Nothing really grabs at my heart - I mean really grabs it - like when I am very occasionally away from home in the evening, and I arrive home to look inside the window and see my 5 children and husband eating dinner at the table without me. It’s a glowing warm feeling tinged with sadness - what things would be like without me there, yet inviting me in back to my place in the home.
I’m lucky to have been raised in a family where when it’s time to decorate your house, you don’t just run out and buy a bunch of new crap to fill it. You peruse garage sales, antique stores, thrift shops, and wait until the right piece comes along. My bedroom is nearly “complete”, but I’m waiting for the perfect thing to hang above my bed. I’m willing to wait 10 years if need be!
Yes, Emily, exactly. It's like watching some cinematic scene unfolding before your eyes - the ordinary made quite extraordinary from a change of perspective. It's such a gift to be raised with that patience and willingness to cultivate a home based on what you truly love over following what the modern day sensibility tells you is the hot take (for this season).
Your writing today just so perfectly expressed how I feel about my home. My house has been in my family since 1955, I’m the third generation to own the house and property. My grandparents bought it about 10-12 years after it was built and ironically, I grew up in the next town over across the street from the man that built the house for himself and family.
Upon taking over the property 14 years ago I had an opportunity to invite the builder back in to take a look around. I learned so much from him about the house and the decisions he made when he built it. He even gave us all the original blueprints he drew for the original layout as well as future plans he had drawn if he had remained here as well as phots of the build. Lucky me that although he was in his 80s he was still building custom furniture, and I filled my home with good solid pieces from his wood shop. He passed away about five years ago and his words and beautiful pieces of furniture are irreplaceable to me.
My cellar like yours, is made from rocks pulled right out this land as well as the stone walls and outdoor fireplace that was a cook stove in its heyday. My walls are all hand hewn tongue and grove knotty pine boards…it was all the rage in the early 40s but fortunately, the builder had an eye for quality and this pine just glows a warm amber. People who had visited here decades back when my grandparents lived here have stopped me upon learning that I now own the home to say, “please tell me you didn’t remove any of the pine!”
Of course not.
A few times my husband and I thought of moving. We live in a wonderful town but with just under 3/4 of an acre we’re limited to what we can do with our property. Chickens and gardens can happen but not much else. Anyway, every time I’ve looked at homes my issue is always, where’s the character? My home has so much character with it’s frustratingly small doorways, small rooms and low ceilings but, you just cannot find this quality and character in many new homes and some older homes too. But for all my home isn’t, it’s warm and filled with memories.
I’ve stood outside many winter nights and taken in the warm light flowing out from the windows. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one. I know I will never leave this home. I will die here like my grandparents and my father and I’ve told my husband, I want my ashes spread all over the property.
Thank you for such a beautifully written essay, you’ve really rekindled the love I have for my home. Although, now I’m wondering if the siding that’s been on it for 40 years is itchy. 😬
At 33 years old I really thought I'd settle into managing my home and making a home much quicker then I have. I ended up with a "career" and didn't worry about my "home." Shameful, I think, but honest. I did what I had to do and worked 12 hours a day to pursue what I thought I needed.
Now I'm home full time and it's a blessing but the state of my home certainly reflects the state of my mind with it's disorganization and chaos.
I'm learning that in my imperfection I'm slowly carving out a space that I want to be in and finding what works for me. I'm learning to set boundaries with family who insist on sharing their consumerist ideas and decorating skills. I'm finding that there's a yearning in my heart to turn my chaos into calm, and learn to maintain, and thrive, and enjoy what I have.
Homemaking has been a struggle for me and all to often I look into my home with tears and see my inadequacies. Surely this should be easy!?
When you said it's taken you 30 years to find salt and pepper shakers, that lifted my spirits a bit. It's as if you've told me it's OK to take your time, everything doesn't have to be perfect today.
Maybe I should be patient with myself as I unlearn the habits I was forced to embrace in survival while I chased my career and lovingly give myself the grace to take time and learn and grow.
I desperately want my home to be a haven and place of rest for my family.
