Where Has July Gone?!

Where has July gone?!

It began by celebrating 250 years of independence along with 90+ relatives at the family lake.

Next came a chance for a quiet afternoon and evening with just the 4 of us at the lake. A thunderstorm only made it more beautiful for us, though it caused severe damage on a nearby lake.

July also brought several times to help out my older sister's family as they are super busy remodeling a house in the country before moving.

Meanwhile, I have been busy painting at home too. I grew up with this Hoosier cabinet at the other lake cabin (no longer in the family) built when my dad was little. The cabinet was not new then, and it is high time to paint the insides and replace a few rotten areas to cut down on the old smell - especially on humid summer days.

It has been fun using this old piece as my new office space, but I look forward to fully moving in after a bunch more painting and rebuilding is complete. If you remember my years of crippling sensitivities, you will realize how huge of a win it is to be tackling a project like this, starting with scraping and sanding!

Also at home, harvest has begun!

Meantime, annual doctor's appointments made for a long, hot July day of travel. But we even took a little chance of sightseeing!

 As we look at our calendar and manage to run out to the lake for yet another quick break, we marvel at how far we have come from the decade spent in deep disability and isolation.

"Thank you, Lord..." is a frequent refrain.

May Flowers Galore

2026 had unusually nice weather for the peak of greenhouse season, which was a blessing as we worked with family, friends, plants, and customers!

It is always encouraging to see stamina growing from year to year on this job!

Records, Slideshows & Snowforts

These photos from Christmas still make me smile.

We introduced my sister's kids to the joys of records and slideshows!

They got pretty good at spotting their aunts as kids.

Plus we got to build a snow-fort together.

All sizes of homemade wool mittens kept our hands warm, even when wet!

Several of my handknit designs are available in adult sizes here: https://heritagewoolenco.etsy.com/

Asking for Help

 The Autumn work around home taught me a new lesson in humility this year.

When a wild wind just after soybean harvest caused a brown ground-blizzard, we ended up with up to 3-foot drifts of leaves packed in around the raspberries, flower garden, lilacs, and more. 

Dad was still very low on energy and losing muscle due to treatment at that point, and Elsa didn't need to be exposed to all these dusts and sprays as she shouldered more work during Mom's recovery from her second complete knee replacement of the year. So I raked, shoveled, and pitched the dusty leaves over a couple of days before having to admit that the job (on top of all our other autumn work on lawn, gardens, and house) was too much for us. 

Enter: the Body of Christ

Seven adults and three kids from Elsa's and my church arrived one Saturday morning and got us well over the hump in two hours! Two strong guys spent most of the time finishing off the soybean drifts while the rest of us tackled a lawn covered in little branches from one of our wild autumn winds, got the roses tucked in for winter, and more. One helped with his chainsaw, and another was comfortable helping us drive the backhoe with huge buckets full to the burn pit.

Front flower bed: Before & After  all the help covering the roses with dirt and leaves

It was not easy for us to ask for help. But even more than the work completed (which was of more value than can be calculated), we were so blessed by the fellowship and encouragement of our "family." Visiting over deep dish pizzas and homegrown apples was a great way to unwind.

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." • Galatians 6:10

Seeing Beauty in Hard Places, part 2

When able, we got Dad out of the city altogether during his month of treatments at Mayo. On what turned out to be his best day in several months, we explored a state park that was new to us. Moss, bogs and wildflowers lined a pleasant path to the main feature of the park...

...a waterfall! So refreshing!

Mom even managed the hike between her two knee replacements!

And Elsa and I had to check out the fun playground made of logs and lumber! Reviving a childlike curiosity and spontaneity adds joy to life (as well as making fun pictures to send to nephews and neice)!

Seeing Beauty in Hard Places, Part 1

As mentioned in my last post, we spent a month of this summer at Mayo clinic. Since Dad had less than an hour of treatments per day, we looked for ways to get out of the city/clinic atmosphere as much as possible. At least as much as Dad was able to handle.

Even in the middle of the downtown roar of traffic and construction/demolition, we enjoyed a stroll to this park with a fountain one afternoon.

Then God had a beautiful surprise planned for us on the day we drove up to enjoy the Mississippi River. We always like to stop at the marina in Lake City where the river widens out to Lake Pepin, up to 3 miles across. This particular Saturday we were surprised by unusual activity around the marina... until we found out that local sailors were giving rides for a donation to a fundraiser.

And that is how we got out sailing in a year where our own Weta stayed parked in the shed! This Catalina 310 was the biggest sailboat we've gotten to try yet, and our captain and first mate were a good fit for us.

It is just so good to get out in God's creation!

• Viewing the Mississippi from Frontenac State Park (and trying to stay cool in intensely humid heat!)

Winter Joys

A clipping from last summer's geraniums is getting ready to bloom!

It is so neat to see tracks of various wildlife in the snow.

Our Valentine tulips from Mom & Dad brightened up winter days!

Mom's multi-year crochet project has an end in sight!

Pulling out old games has been fun and stimulating for occasional family game nights. Dad learned Mille Bornes when student teaching in Africa to wrap up his music degree, so he bought this once he got back home in the 70's.

January 2025

January 2025:

January held a few noteworthy activities for our family.

I got out cross-country skiing for my first time in years, and it felt amazing! A second time at the start of February was just as satisfying. I love this new (old) way to enjoy our 8 acres and surrounding fields in the fresh, cold air!

We ate the last tomatoes from our garden on January 25th... a record for us! They had been picked in hard and green before freeze-up last fall and slowly ripened in a box and then the window-sill through winter. They were even sprouting inside!

Though not like vine-ripened, these were certainly better than from a store. And they worked great in a Fiesta Salad with home-canned corn and beans.

Speaking of canned beans, this was also a first.

I finally tried the several day process I'd been dreaming of and sprouted black beans for extra digestibility, then pressure canned them for an easy protein to add to meals. They turned out delicious!

Elsa launched two new lines in our renamed Etsy shop: Heritage Woolen Co.

Her handknit, soft, woolen bonnets are a favorite with moms and littles alike!

And her new textured mitten design comes in the prettiest earthy colors! (limited edition)

Back to foods:

Mom made our first 2 crust pie (a challenge usually avoided in gluten-free baking) in about a decade. Delicious! 

And we are eating lots of fresh sprouts... courtesy of Elsa's diligence. 

After starting 2025 with a bang... playing Dutch Blitz with cousins at midnight (a family tradition neglected for many years past), we are on a roll!

We are keeping it up by pulling out old favorites for a weekly family game night. My Rummikub memories go back to before age 12 when we sat around Grandpa and Grandma's round dining room table and learned to plan complex moves!

While Nordic colorwork mitten designs for the Etsy shop keep clicking off my needles during family audiobook evenings, I make gifts for my stash on Sundays. This amigurumi zebra is the latest to make me smile.

And the 1 minute blind contour sketch I did of it makes me laugh!

If you haven't heard of this quick sketch practice, it involves looking only at the subject (never even glancing at the paper) and drawing in a continuous line without lifting the pen. A fun challenge!

And yes... I just noticed that this sketch was done in February. So starts a new month...

~ Hannah