The Life of Linz

:: i am working on building a nice collection of fonts. the lost type co-op has some great ones! i especially love blanch, haymaker, airplane, deming, pigeon, and wisdom script.

:: aww, a heart-shaped, strawberry flavored marshmallow in my hot chocolate

:: i decided to play with paints and brushes again. it was fun.

:: library stack. {“the backyard homestead” has since been returned and replaced with “growing a farmer”}

:: feeling Éclair’s kid(s?) moving around and watching her grow wider by the day. so precious. less than two months to go!

:: loving this! “off to see the world” embroidery hoop art by ThreeRedApples

:: it took me three tries at two different places to fill up the van with gas this morning – ridiculous.

by Maciej Pietuszynski

:: my 50mm lens has been “broken but useable” for a long time – finally decided to replace it with a new, non-broken fully useable one. planning on doing this with the old one!

(sneak peek)

:: i’m working on our farm website and blog. the designing part is finished; it’s the “about us” profiles that are taking longest. it’s hard enough to write your own “about me” and i have four to write, plus a home page intro + bios about the animals.

:: on the plus side, we received our herd name certificate from ADGA today… we are now officially HICKORYCOVE and all baby goats born here will carry the name on their registration papers.

I had fun yesterday putting new knowledge and understanding of manipulating light, gained by reading Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin. It’s amazing what a simple white bed sheet can do.

Image from the Fresh website

If you care the littlest bit about what you eat and where it comes from, I suggest you take an hour and ten minutes to watch FRESH-The Movie while it’s streaming for free online this week (until February 1st) Go right here to watch it and see what it’s all about.

(Thanks to Caitlyn for spreading the word first. And, just as she says in her disclaimer, I’m not being paid or perked to share, it’s simply that I’ve just finished watching it with my family and wanted to spread the word even farther.)

this hairstyle, this recipe, this poster, this Chopin piece

Happy New Year!

Goodbye, two thousand eleven. You flew by. You brought more changes, new things, good times, and trials. You’ll be looked back on with fond remembrances.

Hello, two thousand twelve! So glad to see you. Looking forward to the fresh start you offer. Hoping you’ll be the best year I’ve lived so far.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day, surrounded by those you love and those who love you, reflecting on the blessings of the past year.

Here’s my short list highlighting what I’m especially grateful for this year. (Some might be repeats from last year’s list – no matter, they’re some of the most important!)

1. My Salvation. Truly, the most important decision a person will ever make is what they will do with Christ, and the best blessing of all is the life and hope we each can have when we accept Him as Savior, which I have done. He fills my life with hope, joy, peace, and blessing.

2. My family. I truly have the best in the world. I am thankful for the way that my parents have raised me. For Dad’s quiet but strong leadership. For Mom’s hard work every day to make our home a haven. For my sister, Ada,  who is also one of my best friends. For grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love you all!

3. The Bible. It tells me what I need to know to live this life, it is how the Lord speaks to me. I’m thankful that I can hold my very own copy, in my very own language, in my hands, that I can read it and learn and grow.

4. My friends. We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ve been there for each other  through it all. I love spending time with them. I love our fun chatter and deep conversations. I love that we are all as close as sisters, because in a way we are, as sisters in Christ. I love being sure that no matter what, we’ll always be friends because our friendship is built on a solid foundation .

5. My church family. It is such a blessing to be able to look forward to worshipping and fellowshipping with them every Sunday and Wednesday. To know that they care, that you can share concerns and know that they will pray for you. Along with this, I am thankful for our pastor and his wife, or “Pappy” and “Grammy” as we sometimes call them. They care about us all so much, and help encourage us to do right and follow God by their strong stand and faithful example.

6. My freedom. Thank you to all the men and women who have sacrificed through the years, and to those who are working to keep us free today. Thank you to the military spouses and families who are giving in their own way, waiting for their loved one to come home. I am thankful that there are people who willingly give up so much to protect the rest of us.

7. My job. I love the people I work with and the children we care for. I’ve been blessed this year to work with one of my best friends, even though it meant that my other friend couldn’t work with us this year. We have lots of good times at work.

