RECOMMENDED READING.

January is our leanest month around here. It just always is. We have no income to speak of and lots of expenses - seeds, new tools, greenhouse repairs, compost. Plus, some unexpected expenses - blown head gaskets, new cylinders, endless car problems. All of this is coupled with hours and hours spent planning and plotting in the garden and looking at past finances. So basically, we think a lot about money in January. We received this lovely book from our friends for Christmas, and it has been a nice reminder for us during this sometimes-stressful month. Yes, money is an important and essential element to our lives. But it is equally important to remember why we are doing the work we do. It is not just about making money. And, as this book so perfectly puts it, when we only monetize every thing that we do on our homestead, we are taking away from its overall value.So, for anyone out there scouring seed catalogs and preparing taxes and perhaps wondering how in the world it makes sense to raise chickens, I would recommend this book. It is not completely practical, considering that the Hewitt's don't need to make an income from their homestead, but it has been a welcome break in all of the number crunching for us. We can make it through this month! Farm on, good people.-Hannah.

ONE TRIP AROUND THE SUN.

We sure have been busy lately - especially considering that this is our "off-season!" A lot of travel has been packed into the last month - doing restaurant deliveries, driving to Memphis and Chicago, visiting and celebrating with friends and family. This week it all culminates in our wedding anniversary (four years!), Christmas, and of course, Further's birthday today. Needless to say, the blog has been a little silent. We'll catch up with you soon, I promise.But today, simply this: Happy birthday, Further! We can't believe that you are one already, although we can't remember what life was like without you. And happy holidays to all of you!-Hannah + Jesse.

A NEW CAMERA WALK.

We have been taking lots of four o'clock walks lately, right as the sun is (sadly!) beginning to set and we realize we need to get out of the house while we still can. We went walking a few days ago to see the Bugtussle Farm animals and try out our new camera. Wendell and the cats came with us, and along the way we discovered a 20 pound flush of oyster mushrooms, restacked the shiitake logs that were drowning in the pond, and found some brussels sprouts hiding in the garden. 

LANGUAGE ARTS.

Further has become very fond of my keyboard and iPad. It's rather maddening. And it's also completely my fault. Since he was young I've let him play with the portable keyboard because he loves to turn the caps lock light on and off (I mean, who doesn't?). Now, however, he's bigger and stronger and just as content to slam the keyboard with his fists, or summon poor Siri on the iPad by holding down the screen button.Am I sad that he's playing with this device so early? A little, yeah. But this is unavoidable to some extent. This device is an important tool for me––one of the only ways this blog exists, in fact––so there's no real way around it for the time being: Further will not own one until he's much older, but he will grow up around this device.At the same time, I like to think he will see how we use it and want to imitate. That is, I hope, whether he wants to be a writer or not, that he will make writing part of his life, or at least––like his papa––part of his routine. And there are other reasons I'm okay with it.We've been teaching Further some (very rudimentary) sign language since he was born. And it has actually been rather effective. He knows the sign for typing, and he'll show it to me when he wants to type, which makes my heart leap a bit. He also has learned the sign for "rain", "again", "more", and his favorite, "milk." Now, they all kind of look the same, but he uses them at the right times, which is a good start. We're communicating, and it blows my mind every time he waves his little hands and asks to type. So naturally, even though it's not the best thing for this valuable piece of equipment, I set him on my lap and watch him slam my keyboard and think, "Man, isn't language something?"- Jesse.