“The Zen master Ling Chi said that the miracle is not to walk on burning charcoal or in the thin air or on the water; the miracle is just to walk on earth. You breathe in. You become aware of the fact that you are alive. You are still alive and you are walking on this beautiful planet….The greatest of […]
The chicks are about 7 weeks old and looking more and more like miniature chickens these days. They’re finally ready to come out of the coop and explore the outdoors. Although it will be a while before they’re free-ranging in the pasture, these little guys have plenty of room inside the safety of the aviary for now. Today was the first time the chicks have felt the warmth of the sun on their faces and bodies. They were a bit uncertain about leaving their cozy coop, but it wasn’t long until they were out and frolicking in the sunshine. Welcome to their “coming out” party! Here’s a little music to get the party started. 😉
I had to do quite a bit of digging through family photo albums to find these gems. You can probably tell by my lovely, patterned trousers that these time capsule treasures are circa 1970’s. I am an only child and the daughter of a mother who documented almost every moment of my childhood. I am fortunate that she took the time and trouble to photograph the momentous occasions as well as the everyday routines of my young life (e.g., see photos of sleeping baby holding onto Mommy’s ears). I love looking through these old photographs and seeing my parents and grandparents when they were younger, photographs of birthday parties, family Christmas gatherings, and just playing on the farm. All those memories are priceless to me now. That being said, Mom made sure I never missed a holiday photo opportunity with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny—EVER! Let me just put it this way: If there had been a leprechaun dressed in green velvet with a bunch of parents and kids waiting in line to see him at the local department store on St. Patrick’s Day, then there would be a picture of me dressed in green bell-bottoms, holding a four leaf clover, and sitting on the leprechaun’s lap. Alas, there wasn’t; so, we both got lucky! 😉 Wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter from all of us at Green Hill Farm.
Growing up on a farm as a child afforded many wonderful experiences. Meaningful experiences that shaped my values and inspired me. I remember when I was about 6 or 7 years old, Dad decided that it would be nice to have fresh milk and eggs. So, he bought a Holstein cow named Bessie and ordered chicks. I remember sitting in our living room early in the morning before school with an old towel on my lap, carefully cradling a warm, fuzzy chick in my hands–marveling at its tiny body and feet as well as the soft, little sounds it made. Every morning over the next 2-3 weeks, I would hurriedly get dressed and eat breakfast so I could hold one for a few minutes before the school bus came. I loved those little chicks! As the chicks grew into hens, they free-ranged all through the pastures and even around the house; but, for some reason, though, they didn’t like to lay their eggs in the coop. Much to my surprise and joy, while walking along outdoors, I would just FIND an egg laying in the yard or under a bush. It was like an Easter egg hunt! After making the discovery that the hens were laying eggs all over the place, I remember enthusiastically running into the house and searching for my Easter basket. “This is going to be fun!” I thought. And it was. The hens free-ranged and laid their […]
Green Hill Farm Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. ~Romans 12:2 It’s easy to be grateful when things are going well, and we’re surrounded by positive experiences or an abundance of blessings. However, it becomes a bit more challenging when life throws obstacles and negative events in our paths—challenges that emotionally stretch us and push all our buttons. Although feeling grateful in these moments is hard, it is also an opportunity for us to grow…instead of feeling wounded or victimized. Certainly, feelings of gratefulness for the things that comfort us is more natural. But, if we can also embrace the difficult times in our lives—the ones that grow our souls, we will be free from suffering. Getting to a place where we’re grateful—For. It. All…..allows us to see adversity as an opportunity. An opportunity for soul growth…and, ultimately, a chance to free ourselves. Once we’re able to move past life’s challenges, we’re able to see how these experiences grew us. We begin to move beyond our victimhood and glean the gifts of such traumas. We can understand how they helped strengthen us; how we learned forgiveness, self-reliance, and compassion; how we came to appreciate the preciousness of life, or how we fought for life even when part of us wanted to give up. We can also see how we learned what was really important to us, to stand up for ourselves, and to trust our […]
Tuscany, Italy We have two lives: the one we learn with….and the life we live after that. ~Bernard Malmud Have a wonderful week!
My name is Tonya, and I grew up on a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia that has been in my family for over 100 years. After graduating from college, receiving my master’s degree in speech and language pathology, and living and working in a small city for six years, I decided to return to the place of my childhood. Here, in this rural area, on this patch of green, where for four generations my family has farmed, gardened, and lived, I, too wanted to be a part of this continuity. As a fourth generation farmgirl, I have many interests that not only include, but also go beyond the basics of farming, gardening, sheep and chicken-keeping. It is all of this and more that I plan on sharing in this blog.
fourth generation farmgirl 