Author: Arla

Living in the Innsbruck is almost over. We'll be moving into a real house in a month. We won't miss this travel trailer living, but we made it do nicely since April mud days. Parked in Clark's back yard has turned out well. It's been fun for the children, too, I think. I am treasuring… Continue reading Innsbruck Summer

We made a garden at the cabin in the spring of 2020. A raised bed, hügelkultur-style garden, the borders of which are two 30-foot, spruce logs placed side by side, five feet apart. We closed the ends in with logs as well, and filled the space inside with old rotting branches and clay and sod.… Continue reading Cabin Gardening

The purple coneflower is blooming. I'm excited and so very pleased, again. These seem to be my favorite flower for the tenth year in a row? I don't know. It's the one time of year that I regret not owning a snazzy camera with bells and whistles. I would create art for canvas and frame… Continue reading Echinacea

We're between addresses this summer. The post offices are confused about our whereabouts. So are the bank and the clinic. Our extended families and church friends are still wondering, too. It's an interesting place to live as long as we're not anxious about it. More quiet here in some ways. No junk mail to sort.… Continue reading Quiet

I've been blogging since 2009. I am feeling insecure about how it's still just my photographs and words...I haven't given it a mercenary opportunity, nor have I gotten popular with it in any direction at all. I don't even have a good idea who still reads it. I kind of care about these things. I… Continue reading Real Stuff

Once a summer I go to the woods with Elv. I missed my day last summer. So yesterday was it. The day flew by quickly. I was going to blog, but there were distractions. Once a spotted fawn, apparently wayward with no mother, came right up to me. Reaching for my phone broke the spell… Continue reading The Days of Summer

I am collecting house plants for when we live in a real house again. These starts finally rooted in their vases after literally months of my rotten tenderlovingcare. In anticipation of a large, south facing window, and a prospect of settling in for a few seasons, new glazed plant pots seem appropriate. Elv bought a… Continue reading Houseplants and Chalk Paint and Summer Creations

It's not all copied Bible verses in my journal. Not by a long shot. There are pages done pretty on purpose, with verses, because I want to etch something from The Word on my heart. I recommend doing this for several reasons. One, to memorize the words, yes, but more so, to absorb the truth… Continue reading A Page In My Journal

In my corridor of life the doors stand open. If I've met you, I'll likely remember something about you, no matter how short the meeting. I have acquaintances, relatives and experiences... rooms of my life. The doors hang open... in case. Something was shared, now something is treasured or lost, depending on what was said… Continue reading All The Doors

It's a perfect summer morning. With garden work to be done. Fun work. I'm excited about spirea shrubbery. Mom has had white spirea by her front porches for many years and I want to be like my mom in this way as well. Truth is, my spirea ambitions had only gotten me two pink shrubs… Continue reading Summer Morning