New Year, Final Harvest

It is with mixed feelings that I start a new year.  Fresh starts are exciting but I am a bit sad to see the end of the abundance of family time and festivities that accompany the holiday season.

We came no where close to greeting midnight on New Year's Eve - we were in bed by 9 pm.  It was an uneventful night despite my many home remedy efforts (pineapple, spicy curry, lunges, long walks, loud music) to encourage our third to be a 2018 baby.  He was apparently not swayed by my argument for saving a year of day care fees if he would only be born in December instead of January.  Sigh.

We did have an action packed new year's day.  After an overnight ice storm, it was a frozen paradise outside this morning.

After shovelling the barn doors open, we took advantage of the mild temperatures to undertake the final harvest of our 2018 garden.  We pulled back the row covers and found enough fresh kale and frozen carrots to satisfy our cravings for garden produce, even though we are in the middle of winter.

Liam was enthralled by the possibility of harvesting in January (though admittedly he looks like he is in pain in this photo - those are actually smiles.  I swear.).  Despite being bundled up in a fur hat and snow suit, he remarked excitedly, "This feels like summer!"

Ian, Grandma Cora and Seamus took advantage of today's sunshine to do some ice fishing.  They did not catch anything but it was a beautiful afternoon to be outside.

Meanwhile, Liam and I bottled some cranberry-apple flavoured kombucha for a second round of fermentation and we brewed up a new batch.  After a much needed afternoon nap, we all reconvened for a crowd-pleasing family supper consisting of crunchy kale caesar salad and super sweet roasted carrots.

There is nothing like a frosty winter night to make you want to curl up in front of the fire and wish all your friends, family and blog followers a wonderful New Year!  May 2019 bring you and yours health and happiness.  May it also bring me an abundance of patience which I feel I will need both awaiting the birth of this baby who seems to be in no rush to arrive as well as thereafter to survive being a mother of three sons under six in addition to a homesteader, farmer, wife and human.  I have a feeling that this coming year is going to be quite the ride.  I hope you stick with us as we continue our journey here on Gael Glen Farm into 2019 and beyond.