It is time for Anne In Residence’s monthly Currently post where we answer one word prompts about different things we are doing and feeling. I always love the insight I gain from these, taking inventory of my own life. This month we are looking at what we are consuming, exploring, getting, hoping, and seeing.

Consuming: We finally got with the program, a bit behind the trend, and got an Instant Pot. We have not used it much yet but I already know it is going to be helpful for dinners! Billy works late a lot, and it is always like last minute that I find out. The Instant Pot I think, will help us eat healthier more often. (If you have one and have a go-to recipe you love drop a link in the comments! I would love to hear what you all are enjoying) I am also hoping to make jam and yogurt in it!

Exploring: All of our favorite trails and hopefully some new ones soon! We are on the lookout for new places outdoors to explore this spring and summer.

Getting: Our garden in, bit by bit, slowly but surely. We have one no-dig bed set up, and I hope to get one more done before planting in two weeks. We are also getting ready for our camping trip next month, including a new tent. I guess my husband hopes to tent camp a lot over the summer…I am not so sure about that? I like a room that can’t blow away and a real bathroom but I can do it a few times for Wyatt and Billy. We also bought tickets to Jurassic Quest, a drive through dinosaur event that will be happening near us next month. I think it will be fun!

Hoping: Oh, for so many things. But I would be happy with more nights by the fire this summer, and coffee every morning.

Seeing: Our newly formed bubble! My brother, SIL, and niece, and my mom have “bubbled” together with us now that we all have vaccines. With Wyatt and his medical needs, we still have to stay pretty locked down but they have all agreed to do that with us. It has been a long time coming for us to have this experience, and it has been so nice to be with family again. We are also seeing signs of spring – the red-winged blackbirds singing in the cattails, the early flowers bursting with color from their beds where they nestled all winter, even a few bees circling the apple blossoms on our tree. It’s going to be an apple summer this year!

How about you? What have you been consuming, exploring, getting, hoping, and seeing?

Currently.. is hosted every month by Anne in Residence.

Didn’t I just write my August post? Sure feels like it. And yet, here we are in September already. Time is moving so weird this year.

Appreciating: my family – despite still distancing from them, we are still strong and united. We continue to support each other, and work as a community as much as we can. How we do it is a little different than normal, but we are working out ways. My brother and my mom have bubbled, as my brother and his wife work full time and my niece is going to be homeschooled, so my mom is on the job. My brother is helping my mother out in her home when something goes wrong, and if he needs to know how to do it, he calls my husband, who is usually the fix-it person. In return, I am coordinating all of my niece’s homeschooling, pulling together the lessons and resources and curriculum, and we are even having chat meetings to discuss materials needed for the weeks ahead and what the lessons will be covering. We are a team! And because I am me, I have given a name to our school – James Herriot Primary. I didn’t know how Wyatt’s transcripts would look in the future with our homeschool year, and I wanted to have a name in case it was needed. I am new to this whole thing! And I want to give a shout out to my dad as well – he lives farther away but has helped in his own ways. He and my stepmom drove an hour and half to drop off McDonalds to Billy and I at the hospital then turn around and head back home.

Anticipating: The changing of the seasons, from summer to autumn. These past weeks have been muggy and damp and hot, and I have not enjoyed them. I can feel fall in the air, and have even spotted evidence of it in the leaves on the trees and the ripening of the pumpkins growing in our garden. I am looking forward to jeans and boots and warm drinks on chilly nights, cozy mysteries, backyard fires, and more hikes in the woods.

Collecting: Random nature bits – hopefully by the time this post goes up my husband will have hung my awesome printer tray turned shelf for all of our little finds: acorns, rocks, an almost perfect yet empty robin’s egg, a blue jay feather, chestnuts.. whatever strikes our fancy and fits in our pockets for the most part. I am also building quite a collection of family/parenting/education type books! Some standout favorites are The Call of the Wild and Free, Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child’s Heart to the Beauty of Learning, and Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids.

