It’s a deliciously quiet Saturday morning. The animals are sleeping in, basking in warm puddles of sunshine before they get up and start feeding. Bear and I have had our coffees and chatted about our plans for the day, and I’ve got my to-do list ready.

It’s been a good week of healing and rest and work, with each day bringing along something interesting to do.

I finished building and launching an Etsy shop for a client, Wilde Prairie Rose, who makes beautiful chain maille jewelry. I loved working with her, doing photo shoots of her exquisite work, writing descriptions, and making sure everything runs smoothly. She’s a kindred spirit, so our meetings were held in parks and on verandas, photo shoots conducted in the woods and gardens. It was brilliant, and I’m so excited to see her flourish.

I’ve been doing a lot of product photo shoots lately, and have found it so fun. I love being outside, so getting to spend hours in the sunshine, setting up delicious and beautiful products to photograph, has been sheer delight. I finished a project for Harrow and Finch, photographing their wonderful hampers filled with scrumptious products from the Granite Belt region. If you love things like Spanish Onion Jam, Raspberry Vinegar, and luscious Garlic Olive Oil, you’ll find lovely hampers here to send to friends, co-workers, and employees.

When I’m not working with amazing clients, I’m at home working on our dear ol’ farm.

My first two harvests of elderflowers are dried and stored, looking so pretty in a red-topped jar.

The heaps of pineapple sage and mint I planted are doing so well, lush and green and smelling wondrously fragrant.

This week I spotted my first asparagus of spring, and that makes me so happy.

It’s strawberry season now, and we’ve been eating heaps of them. Yesterday we were so tired and, it must be admitted, a bit cranky, so we stopped everything and had strawberries and cream on the veranda. It’s amazing how something so small can make such a huge difference. We continued on our day with merry hearts.

A couple of weeks ago I put our roosters into the Apple Orchard to clean up all the weeds for me. They did a splendid job, and yesterday I hauled load after load of soybean mulch to cover the ground and keep the roots cool and the weeds down. The roosters are spreading it out for me – they really are fabulous creatures – and today I’ll shift them into the Big Orchard to tackle the weeds there.

My favorite project this week was wood-working with Bear. He is an artist and designer himself, so I love when we can do artsy things together. This time we designed a new cheeseboard/cutting board for my Etsy shop.

Bear etched the design on the wood in pencil, then I cut it out and together we sanded it. I do so love the smell of freshly cut wood, and the look of clouds of golden sawdust billowing in fragrant piles at my feet.

I’m so delighted with the new board, with its curving lines and handle that fits in the hand just right. We use ours for a cheese platter/cutting board, piling it with cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, smoked ham, and crispy crackers, then setting it between us while we watch a movie or have a chat.

Click here to purchase one of your own, and feel free to request personalizing or a custom design.

This morning I spoiled us with sourdough French toast slathered with sour cream and piled with with fresh strawberries. With a big day ahead of us, a decadent breakfast is definitely in order.

As I finish my coffee, I run my eyes down my to-do list: move roosters, water gardens, do laundry, cut out new boards, bottle-feed goat, harvest radishes. It’s going to be a good day.

What work is bringing you pleasure these days? xo