Farmstead Chronicles

      This week I have done a lot of thinking about life. Now, I know that's complex and too much to consider at best. But, for the last week I have just felt this burden. I have been short tempered with my family and feel like if I start crying, I might not be able to stop.      Lester Hughes passed away on Friday, January 26, 2024. Sally Brubeck fell and cracked her pelvis two+ weeks ago; Patty Jarvis fell yesterday and broke both her arm AND her hip. My little village is going through it right now. It just got me thinking about the things we go through in life. I read somewhere that your life is the dash on your headstone. You have your birthdate and the date you died, in the middle, that teeny, little dash was your life. What kind of impact did you leave? Were you a good person? Did you give back to your community? Most importantly (in my opinion anyway) is did you tell other people about Jesus? I think Lester lived a good life. Not without ha...

  R.G. entertaining Noah The motorcycles that visit our store once a year The hardest workers in the village 😁 Fun times The Mercantile (the heart of my community) Everybody needs one More Community THE Community     This week I listened to a book called Find your People by Jennie Allen. In it she talks about having a "community" of people and being a part of a community. I listened to another book this past summer titled The Life Council and formed my own life council. I listen to Elevation Church sermons with Steven Furtick in the morning when I'm on the elliptical and this past week it was about community, Priscilla Shirer had a sermon about community I listened to this week. For the past two weeks, Pastor Dave has been preaching on community. Today as I was driving home from church and just thinking, the word community kept coming up. I was like OK Lord, I hear you. See this morning I got up and kind of dawdled (as my mom calls it) and was on the fence about goi...

.  Noise Cancelling headphones - GAME CHANGER!     I'm still here, I haven't forgotten about you. I haven't had a picture or a "thing" that has intrigued me this week that I thought I needed to write a blog about. Plus, writing a blog about Jerry is going to be hard to follow! Thank you to everyone that shared that blog. Someone told Jerry about it, he came in the store and thanked me one day last week. I said for what?!?!? He said someone showed him what I wrote 😊. I was grateful that he read it and got to see how much he means to everyone who knows him. I printed it out for him and am working on all the sweet comments for him as well.     I'm back on my personal development kick 😁.  I did listen to a book in between the podcasts called The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah . It took a little bit to get into, but it was a really good book. Heartbreaking. Now I'm back to personal development and reaching your full potential kind of thing. John Maxwell, Rache...

  Jerry Jarvis - I don't think he knew I was taking his picture. Sorry Jer.     He's always there when you need him. He will ask as much of you as you do of him. He gets things done! He's the glue. I knew of Jerry Jarvis for as long as I've lived in Middlebrook. I didn't KNOW Jerry Jarvis until I opened the store in 2019. Jerry is part of "the coffee club" as I endearingly call them. In the winter time he's usually there several days a week. In the summer, I may only see him if he swings by to grab a Gatorade on his way to the next yard to mow. He's 70 some years old? He still mows several yards for people around the village and The Meating Place as well. He used to do more, but his sweet wife Patty finally talked him into giving some of it up. He walks his dog Molly around the village all hours of the day and night and watches out for the people and businesses in the village. He is Ruritan of the Year for 2023 and is very active in the Middlebrook...

      My first blog of 2024 😊. I started this blog in May 2023. It has been one of the best decisions of 2023. I love sharing life with all of you that follow along. Sometimes it's light and fun, sometimes it's heavy and hard. Life, it ebbs and flows. I'm praying over 2024, that it will help me reach for the stars and the personal goals I have set for myself. I will share the BIG one with ya'll. In 2024, I want to be a content creator. You may have noticed that I post A LOT on Facebook and Instagram now. Occasionally on Tiktok. I have to have 1,000 followers to be recognized on the content creator platforms. I have about 700. Tell your friends to follow me, and if you don't follow, then please start. I try to keep it real and just take you along with me through my day. My "internet bestie" influenced me to give it a try (she didn't shout out my name or anything like that) but she is very encouraging. So, follow me on socials if you would like.    ...