Starting: School! My son started kindergarten this week here at home. A different situation and beginning than we had ever imagined, but that is ok. We can do this! We are also working on some room redos – repainting the family room and freshening it up, and completely overhauling the office. And our house is not the only one getting a new look and a refresher – Harry our gecko is getting new digs this week too! We have been doing a lot of research and she will hopefully soon be enjoying her new bioactive enclosure! We are just waiting on everything to arrive! It will be bigger and have a much nicer atmosphere and substrate.

Finishing: Old projects! My hubby finally hung the shelves in my son’s room that I’ve been wanting him to hang for quite some time. Otherwise not too much – we are starting more right now than finishing anything.

How about you guys? Anything you are appreciating, anticipating, collecting, starting or finishing?

I am slightly late to the party – but I am linking up with Anne in Residence for her Currently post.

Today we are talking about making, missing, learning, loving, reading.

Making: Bread! This house is on the sourdough train and have been making so many things with our starter, Yukon Jack. I am also making lots of lesson plans and plans for activities with the kiddo.

Missing: Well, my family and friends – I miss them so much, as I am sure everyone misses their loved ones too. As for other things, I miss the library and the zoo. Going to Starbucks for a coffee, or out to a fun dinner. My book club with my friends.

Learning: How to plan a week ahead for groceries! Lol. I have to order my groceries a week out right now, and it feels weird to anticipate what I might need. I am also learning more about myself, and the things that I will no longer need when this is over.

Loving: When Calls the Heart for sure. This show has helped me through some sad moments! I am also loving Stephanie Hathaway Designs and Chickie and Roo for my homeschooling needs! I have found that I also really love homeschooling…

Reading: Reading has been tough for me lately. I found that the only thing I can focus on reading were ghost stories and witch stories! I have read the whole Wendy Wang Witches of Palmetto Point Series – it was pretty darn good!

And that’s about it for this month! I will be linking up again June 3rd when we will be talking about what we are feeling, wearing, buying, craving, and discussing.

Currently..is a meme hosted by Anne in Residence. I missed December but today we are sharing what we are currently….. reading, resolving, cleaning, creating, and planning.

Happy New Year everyone!

Reading: A mix of nonfiction books and fiction this month on a variety of topics, mostly nature and cozy feeling books. Some books on my list for the month include Gathering Moss, The Secret Life of the Owl, the Cozy Minimalist Home and Winterwood. I did get a gift card for Barnes and Noble for Christmas though that I am excited to use!

Resolving: This year I am hoping to get back to practicing yoga again. I have been saying that for four years so hopefully it sticks this year!

Cleaning: Everything! At least that is how I am feeling right now. Lol. We are overhauling my office though this year, to make it more functional for our family. I am looking forward to the changes – I just need to commit to a paint color! We are also getting organized – I started labeling and boxing up different crafting and art supplies the other day and that part of the closet looks great. I love being able to just go in and get what we need so easily.

Creating: I am working on little gnome people for my son and his cousins, and I am making clay ring dishes for my friends as well. My stepmom and I love to try all the different crafts out there – we recently went to a wet felting class which was fun but..well, wet. I don’t think it is my craft medium, although I had a blast doing it. My stepmom did fantastic though, and I think her piece was the best in the class! That is it pictured above, she did a poinsettia themed runner which graced the table over the holidays.

Planning: So much!! January is such a big planning month for our family! We are planning our garden, something I love to do in the depths of the cold winter. I am getting together with my sister-in-law to go through the catalogs and see what we are both ordering, and where we can combine forces. I am also planning out what we are going to do with the Kids Moon Club, and with the Exploring Nature with Children curriculum. Wyatt goes to preschool but I like to supplement at home and I love the nature/science/art focus of this homeschool curriculum. I have a Passion Planner, which I absolutely love. In fact, I am planning on curling up with it right after I finish here! Yeah, I am a nerd.