Fostering a new renaissance through creativity, authenticity, spirituality, and art
Polly Castor 
I liked this book by Kathryn Stockett and give it 5 stars. This recently released novel is about black help in white homes in the early 1960’s. Through the voices of three women, one white woman in her early twenties, and two black maids, it clarifies the complexities of these relationships complicated by the climate … Read more
Happy Fourth of July! Flags, Freedom and Apple Pie: thank God we have them all! Enjoy!
Garlic Scapes are the flower shoots of the garlic bulb and farmers cut them off to encourage the bulb to grow plumper. I first bought local “scapes” from the Farmer’s Market in the last couple years, and this year my CSA is over run with them. To eat up the scapes we’re getting weekly, we’ll … Read more
This page represents June 20, 2009 through July 1, 2009. See below for some close up photos from this page. Enjoy!
My town’s name is Bethel, which means “House of God.” We liked that when we chose to live here. These pictures were taken in walks around Bethel. Enjoy…
These are New Pond Farm’s sheep and spring lambs. I have knit with their wool… and have many skeins left to do. Gotta love those lambs!
My husband and I are alone in our home with our children scattered around the globe. As I mentioned before, our oldest is in London as a graduation present from her aunt that lives there. My son, our middle child (14 years old), just flew yesterday to Alaska for a sea kayaking and glacier camping … Read more
I was drawn outside because I noticed that our driveway and the street were purple. (See photos below. They really were purple!) We had just completed yet another thunderstorm and the light was peculiar… intense sunset colors were forming in the east. The longer I watched, the deeper the eastern sky got until a few … Read more
Last night I was what my mom would have called “beside myself.” I was exhausted and would have gone to bed, but the sheets were in the laundry. I wanted to read, having searched for a moment to do so for weeks, but was too tired and restless. My husband and son were off at … Read more
I give the movie UP four stars. It was unexpectedly sweet with the courtship and relationship between Carl and Ellie. Ellie continually helps Carl along, like putting her hand print on the mail box on purpose right after he accidentally does. She is always affirming and encouraging him, enlivening him. Another dear scene is where … Read more
It has been raining around here for over a month, almost literally every day. There has been so much rain there has been talk of arc building! Yesterday, on the way to take my oldest daughter to the airport (she’s going for 10 days to London as a homeschooling graduation present from her aunt that … Read more
I have wanted hydrangeas for a long time. This is the first year I have them blooming in our yard! They are right out my back door and I can see them from the kitchen and the side porch. We’ve had a monsoon season of literally rain daily for what seems like over a month, … Read more
This page represents June 8, 2009 through June 19, 2009. See below for some close up photos from this page. Enjoy!
My sisters and their families just left after being here since Friday for my daughter’s homeschool graduation. While they were here we played this game called Phase 10 a lot, given to us by one sister last Christmas, but not taken out of the cellophane and learned until her visit here. The tin says for … Read more
The house is scrubbed clean For the big graduation All the books are shelved. A tent in the rain to honor my dear daughter with ceremony. Not done this before Uncharted territory Won’t be here again. She’s continuing ongoing life long learning without stop or start. All requirements self imposed and rigorous are unfolding still. … Read more
We had forty special people to our house today for my oldest daughter’s homeschool graduation ceremony. After homeschooling for ten years without the typical school milestones, this event was something she wanted – to just once have all her multifaceted community together and to express gratitude for all they have meant to her. It indeed … Read more
We have made these literally hundreds of times. They are a particular favorite of my senior in High School that graduates tomorrow, but we all like them. Sometimes I think you can tell how good a recipe is by how dirty and worn the recipe cards is. To give you this recipe I took … Read more