Dear RebekahLee, what a tribute this comment is to where you're going. That you even want those things, have set the intention, have looked at where you are and had the humility to want better is so inspiring. Be soft and kind with yourself. Hold boundaries against the infiltration of values and desires that aren't yours. And do something tangible every day that brings what you hold in your heart closer. Dreams are wonderful, but they have to have feet. You're the dream and the feet. ❤️
This piece talks to my heart. Yes you are so right. A home is much more than a house with walls and doors. Beauty and warmth comes from the heart ❤️ I am so grateful for this reading today... I will carry the image of the "voyeur" until it gets darker here in Norway and I will then sit outside with your image in my mind and deliciously enjoy the light of the candles and the life inside .... 🦉
Tara your words are always a breath of fresh air, but this in particular spoke deeply to me. My husband and I are still saving money to buy our first home, so until then we've lived in apartments for the past couple years. They are never ideal, but the ability to make them a home is something I have tried to cultivate, especially since having our daughter last year. Plants and lots of humble things made with love have made even the shabbiest places home to our small family. Thank you for reminding me that large spaces or fancy houses don't equal a home.
This is beautiful, Damaris. I would much rather have a cup of tea with you in a little apartment filled with the things that bring you joy then in a palatial mansion full of stuff with no soul. Time is slow and then lightning fast. 💕
We are a few months away from military retirement. After 20 years of base and borrowed homes I’m like a newly married bride, dreaming of my starter home. But as an “older” married couple I’m also aware of the time it takes to make a home. I so desire the aged and worn beauty of an older home with character and land to wander. Where to begin?? My brain has become accustomed to just taking the home that we are given and it’s as if I forgot how to dream of my own desires. When I read this it awakens my abilities to dream again. I will do what God, in His grace, allows me time to do in making a permanent home with loving care.
What a great bit of self awareness, Shannon. I think that's exactly what happens to us when we just accept what is given and let the long term vision go. It's good to be accepting of what is, but also, I think, imperative to be able to see/touch/taste/feel our dreams. Congratulations on this new era in your lives!
This morning, I was walking out through my yard to let the chickens out, and something very similar hit me. We have been in a massive heatwave and drought, which broke, finally last night. As I walked out my back door, I could smell the salty air from the ocean not far away, and it was like the earth was just taking a few moments to sit with the feeling of a quenched thirst. I stood with my hens, looking back at my home, where inside my family still lay sleeping. Content. I thought about, how when we bought our home, it was supposed to be a transitory home. A place to land while we got our bearings before we moved onto something more fitting to our taste. We have been here about 11 years now, and a transitory house it is. We moved in newly minted parents, struggling with the initiations new parenthood brings. In a new home that was too big for our three. Here we have acquired a sense of who we are as parents. As a family. As husband and wife. We have had two more children, the last of which was born in our living room, surrounded by family. This home has sheltered us through many a transition, and instead of being just a stepping stone to get us somewhere else, has become our anchor. I look around our kitchen, through trails of treasures, left by children running through with reckless abandon in the warm summer days. Witnessing yet another of my own initiations, as my counters are cluttered with peaches, tomatoes, and cucumbers, with books stacked nearby, full of recipes and directions on how to preserve this wonderful bounty. How I wish I could bottle up and preserve this joy, watching my children, learning how to provide for them, and teaching them to provide for themselves. And I feel so blessed to be in this home that has witnessed so much. Yes. I can't think of anywhere else in the world I would rather be.
This, this speaks to my heart. My husband and I have lived in several homes on our way to our farm. Each one we evaluated and took on as a project of restoration. I took my time to learn the feel and character and remodeled it according to the need of the home. I, too, start with paint and natural flooring and restoring old features that make it unique. I fill it with plants, original art and items that reflect us ...who we are. When the need for furniture came, we looked for old pieces that just needed a little work and love. As a matter of fact it became a business for me. A beautiful walnut cabinet hidden under layers of paint and wobbly from time. Birdseye maple library table covered in dirt, old phonograph cabinet transformed into a wine cabinet. These treasures, strengthened and restored. I marvel at the original craftsmanship and the gorgeous solid wood from trees long gone. They have stood through time and I had the honor of giving them purpose again. These things, the original and authentic pieces, adorned with old vases and plants, warm our souls. There are lives and stories in them and if you listen, they will whisper to you.
Absolutely gorgeous, Bonnie. All of these beautiful things that were built by real human hands still stand and serve. It's such a gift to bring them into our lives.
