a fabulous small business called Montana Solar Creations and blogs about natural living, too! Be sure to visit her Etsy shop and read more on her blog. Continue reading
As we move closer to the Spring Equinox and many struggle to feel content and whole in the last days of winter’s grasp, I would like to share a guest post by De’Anna L’am. Continue reading
Nearly every day for the past week, I will suddenly hear raucous alarm calls coming from the flock of sparrows that hang out in the backyard.
It appears that we have attracted a regular visitor who showed up on two separate occasions today. An adorable, killing machine – a Cooper’s hawk. Continue reading
I hear a lot of people bemoan winter weather, but I try to avoid complaining about it. Winter is just another season, the wheel of the year will turn again just as quickly as it always does.
I find it better to embrace the gifts of winter. I allow myself to sleep a bit more knowing that in the days before electricity people were certainly getting a lot more dreaming in this time of year. Why did we decide that we always have to go, go, go? The colder, darker days also allow me to find joy in the ample time to read, sew, journal, and dream of plans for the future. This extra inward-focused time will quickly pass when spring comes! Continue reading
To be honest, I haven’t liked Valentine’s day much since middle school. It was all fun and games with our shoe boxes and egalitarian distribution of Care Bears cards in elementary school, but then came the carnation sale. Rather than a friendly gesture to celebrate a holiday, the carnation sale was really more of a contest between the three prettiest girls to see who would receive the most flowers.
While most of us sent one or two flowers to friends these girls were walking around with their 47 carnations leaving the rest of us awkward 12-year-olds with bruised egos. The remainder of us “normal” girls sat at our desks, heads lifted eagerly each time one of the carnation messengers entered the room with the goods. Nope, it’s for her yet again. Great.
And then when I was 13, my boyfriend gave me a box of chocolates (which really isn’t my favorite thing anyway) wrapped in paper made up of 2 inch scraps of all the letters and cards I had written to him. I spent a lot of time on those notes – why in the world would he cut them into pieces as a gift??
Despite my less-than-perfect relationship with middle school Valentine’s days, the holiday continues on, and now I’m more concerned by the amount of waste and needless spending that the holiday promotes. Why can’t we just be kind and giving to our loved ones on a regular basis?
However, I had an interesting request from a lovely reader recently asking what would make a good Valentine’s Day gift for someone who is interested in sustainability and reducing their consumption. Really, it’s a great question that more people should be discussing!
Here are my recommendations. Continue reading
On New Year’s Eve we went cross-country skiing (on snow that clumped a little too easily…). Continue reading
Although the 31st of December is somewhat of an arbitrary date in a calendar that was implemented in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, it is the calendar we have used throughout our lives, and therefore today serves as a useful day for reflection before the beginning of a new calendar year. Continue reading
The week following the Solstice has been filled with the promise of returning light through the gathering of family, the giving of special gifts, and time spent reflecting in nature.
Out the window the morning of the 25th.
These Light Footsteps 