We live on the edge of a little town, Noel Mo. But our favorite thing to do is go on country drives and look at the farms. We will take the back roads rather than the freeways or turnpikes going to Oklahoma. Some along the way have gardens that are larger than the farmhouses, as their front yards, what a welcomed greeting.
But right now we are home for a few weeks, feeding and caring for orphaned kittens left by an old, stray mama cat that usually has them under our shed every year, but this year had them where I could get to them, since she cannot care for them.
We keep telling each other we must take down the old sign on the back door “Strays Welcome Here”….:O) The feedings every 2 hours are not easy for me, but the love
and lessons from these little critters are worth it all!
Happy Summer’s Ending! Diana

You always manage just the right balance of funny and thoughtful. Lovely! Can’t wait to see you in AK.

Ouch! Encouraging!!!!! Enlightening!!!!! Hopeful!!!! this would be the only way to live and if only we all would, not could, get on it. I commend you on helping Ava to get used to real food and for sharing your knowledge with us all. Hope you are having a fine time in Minnesota and I know Ava is being enjoyed. God bless.

Over 25 years ago our middle daughter was critically ill. We moved towards an organic, mainly vegetable diet. That along with herbals made a major difference in her health. With 5 children I made my own baby foods, searched for organic foods, foods with no dyes or additives and discovered I had to simply make my own. Remember this was 25 or more years ago so access was not there. So I bought fresh veggies and fruit. I cooked the green beans, carrots, potatoes, ect and made my baby food. Our older children enjoyed homemade yogurt with berries for breakfast and green drinks ( yep we were doing them before they were in lol). My children now range in age 35 to 24 and they have always eaten their veggies.
I really think there are a few keys to this. It is great to introduce this early but we made a change in eating habits with a 9 and 10 year old! We did grow some produce and the kids loved this. I had planters with their own cherry tomatoes and spinach. But the big thing was letting them help in the kitchen and with the shopping. I remember introducing green drinks. You should have seen their faces lol. But what I did was let them begin by putting the fruits in and the base of almond milk. They tasted it. Then we added in the spinach or kale, blended and tasted again. IT WAS GOOD. They loved them. The kids helped make yogurt. They loved veggie pizzas when made with their own hands. They shopped with me and helped pick out lunch items. They grew up “just knowing” additives, dyes, and processed foods were not good and real food taste better!
Today I love seeing my grandkids enjoying our 10 acres, picking fresh strawberries, gathering black berries, wanting fried green tomatoes, and thinking nana’s green drinks are the best thing ever. Blessings to you!

Hi Alex,
I love reading your Rural Farm Girl blog. I feel nearly giddy when it shows up on my computer & I read it in print also…..
It is great getting to watch Ava grow & I love hearing about her.
She is going to be an amazing flexible country girl who loves all types of food.
She is really blessed having you as her Mom.
Keep up the good work!
Rose

Thank you for the blog. I enjoy reading and watching Ava as she grows.

Happy thoughts for your entire trip. Oh the life of a young new Mother farm-her girl. Sure is a struggle to get it all together and each minute seems to change the next but I found in times as you are in, to have a to do list and a DID IT list, makes one realize all that they did do. Your Ava is a total darling and she will learn to be out n about with you and enjoy God’s earth. God bless.

So far we’ve been pretty lucky in the pest department. Flea beetle on cole crops can be bothersome but row cover pretty much takes care of that. Unfortunately it’s tomato and potato late blight we have to guard against and possibly deer. Nice to read your post. I don’t suppose you’re anywhere near Soldotna are you? My brother knows a CSA farmer piton Funny River Road but hey, it’s the largest state in the union so chances are slim!

I grew up on a farm in west northwest Minnesota. Way back when…. I am 75 five now, so… I loved the farm (dirt poor, as it was .. But we kids didn’t know that) . I mostly did outside work with my brothers. Gardens, making hay, picking any fruit that grew, milking cows, cleaning barn…whatever.. But loved my doll (no plural here) and cooked and baked too. No such thing as “busy work” then. We were all needed. I Thank God for those days. Gave me a wonderful foundation as I went on to become a nurse (RN) and had a good work ethic throughout my career. I so enjoy reading your blog. Helps bring back long-forgotten memories. Thank You

I do remember those gym classes and those one piece gym suits. I was tall and they seem to cut me in half. I would be told to stand straight, I couldn’t. In college I took gymnastics and on the trampoline in mid air…..my leotard seams let go right at the crouch, immediate sit down and scoot to the locker. (It was coed). I thought I would die…. Those days were the best… Thank you for your history lesson, I had no idea even though I do remember JFK Keep fit program. Take care…

Touch down every morning. Touch down every day…. The LP was easier than the regular exercise routine our drill sargent of a Phys. Ed. teacher put us through – so when we heard the music most of us were quite happy. We also the white romper gym suits – with our panty girdles underneath. God forbid anything should jiggle. I saw the ad on TV and the memories did come flooding back to the horror that was Phys Ed. The worst part though were the gang showers – and we had to shower before going to the next class. The instructor stood by the door and checked off our names as we left the shower area to make sure we were thoroughly wet – therefore clean and no longer smelling of sweat and exercise. I sincerely hope Phys Ed is better in this century.

