This Aquarius full moon is asking what do you still need to release to be free to build constellations of your own desire? How can we connect with ourselves + others to break free of societal, generation dysfunction, and personal limitations for more equitable collective futures?

This cancer season in particular has called me back to nourish my roots, to remember the foundation of my love for self and for my family. Cancer, the sign of the crab, the first water sign of the zodiac, invites us to its waters for replenishing our own cup, to allow our feelings to flow and to tend with care to the places and the spaces and relationships we call home.

I remember eating plum jam as a kid. Plum jam is my dad’s favorite. My mother is not a jam person. It quickly became one of my favorites and now Griffin too. Okay, let’s be honest, Griffin likes any kind of jam. The thing about plum jam is it is not always available at the market, so it always felt like a special treat to see the jar on the shelf.

Here in the midwest we are shifting into summer. June is here. The signs are all around. living seasonally, when the outside world shifts, we can sense it in our bodies. Just like robins herald the beginning of spring, when our rose bush blooms, I know we are nearing the summer solstice. in the heat of summer, I turn to the plants for nourishment.

An adjustment moon. A moon of disintegration to find integration. A moon to move slowly. A moon to encounter innermost duality to perceive oneness.

Canning season always echoes a sentiment for me: slow down and capture the moment. It’s about taking the time to make something worthwhile. The step by step process, slowing down, and tuning into the moment. This spring, I was so happy to find early organic apricots at our local co-op to make this Apricot Jam. My goal this canning season is to build on my canning repertoire.

The Full Moon in Scorpio came and went, and it stirred up the muck + mire from the depths of my inner waters. I wasn’t expecting to be held so hostage to the emotional maelstrom that ensued, but I find clarity comes from such inner + outer turmoil and can be necessary clearing work before we plant anew.

This weekend, we spent the morning chasing baby bantams chicks at the homestead of our close family friends. Their home, in fact, was the first place that welcomed me into the Driftless. A place so dear to my heart built over time, infused with their magic, love and creative spirit. They, when young like us, lived on this piece of land in a trailer and over the years have build the most magical and loving place. Their story served as sort of blueprint + inspiration for our own dreams for our land.

Cultivating a slow folk way of living has been so rewarding for me, a slow everyday process + such a learning curve. Slow living really means turning every day rituals into sacred moments to honor the seasons and cultivate a deep connection with our home + the Earth.

I’m so thrilled to share a new series here, Garden Folk, a collection of garden notes, stories, interviews from humans who love to grow to feed their families, communities, and their souls. Through growing plants and working in the soil they are rekindling their relationship with the earth and cultivating beautiful spaces.

I have fond memories of pressing flowers and leaves collected on walks with my mom and dad. We lived in an apartment but had trails behind our house we would walk regularly. Sometime we’d bring apples and carrots to feed the horses that lived on the property along the trail.

Musing on this new moon in Aries, and starting with a clean slate. 

This spring season is calling me to clear out stagnant and unwanted energies from the nooks + crannies of our home and the corners of my mind. I’ve been weaving more moments of pause to burn herbal smoke and radiate my intention for clarity outwards.

winter jams might be my new favorite activity. it’s cold outside but so cozy inside. hot water canner steaming up the kitchen windows. in these summer months, the heat can feel like too much, but now it feels just right

This delicious cake was the main part of our Imbolc celebrations. Imbolc being the midpoint between Winter and Spring. We celebrated the return of the light and being closer to spring. This Orange poppyseed cake would be delicious with Lemon as well. It is a take on a lemon and olive oil cake I made a couple years back for griffin’s birthday.

In a global pandemic, that has lasted almost a year, I’ve found I cannot tell myself not to worry, to just let go because there are real worries and tangible concerns facing us all. You may be experiencing sleepless nights, being overworked, lack support systems you used to have, full time parenting and juggling many tasks. Many people are facing months of social isolation, job loss, sickness, loss of relatives, and loved ones.

Our USDA Hardiness zone is 4b, but after this being my fourth year gardening here, I find our soil thaws earlier and i can plant things out early than the recorded last frost date of May 12th. So I am more inclined to start cold hardy seeds earlier in the season.

I’m preparing for our twenty twenty one garden. I, of course, have my favorites to grow, but I love trying a couple new varieities each year to work into the mix.

when we realized we couldn’t make this house we love bigger, we went on a hunt. we started looking for old farmhouses. it’s been my dream to fix up an old farmhouse, Joanna Gaines Fixer Upper anyone?

The late winter of 2017 our friend Hannah had walked through a home for us. Hannah was about eight months pregnant but had kindly offered to lend us a hand in our house hunt. She lived in this town and could easily look at a property, if we needed her to