You speak to my soul, Tara. Truly you do. Our first house was a small 1950s ranch-style house. It had such good energy but when we started having kids we outgrew it and the neighborhood. I was so eager for more space but also devastated to leave that house. I often talked to that house, rested my face against walls as "hugs" and had some good cries before we left it. It's nice to know someone out there feels about their home as I do/did. We moved and I was eager to decorate everything all at once (my husband suggested we wait). Of course he was right. He has taken up woodworking and built us things, I've found pieces at antique shops etc... I recently went to the house of a friend who had a brand new house built. It's visually beautiful, modern, perfectly decorated and..... hollow. Kitchen jars are empty (just there for the look) and it all feels staged. Made me happy that some things at my house are hand-me-downs or still a little mismatched while we wait to find the perfect thing.
I love this. I totally get that feeling of the "hollow". I've been in many homes like that and I feel like we can use those houses as a bit of a diagnosis of what's going on in someone's life. How can a house be so cold? I know people who have those types of homes and there is always 'stuff' going on. Give me mismatched over perfection any day. 🙂
A much needed message in a world of throw-away home fashion. A world where ppl tel u what to do based on their idea of trends. A world where “old” and “used” are looked down upon. I am slowly working on replacing items in my home with things that are real, handmade, natural….. we have an old solid pine armoire that sits in our dining room, beside a 9 ft table made for me by a friend, and beside that an old solid maple dresser turned into a buffet. When we renovated our main bathroom this year, I knew I wanted real tile and my favorite thing: another old dresser refinished as our vanity with a vessel sink on top 😍 my home is very ecclectic, but it’s slowly becoming exactly what I want it to feel like.
It sounds absolutely charming and full of YOU, Amanda. And isn't that what our homes should be? They are for us to delight in, not to impress with their homogeneity. 💕
I’m adopting another rescue dog—from Texas. I live in Maine. I lost my “forever” dog this spring—just 4 years old—due to a spinal injury that took out his back legs. I couldn’t see a way forward for him, and putting him down broke my heart. I put away all the “doggie” things in my home and gave away or trashed all the broken “doggie” pieces. Now I had a clean, quiet home—that suddenly felt even more dead. It took some months, but the magic happened again when I saw my rescue’s sweet face, and I couldn’t stop looking at it. Tara, you’ve talked a lot about how you feed human food. What about dog food? For the past 20+ years and 3 dogs (2 rescues), I’ve made real food for them. But now I’m paying even more attention to creating a balanced diet, as this little guy is a 3-4 month old puppy, and puppies are trickier to feed. I’ve found a place that sells “whole” ground meats that include bones and organs and have ordered some. Can I just say that the first ingredient on the Purina Puppy Chow that the rescue operation uses is whole corn, and that is followed by corn and soybean meal, meat “flavors,” and the rest is a huge chemical brew. I won’t even give him one serving of that…stuff. l would love to know how you feed your dogs. They need nourishing too, and I suspect you know exactly what to do. I can’t wait for my home to be filled with doggie life and energy again.
Congratulations on your new little pal, Louisa. We used to feed raw food exclusively with big meaty bones a few times a week. I now rotate a day of a super, ridiculously expensive kibble that is grain free but has human grade meat from Canada and then a day of raw. We've always had Newfies, and now a Great Dane and a Border Collie. I just can't feed raw every day with everything else. I do this same regime with our barn cats with the same high quality kibble. When I feed kibble I never feed just kibble, I always add things like: kefir, raw eggs, seaweed, animal fat, bone broth etc... None of our animals are ever sick (minus injuries) and they're all in excellent condition. I'm happy with this set up, it gives us flexibility and still provides good nutrition for big eating dogs. Our raw food includes stuff we mix when we butcher that includes tripe, trim and organs we aren't big on like lungs/spleen and ground bone. We also buy one from a local butcher that has the same that is quite good and made from local grass fed animals.
Thanks so much Tara. I really appreciate your taking the time to tell me what you are feeding your dogs. I agree that feeding several pets totally homemade food would be time consuming and expensive. But it seems you have found a balance that is working well.