8. My health. Just the fact that I was able to get out of bed this morning is amazing. I can walk, talk, hear, see, smell, taste, touch, feel… I am healthy and whole, and for that I give much thanks.

9. Our little farm and all it produces. Our garden did well this year, providing us with plenty of produce that we could preserve for the winter. Our strawberry patch did well for its first year, giving us the treat of fresh, sun-ripened berries when they were in season. The berry trees and bushes that were growing here when we came still produce fruit we can use. Our kitty can roam to his heart’s content. We have plenty of space to raise beef steer for ourselves and others. We have space leftover for chickens who provide us with fresh eggs every day. And even more space left for our goats, but they get their own point.

10. My goats. It may seem like a funny thing to be thankful for, but I am. I think they’re the best animals we’ve ever owned. I love going out to the barn in the morning, knowing that when I open the door they’ll be right there waiting for a pat on the head, and more likely, their grain. They make me laugh with their antics, they make me smile when they just want to rub against me and stay with me, they make me feel good when they follow me everywhere. I’m thankful that the Lord provided us with helpful information and, I believe, sent us in the  right direction when we were looking for a place to buy them. I’m thankful for the milk they provide, and the other products we make from the milk like cheese, butter, and yogurt.

Have a wonderful

Thanksgiving!

c.1995

c. 1999

October 27, 2011

This girl is awful proud of her “little,” much taller cousin. Love you, Matt! 

Hello, October. I’ve been looking forward to you with anticipation and a little bit of trepidation – can I make it through all of your 31 days without eating any processed food? We shall see.

**************************************************************************************************

For more information about this challenge, click the graphic above, and to follow my journey through Whole Food Land, click here.

Oh Autumn, it’s so good to see you again. Try to convince Old Man Winter to let you stay around a lot longer this time, will you?

via Cup of Jo, original source unknown. please tell me if you know!

Owen Glidersleeve, via Good Good

Colorful & crunchy leaves, brisk mornings, cool days & chilly evenings, pumpkin pie, apple cider – which of these classic Fall delights are you most looking forward to?

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Today, as we are all painfully aware, marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

I was with Dad, taking a load somewhere, and we had stopped for breakfast at a truck stop near Jessup, MD. As I was dishing some scrambled eggs from the buffet onto my plate, I heard the two ladies attending the food bar saying something about a plane having just hit one of the twin towers. We asked her what she was talking about, and she repeated that she’d just seen the news that an airplane had crashed into the WTC. I think at that time most everyone thought it was an accident, but it quickly became apparent something really wasn’t right. Breakfast abandoned, Dad and I moved out to the main part of the truck stop to watch the TV screens in the lobby, along with everyone else in the building. There was mostly sickened silence as we all stood, watching what was happening in disbelief. It was hard to watch, and hard to not watch. Because Dad had his load to deliver, we had to get on the road, but we spent the rest of the day listening to the radio. We had made plans to drive around Washington DC, as I’d never seen the city, but of course we had to choose another route. Our thoughts were captivated, the whole day, by what we were hearing.

Back home, Mom and Ada were also spending the day listening to the radio. When Dad and I got home that night, we all sat in the living room, saying over and over “I just can’t believe it”, praying, thankful that we were still together, saddened and mourning for those families who were broken that day. Thankful for the brave members of FDNY, NYPD, and all of the other first responders who sacrificed much, some their all, to help and rescue those who were left, both in NYC and at the Pentagon. For those on the cleanup crews who worked for months and months after the attack to clean up the rubble. For the heroes and heroines on Flight 93 who gave their lives to save countless others.

Earlier this week while driving home from work, I heard a short audio montage, with clips from the audio broadcasts narrating what was happening that fateful morning being played in remembrance. When I first heard it, I gasped and jumped a little – it was so unexpected, the way it took me back. I think I am just starting to realize the full impact the events of that day had on my life, on the lives of my fellow citizens, my friends who have husbands, wives, other family members, or friends who have or are currently fighting this war on terror, and now, my own cousin who is going through basic training at Parris Island.

Tonight, ten years later, as I reflect and remember, as I hear and see the recaps of the events of that terrible day – tonight, finally, the tears come.

Never forget. Hold tightly to those you love. And God Bless America.