A Series of Small Successes

It is the little triumphs that keep us motivated in our work and lives here on Gael Glen Farm.

For example, by now most of our meals are at least 50% produced on-farm.  We make our own bread, butter, creme fraiche, yogurt, and buttermilk, our chickens lay our eggs, our bees give us honey, we harvest maple syrup, hunt our meat, brew beer, mead and kombucha, grow fruit and vegetables, etc.  These items are not entirely produced here - we are still buying our milk, flour and seeds, for instance, but the rest is done by us.  Today, I made our first 100% homesteader meal.  We had homemade sourdough bread with fresh churned butter, a buttermilk omelette (made with farm fresh eggs) with home grown asparagus and hop shoots.  For me, this is a substantial success.  Nothing manufactured or processed off-farm - a homesteader's dream!

I especially enjoy successes with very visible results.  We had two today that were particularly gratifying.  The first:

Evidence that your sourdough pizza dough is rising amazingly well.

And the second: when I decide to clean out the pond,

with tangible results.

Before.

After.

The less tangible successes can be lovely too.  At bedtime tonight:

Seamus: Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  You are my mother.  I love you.  I am happy.

Me: <heart melts>.

Today was a successful day on all fronts.