My parents have a unique ability to do exactly this - take a house, usually one that no one else wanted (the house I grew up in was a perfect example) - and make it a warm, inviting, cozy place that you never want to leave. I can't even describe how many times a new visitor would step into their home, pause, and say something like "your house smells/feels so GOOD". And it was an old thing from the 1880s. A shabby husk when they bought it, and filled with antique furniture and books and thrifted odds and ends to bring it all together. But the experience of not only making do but making a HOME stuck with me, and I aspire to do the same wherever my husband and I go. (This also may be why I'm such a homebody and hate to leave the property unless I have to 😂)
Oh I loved this Tara! Also this was very inspiring to me to wait for the right piece, and does it warm your heart. lately I smile to myself when something I have wanted for years, I find , or practically falls into my lap. Thank you.
Thank you, Julieanne. I feel the same way. There's a woman who makes the most beautiful leather purses and bags online. She presses the most beautiful designs into the leather. I've been admiring her work for years, but could never afford to buy any of it. Last week, I found a used leather purse, (dare I say as beautiful as her work) for $40. It was such a joy! I would never feel that joy if I had spent too much money on it (her pieces sell out instantly and go for over $1500/each). But I love this well-loved, beautiful purse even more because it took years to find me. :)
Just beautiful! You cultivate such intention in all aspects of your life it seems. I am very very slowly learning to spend time doing this. We unfortunately will be in the position of building, is there anything you recommend in that regard? I have read all your writings on the Reno of your kitchen and know about natural building supplies but I suppose it’s hard to envision it all on a larger scale.
Thank you, Jenelle. I think all still applies whether building or buying. Try to use as many natural materials as possible, buy used quality pieces when you can, and take time. Be okay with leaving spaces "bare" until you find the things that truly bring you joy and you want to have around you always. Congratulations on building your home! That's exciting!
This is exactly how I feel about my home.I store things for years for just the right window sill to adorn its presence. And I shuffle furniture around until I have what I really want… like a free Victorian style mahogany couch on fb I now have in front of the wood cookstove 🧡🧡🧡
Nothing really grabs at my heart - I mean really grabs it - like when I am very occasionally away from home in the evening, and I arrive home to look inside the window and see my 5 children and husband eating dinner at the table without me. It’s a glowing warm feeling tinged with sadness - what things would be like without me there, yet inviting me in back to my place in the home.
I’m lucky to have been raised in a family where when it’s time to decorate your house, you don’t just run out and buy a bunch of new crap to fill it. You peruse garage sales, antique stores, thrift shops, and wait until the right piece comes along. My bedroom is nearly “complete”, but I’m waiting for the perfect thing to hang above my bed. I’m willing to wait 10 years if need be!
Yes, Emily, exactly. It's like watching some cinematic scene unfolding before your eyes - the ordinary made quite extraordinary from a change of perspective. It's such a gift to be raised with that patience and willingness to cultivate a home based on what you truly love over following what the modern day sensibility tells you is the hot take (for this season).
Your writing today just so perfectly expressed how I feel about my home. My house has been in my family since 1955, I’m the third generation to own the house and property. My grandparents bought it about 10-12 years after it was built and ironically, I grew up in the next town over across the street from the man that built the house for himself and family.
Upon taking over the property 14 years ago I had an opportunity to invite the builder back in to take a look around. I learned so much from him about the house and the decisions he made when he built it. He even gave us all the original blueprints he drew for the original layout as well as future plans he had drawn if he had remained here as well as phots of the build. Lucky me that although he was in his 80s he was still building custom furniture, and I filled my home with good solid pieces from his wood shop. He passed away about five years ago and his words and beautiful pieces of furniture are irreplaceable to me.
My cellar like yours, is made from rocks pulled right out this land as well as the stone walls and outdoor fireplace that was a cook stove in its heyday. My walls are all hand hewn tongue and grove knotty pine boards…it was all the rage in the early 40s but fortunately, the builder had an eye for quality and this pine just glows a warm amber. People who had visited here decades back when my grandparents lived here have stopped me upon learning that I now own the home to say, “please tell me you didn’t remove any of the pine!”
Of course not.
A few times my husband and I thought of moving. We live in a wonderful town but with just under 3/4 of an acre we’re limited to what we can do with our property. Chickens and gardens can happen but not much else. Anyway, every time I’ve looked at homes my issue is always, where’s the character? My home has so much character with it’s frustratingly small doorways, small rooms and low ceilings but, you just cannot find this quality and character in many new homes and some older homes too. But for all my home isn’t, it’s warm and filled with memories.
