Although summer is my favourite season with those endless sunny days, there is something profoundly moving about winter and the magic that comes with winter’s solstice. It’s funny that I should say moving, since winter solstice actually means, “sun stand still.” It is a time of quiet reflection. It’s a space where we can slow …
Dear blogging friends and family. I hope this post finds you well. I haven’t been doing a lot of writing on my blog, but I have been writing. Every two weeks I meet with my writing group and we write about all sorts of things. Recently, one of my writing buds suggested a mouse trap …
Until recently I’ve been in a deep funk. This Covid 19 pandemic is dragging on, and on, with no end in sight. This past summer we experienced another depressing season of wildfires and choking smoke, reminding me that our planet is crying in crisis. I’ve been reflecting on whether global warming can even be reversed …
“In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.” ~David Suzuki~ Dear family, friends and blog readers, Now that we are safely on the other side of summer and cooler days are with us, I’d like to …
A month ago we were returning from the west coast, after helping our son Harrison move into his new place. Harrison is starting his fifth year living in Victoria, the capital city of our Province. He’s been enrolled in the University of Victoria’s Gustavson business school. This is a coop program, where you study academically …
Welcome friends, family and blog readers. With National Truth and Reconciliation day happening tomorrow, I thought I would write a piece for my blog. At Hope’s homestead I’m not just wanting to chat about the environment and becoming more sustainable, or even sharing one of our family’s latest recipes, lately I’m finding this blog is …
We’ve been living under the shadow of this Covid 19 pandemic for 18 months now and I’ve hardly posted on my blog. That may not sound like a long time but it’s the longest year and a half of my life. Normally an optimistic, glass half full, everything is rosy type person, this pandemic has …
Welcome! Come out of the cold and sit by the fire. I’ll pour us a cup of tea. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here too, but as the year draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the past and to tell a story. The story I want to tell is about connecting …
Remember Christmas letters? Those lovely catch up notes that people used to stuff into their Christmas cards. Maybe some people still do, but I think for the most part, this is a thing of the past, like Christmas cards themselves. The few cards that I receive each holiday season, usually only have the signature from …
~A successful garden, full of abundance includes diversity of plants, where no weeds thrive~ Lee Reynolds Thanks for coming to visit my blog today. While I want to chat about harvesting garlic, sharing my strawberry shortcake recipe and growing a productive raspberry patch, there are weeds of racism growing all over the world and I …
Last winter, I felt like a dry piece of cold toast. that no amount of butter or jam could make taste better. Our days were spent whirling from one activity to another like robots on auto-pilot, until they all blurred together with me chanting, “something has to give.” I knew what I wanted to drop …
Welcome to my blog and Hope’s Homestead. It’s nice to see you. If you are new here, yah! If you haven’t been here in a while, you’re not alone as neither have I. Ha! You’d think that with the current state of the world, (everyone isolating at home due to the COVID-19 global pandemic) I’d …
My Dad, Marvyn Derwent Clark, was born in Freedom, Alberta on April 29, 1920, during the last big flu pandemic. It was a time, when almost a quarter of the earth’s population, was infected with a deadly influenza. The Spanish flu, as it became known, was responsible for the death’s of possibly 50 million people …
Before you were born you whispered to me, “be brave, let go, allow goodness to come.” And so I jumped and you fell from the stars into my arms. Ever since the world is a little brighter. Keep shining my beautiful Diamond Girl. ~Lee Reynolds~ I can’t sleep. A new day is dawning and I …
Happy New Year my dear blogging family. I know it’s the beginning of a spanking new year, but I have a secret; where it’s at is “OLD.” When I was a child, one of my favourite quilts was a patchwork creation. On one side was a soft flannel sheet and on the other, an intricate, …
Christmas is almost on our doorstep and I’m travelling down memory road once again, thinking of my father who has been gone for most of my life. I’m also thinking of my son Mitchell, who is on the other side of the world and will be celebrating Christmas in Australia this year. As I decorate …
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st give me; O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st give me; How often has the Christmas tree Afforded me the greatest glee! O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Much pleasure thou can’st give me. ~Traditional German Folk Song~ Welcome back and Happy …
Have you seen those decorative Christmas pillows with whimsical quotes and images? Last Christmas when I was in Homesense I saw the throw pillow of my dreams. It was white and had the word, “Hope” in gold glittery letters. In my mind I had images of an all white farmhouse, with white walls, white furniture, …
Standing court around us, providing the air we breathe Observing humanities triumph, also our many tragedies We walk around unconscious, unaware of their power Never stopping to wonder, gaze or admire The magic in their branches, the gifts in their leaves When will light dawn, on all earth’s human beings That we are living among …
Welcome back and thanks for joining me in celebrating the season of light. On the heel of my last post entitled, “Unplugging the Christmas Machine,” all about my desire to create a simpler yuletide, I want to share a few things we’ve been doing to slow down and smell the roses,….. or rather the pine …
Can you believe it’s only a month until Christmas? It doesn’t feel as if we are moving any closer to the winter solstice, since in my part of the world, (Okanagan Valley, in southern British Columbia) we are experiencing a lovely, sunny November. Usually it’s rainy, sometimes snowy, and definitely cold this time of year. …
With a steaming mug of pumpkin spice tea next to me, I’m joining you once again. Two seasons have passed since my last blog post. I had material a plenty but felt I needed time to just be in the moment. Instead of capturing and posting life, or writing down my thoughts in words, I …
In my last post, I wrote about the challenge that David Suzuki’s Foundation is asking us to participate in starting today, May 1st; to spend 30 minutes a day in nature for 30 days to kick-start a nature habit that lasts all year-round. The thought is, if we connect with nature, we will do anything …
I wanted to proclaim this, “Happy Earth Day,” but how can we be happy, when our planet is suffering from our pollution and exploitation of her resources. If you want to read more regarding the state of our planet, check out this link to the “Vox,” site and the article called, “7 things we’ve learned …
This week I discovered that love is perfect. Living life is not. A week ago, I was thrilled to see the garlic I’d planted last fall starting to take off nicely. The stalks were all greening up and it looked like a good crop was in the works. Then on the weekend, when I was …