JOY COMES BACK When you finally realise that joy is less fireworks, more firefly less orchestra, more birdsong she will come back much more often for joy will not fight with the fast pace of this life she is not in the shiny or the new she breathes in the basic, simmers in the simpleand dances in the daily to-and-fro […]
We all know life can be challenging. But, we’re hopeful that most of the time, things go smoothly. And, to that end, we work to avoid disappointment and vexation. Maybe, if we modified our view of these challenges as a course correction, we wouldn’t be so upset when they occurred. Also, what if we stopped attaching to these experiences and interpreting them as positive or negative? They're happening, accept, and move through it. You know, stop judging the stuff. Of course, this is A LOT easier said than done. Some situations look really negative–even devastating. And, it's hard to be philosophical, especially when you feel like your life is a wreck. Which brings me to a quote by Elizabeth Gilbert that I absolutely love: “Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.” What if the hard times we’re facing are part of the journey to an authentic life? This is when our faith must be bigger than our fear. And, when we have to believe in our ability to navigate challenges with strength, competence, and grace. After all, it’s only when we’re knocked down that we truly learn how to rise. You may wonder where I’m going with all of this. I'll be the first to admit that I want to keep my life on course. I'm an all my ducks in a row kinda girl. I try to follow the rules, keep my word, and act decently, […]
Farmgirl Circa 1975 “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” ~Oprah Winfrey “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” ~Maya Angelou Wishing you a wonderful week!
Speckled egg on Grandma Rieley’s vintage tea towel Green Hill Farm “Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” ~Marianne Williamson “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” ~John Keats “Scatter joy!” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Wishing you a day full of joyful moments!
Green Hill Farm at sunset with Dash “Forgiveness is all about taking care of you, not the person you need to forgive. It’s about putting your desire to feel good before your desire to be right. It’s about taking responsibility for your own happiness instead of pretending it’s in somebody else’s hands. It’s all about owning your power by giving all your anger, resentment, and hurt the heave-ho.” ~Jen Sincero Wishing you a wonderful week!
Flowers by Terrace Blooms “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Green Hill Farm Scottish Blackface Sheep Summer 2020 “…with an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.” ~William Wordsworth “Each of us literally chooses, by his way of attending to things, what sort of universe he shall appear to himself to inhabit.” ~William James […]
Squash Blossom Green Hill Farm June 2020 “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh Wishing you a wonderful week!
Green Hill Farm Spring 2020 My beloved Clover is the oldest and sweetest sheep on Green Hill Farm. He loves picking through and enjoying the very last bites of grain. I sometimes catch him flipping over the troughs to make sure he doesn’t miss a single piece. So, yesterday, when I saw him bathed in the evening sunlight, it was a little […]
BAAAAH!! Just a little “hello” from my sweet woolly, Buttermilk. ❤️ Buttermilk is a lamb full of spunk and personality. He had a rather rough start in life. First, his mother died and left him an orphan and a bottle baby. Then, neighboring dogs attacked him. After surviving that terrifying experience, he endured an uneven shearing in order to […]
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 