I’ve stood outside many winter nights and taken in the warm light flowing out from the windows. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one. I know I will never leave this home. I will die here like my grandparents and my father and I’ve told my husband, I want my ashes spread all over the property.
Thank you for such a beautifully written essay, you’ve really rekindled the love I have for my home. Although, now I’m wondering if the siding that’s been on it for 40 years is itchy. 😬
Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us, Amanda. It sounds magical. And your last sentence - ha! :) You might have to ask her.
At 33 years old I really thought I'd settle into managing my home and making a home much quicker then I have. I ended up with a "career" and didn't worry about my "home." Shameful, I think, but honest. I did what I had to do and worked 12 hours a day to pursue what I thought I needed.
Now I'm home full time and it's a blessing but the state of my home certainly reflects the state of my mind with it's disorganization and chaos.
I'm learning that in my imperfection I'm slowly carving out a space that I want to be in and finding what works for me. I'm learning to set boundaries with family who insist on sharing their consumerist ideas and decorating skills. I'm finding that there's a yearning in my heart to turn my chaos into calm, and learn to maintain, and thrive, and enjoy what I have.
Homemaking has been a struggle for me and all to often I look into my home with tears and see my inadequacies. Surely this should be easy!?
When you said it's taken you 30 years to find salt and pepper shakers, that lifted my spirits a bit. It's as if you've told me it's OK to take your time, everything doesn't have to be perfect today.
Maybe I should be patient with myself as I unlearn the habits I was forced to embrace in survival while I chased my career and lovingly give myself the grace to take time and learn and grow.
I desperately want my home to be a haven and place of rest for my family.
Dear RebekahLee, what a tribute this comment is to where you're going. That you even want those things, have set the intention, have looked at where you are and had the humility to want better is so inspiring. Be soft and kind with yourself. Hold boundaries against the infiltration of values and desires that aren't yours. And do something tangible every day that brings what you hold in your heart closer. Dreams are wonderful, but they have to have feet. You're the dream and the feet. ❤️
This piece talks to my heart. Yes you are so right. A home is much more than a house with walls and doors. Beauty and warmth comes from the heart ❤️ I am so grateful for this reading today... I will carry the image of the "voyeur" until it gets darker here in Norway and I will then sit outside with your image in my mind and deliciously enjoy the light of the candles and the life inside .... 🦉
Thank you, Sage. We will be standing in the winter cold on a star filled night together, thousands of miles apart. I like that imagery.
Tara your words are always a breath of fresh air, but this in particular spoke deeply to me. My husband and I are still saving money to buy our first home, so until then we've lived in apartments for the past couple years. They are never ideal, but the ability to make them a home is something I have tried to cultivate, especially since having our daughter last year. Plants and lots of humble things made with love have made even the shabbiest places home to our small family. Thank you for reminding me that large spaces or fancy houses don't equal a home.
This is beautiful, Damaris. I would much rather have a cup of tea with you in a little apartment filled with the things that bring you joy then in a palatial mansion full of stuff with no soul. Time is slow and then lightning fast. 💕
We are a few months away from military retirement. After 20 years of base and borrowed homes I’m like a newly married bride, dreaming of my starter home. But as an “older” married couple I’m also aware of the time it takes to make a home. I so desire the aged and worn beauty of an older home with character and land to wander. Where to begin?? My brain has become accustomed to just taking the home that we are given and it’s as if I forgot how to dream of my own desires. When I read this it awakens my abilities to dream again. I will do what God, in His grace, allows me time to do in making a permanent home with loving care.
What a great bit of self awareness, Shannon. I think that's exactly what happens to us when we just accept what is given and let the long term vision go. It's good to be accepting of what is, but also, I think, imperative to be able to see/touch/taste/feel our dreams. Congratulations on this new era in your lives!
