“The fresh air is an instant jolt when my soul feels lax. But more than that, for me, has been the simple act of entering a space that I am not responsible for taming. The maple, the mulberries, the mice – they all exist, with or without my participation. I needn’t vacuum the forest floor, needn’t dust the pine needles. For all who find themselves sometimes tiring of domesticity – or at least, the dishes – there is something of a gift in the muddy welcome mat of nature.” Erin Loechner, #

I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for our homestead in the last few months. Rain, warm, cloudy or sunny, it is such a gift to go 30 feet outside our door and spot birds or deer or airplanes. Anna’s finding her courageous side by petting lizards and checking on ‘mama goose’ and holding caterpillars and loving it. Life-giving with this toddler-love of mine.