Loved your blog today, it is simply adorable.
I was raised in the heart of San Diego, then moved to the desert of Arizona,
up to the mountains of Montana and now to the Missouri Ozarks.
I fell in love with small town living and do not want to move away!
In fact, the older I get, the less the malls and the big cities appeal (our closest is Joplin)and the home life settles deep in to my heart.
We are blessed here to have lots of flea mrkts and farmer’s mrkts to shop in, and so
it is our way of life!
Hooray for the country life….hugs from Noel, Mo, Diana

Great post! 🙂

Howdy Alex,
My little Ava is growing so fast. I loved this post and the tour of your town Palmer.
Rural to me means simplicity too. I grew up in a city that was surrounded by rural life, ranches, dairy farms, so I think for me it’s always been a state of mind even though I never really lived a truly rural life with farm animals, horses etc…My neighborhood is called rural/suburban… Not because it’s farm-like but because we are on our own well and have to have propane trucked in. No natural gas or water lines here. Rural is a state of mind.. and if you’re lucky enough to add some essence of ” real rural ” life to a modern existence then you are blessed! Having backyard chickens, access to local farmers markets, and a big garden helps too! 🙂 Love your blog Alex! Your farmgirl blogging sister from the beach! Deb

Rural is definitely is a state of mind for me. I live in a beachside town but love the simple life. As I get older I’m definitely happier at home creating and making. I’m most contented in myself providing for my family and looking after my home, even though I work full time. Love this post, thanks for the tour, looks a lovely place. Your daughter is cute and growing up quickly

Babies sleeping with piglets give me pause…How many of us can say, ‘Did you ever see that picture of me as a baby, sleeping with that little pig?!?!’ Wonderful…
Still struggling with my new meditation class! I take meditation after my regular yoga class, so that by the time I have wound down at the end of yoga, I am really relaxed..
The problem is staying awake. I love that meditation helps me set unpleasant things aside in life. Like when the neighbor’s dogs bark at me EVERY TIME I walk by the fence! I feel my mind shift to somewhere that I am observing instead of participating. At least most of the time!
Just starting my garden clean-up! Just when I think that it will never get done, it will silently creep up on me and I will have a lovely, productive, blissful place to meditate..

I’m off to find a pig to sleep with.

Amen! Thank you for the reminder. And the picture of Ava and piglet is one to be framed ! I just finished a 10 week ‘process’ from the book ‘The Presence Process’ by Michael Brown. It was a definite reminder to just BE and breathe !!

Hey, Alex, enjoyed your article and I agree that we should avoid running through each day without pausing. We need to see the beautiful world around us. I enjoy an old-fashioned tea time with a hot cup of tea and a small sandwich after I get home from work. I often take the time to read some passage of Scripture during my tea time and just meditate on it while sipping my tea.

I have a few questions and a comment. The comment first is that you have wooden floors – how pretty! Question 1: do you get a lot of bugs or other unwanted visitors in your yurt? Question 2: do you have any security issues? and 3: What type of stove do you have? Thanks!

Have you ever considered a solar shower? They only cost about twelve bucks, and heat up either in the sun, or you can just pour hot water in, hang it up and have a nice hot, luxurious shower. 1 full solar shower can easily clean two of you, if you don’t dilly dally. I use mine when camping- I have a volkswagen bus, and I open the back hatch, hang a blanket around the outside, a tarp across the opening inside, and put the shower on top, with the hose coming down between the hinges. So great!

AH! Nothing like a confined space to help us see how much “stuff” we really have :). We lived in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment with 2 kids. Needless to say that is what started our journey of “less mess is best” :).
Now, 25+ years later, we still keep our “stuff” under control….though it is getting to be more of a challenge now that i know we won;t be moving again (please, Lord! NOT again!!!). I want to pretty things up and that takes…stuff!
I think I would like living in a yurt though. Man, we would have to get rid of more than I care to think. But simple is better—not easier mind you.
One thing I think would really be a HUGE adjustment is the “honeypot”! The hubby calls me McGruff the crime dog when it comes to smells.
I wonder if this would work using a honeypot???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY
I can’t see why not…in either case this commercial is worth watching if for nothing else…a good laugh!
Happy yurting :)…there’s a new hashtag for ya #happyyurting
Enjoy the day…

I just looked through more photos than I would like to admit marked with #yurtlyfe on Instagram. I’m a little disappointed that I’m not the one who came up with it first, but I took solace in seeing that yours was the coolest yurt of all (and that it contains the cutest baby).

Some greening is happening … blossoms are showing … and this weekend it will be snowing. Yes we are to have several days of snow so no planting for me yet, need some hoop gardens or a greenhouse to plant this early in my area. Love your beautiful pic’s, especially Ava, what a joy!!!

Alexandra, I love your poems! I am also a fan of Robert Frost, and I am not a fan of mud season. [I lived in NH for 12 years.] I can totally relate to wearing mud boots for March and April to get up and down my logging road driveway. It is a sign of Spring, however, and so it is positive in that respect.
Your baby is soooo precious! As always, I enjoy your blog.

Your description of Alaskan springs, sound much like my spring here in Maine. Mud and waiting… But at least the snow is gone, the sun is warm and the skies are very blue. My home sits on a river bank, and I have not heard the peepers yet, but I have been able to crack the window at night and listen to the river rushing by. Trees will soon be green again, the river fairies promise.
Thank you for all the sharing you do through your blog, I look forward to reading it very much. Ava is one lucky little girl, having you for a Mom.