This morning, I was walking out through my yard to let the chickens out, and something very similar hit me. We have been in a massive heatwave and drought, which broke, finally last night. As I walked out my back door, I could smell the salty air from the ocean not far away, and it was like the earth was just taking a few moments to sit with the feeling of a quenched thirst. I stood with my hens, looking back at my home, where inside my family still lay sleeping. Content. I thought about, how when we bought our home, it was supposed to be a transitory home. A place to land while we got our bearings before we moved onto something more fitting to our taste. We have been here about 11 years now, and a transitory house it is. We moved in newly minted parents, struggling with the initiations new parenthood brings. In a new home that was too big for our three. Here we have acquired a sense of who we are as parents. As a family. As husband and wife. We have had two more children, the last of which was born in our living room, surrounded by family. This home has sheltered us through many a transition, and instead of being just a stepping stone to get us somewhere else, has become our anchor. I look around our kitchen, through trails of treasures, left by children running through with reckless abandon in the warm summer days. Witnessing yet another of my own initiations, as my counters are cluttered with peaches, tomatoes, and cucumbers, with books stacked nearby, full of recipes and directions on how to preserve this wonderful bounty. How I wish I could bottle up and preserve this joy, watching my children, learning how to provide for them, and teaching them to provide for themselves. And I feel so blessed to be in this home that has witnessed so much. Yes. I can't think of anywhere else in the world I would rather be.
That's a beautiful gift, Angelina. And that you can see it now, in the moment, all the more profound.
This, this speaks to my heart. My husband and I have lived in several homes on our way to our farm. Each one we evaluated and took on as a project of restoration. I took my time to learn the feel and character and remodeled it according to the need of the home. I, too, start with paint and natural flooring and restoring old features that make it unique. I fill it with plants, original art and items that reflect us ...who we are. When the need for furniture came, we looked for old pieces that just needed a little work and love. As a matter of fact it became a business for me. A beautiful walnut cabinet hidden under layers of paint and wobbly from time. Birdseye maple library table covered in dirt, old phonograph cabinet transformed into a wine cabinet. These treasures, strengthened and restored. I marvel at the original craftsmanship and the gorgeous solid wood from trees long gone. They have stood through time and I had the honor of giving them purpose again. These things, the original and authentic pieces, adorned with old vases and plants, warm our souls. There are lives and stories in them and if you listen, they will whisper to you.
Absolutely gorgeous, Bonnie. All of these beautiful things that were built by real human hands still stand and serve. It's such a gift to bring them into our lives.
You speak to my soul, Tara. Truly you do. Our first house was a small 1950s ranch-style house. It had such good energy but when we started having kids we outgrew it and the neighborhood. I was so eager for more space but also devastated to leave that house. I often talked to that house, rested my face against walls as "hugs" and had some good cries before we left it. It's nice to know someone out there feels about their home as I do/did. We moved and I was eager to decorate everything all at once (my husband suggested we wait). Of course he was right. He has taken up woodworking and built us things, I've found pieces at antique shops etc... I recently went to the house of a friend who had a brand new house built. It's visually beautiful, modern, perfectly decorated and..... hollow. Kitchen jars are empty (just there for the look) and it all feels staged. Made me happy that some things at my house are hand-me-downs or still a little mismatched while we wait to find the perfect thing.
I love this. I totally get that feeling of the "hollow". I've been in many homes like that and I feel like we can use those houses as a bit of a diagnosis of what's going on in someone's life. How can a house be so cold? I know people who have those types of homes and there is always 'stuff' going on. Give me mismatched over perfection any day. 🙂
A much needed message in a world of throw-away home fashion. A world where ppl tel u what to do based on their idea of trends. A world where “old” and “used” are looked down upon. I am slowly working on replacing items in my home with things that are real, handmade, natural….. we have an old solid pine armoire that sits in our dining room, beside a 9 ft table made for me by a friend, and beside that an old solid maple dresser turned into a buffet. When we renovated our main bathroom this year, I knew I wanted real tile and my favorite thing: another old dresser refinished as our vanity with a vessel sink on top 😍 my home is very ecclectic, but it’s slowly becoming exactly what I want it to feel like.
It sounds absolutely charming and full of YOU, Amanda. And isn't that what our homes should be? They are for us to delight in, not to impress with their homogeneity. 💕
I’m adopting another rescue dog—from Texas. I live in Maine. I lost my “forever” dog this spring—just 4 years old—due to a spinal injury that took out his back legs. I couldn’t see a way forward for him, and putting him down broke my heart. I put away all the “doggie” things in my home and gave away or trashed all the broken “doggie” pieces. Now I had a clean, quiet home—that suddenly felt even more dead. It took some months, but the magic happened again when I saw my rescue’s sweet face, and I couldn’t stop looking at it. Tara, you’ve talked a lot about how you feed human food. What about dog food? For the past 20+ years and 3 dogs (2 rescues), I’ve made real food for them. But now I’m paying even more attention to creating a balanced diet, as this little guy is a 3-4 month old puppy, and puppies are trickier to feed. I’ve found a place that sells “whole” ground meats that include bones and organs and have ordered some. Can I just say that the first ingredient on the Purina Puppy Chow that the rescue operation uses is whole corn, and that is followed by corn and soybean meal, meat “flavors,” and the rest is a huge chemical brew. I won’t even give him one serving of that…stuff. l would love to know how you feed your dogs. They need nourishing too, and I suspect you know exactly what to do. I can’t wait for my home to be filled with doggie life and energy again.
Congratulations on your new little pal, Louisa. We used to feed raw food exclusively with big meaty bones a few times a week. I now rotate a day of a super, ridiculously expensive kibble that is grain free but has human grade meat from Canada and then a day of raw. We've always had Newfies, and now a Great Dane and a Border Collie. I just can't feed raw every day with everything else. I do this same regime with our barn cats with the same high quality kibble. When I feed kibble I never feed just kibble, I always add things like: kefir, raw eggs, seaweed, animal fat, bone broth etc... None of our animals are ever sick (minus injuries) and they're all in excellent condition. I'm happy with this set up, it gives us flexibility and still provides good nutrition for big eating dogs. Our raw food includes stuff we mix when we butcher that includes tripe, trim and organs we aren't big on like lungs/spleen and ground bone. We also buy one from a local butcher that has the same that is quite good and made from local grass fed animals.
Thanks so much Tara. I really appreciate your taking the time to tell me what you are feeding your dogs. I agree that feeding several pets totally homemade food would be time consuming and expensive. But it seems you have found a balance that is working well.
My parents have a unique ability to do exactly this - take a house, usually one that no one else wanted (the house I grew up in was a perfect example) - and make it a warm, inviting, cozy place that you never want to leave. I can't even describe how many times a new visitor would step into their home, pause, and say something like "your house smells/feels so GOOD". And it was an old thing from the 1880s. A shabby husk when they bought it, and filled with antique furniture and books and thrifted odds and ends to bring it all together. But the experience of not only making do but making a HOME stuck with me, and I aspire to do the same wherever my husband and I go. (This also may be why I'm such a homebody and hate to leave the property unless I have to 😂)
Such a gift to grow up in a home like that, Molly. It's nice to be a homebody. Why go if you don't have to :)
That is a beautiful attestation to your home and your life purpose, Tara.
You certainly practice the philosophy of axiology well. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
Thank you, Claude.
Oh I loved this Tara! Also this was very inspiring to me to wait for the right piece, and does it warm your heart. lately I smile to myself when something I have wanted for years, I find , or practically falls into my lap. Thank you.
Thank you, Julieanne. I feel the same way. There's a woman who makes the most beautiful leather purses and bags online. She presses the most beautiful designs into the leather. I've been admiring her work for years, but could never afford to buy any of it. Last week, I found a used leather purse, (dare I say as beautiful as her work) for $40. It was such a joy! I would never feel that joy if I had spent too much money on it (her pieces sell out instantly and go for over $1500/each). But I love this well-loved, beautiful purse even more because it took years to find me. :)
Just beautiful! You cultivate such intention in all aspects of your life it seems. I am very very slowly learning to spend time doing this. We unfortunately will be in the position of building, is there anything you recommend in that regard? I have read all your writings on the Reno of your kitchen and know about natural building supplies but I suppose it’s hard to envision it all on a larger scale.
Thank you, Jenelle. I think all still applies whether building or buying. Try to use as many natural materials as possible, buy used quality pieces when you can, and take time. Be okay with leaving spaces "bare" until you find the things that truly bring you joy and you want to have around you always. Congratulations on building your home! That's exciting!
This is exactly how I feel about my home.I store things for years for just the right window sill to adorn its presence. And I shuffle furniture around until I have what I really want… like a free Victorian style mahogany couch on fb I now have in front of the wood cookstove 🧡🧡🧡
Oh my, that sounds lovely!