Okay, I knew that title would get your attention! (You’ll get the drift as you keep reading..)

I had a fun adventurous start to my week today.

I go to my friend Neila’s house once a month for her Monday Morning Movement Class where she leads us in Yoga. I always look forward to this monthly Yoga and today was my lucky day!

Neila lives on a farm down the road from us with her husband Day, and kids. The country drive to their farm is always one I enjoy. She asked me if I could do her a favor and pick up some milk for her on my way, from a farm in between our houses. Could I?! I was so excited I was practically jumping out of my skin! I had heard about these neighbors who sold milk from time to time and I always wanted to meet and connect with them. Here was my perfect opportunity.

I found their farm no problem. I went up to the house and knocked on the door. I could see a woman through the window who motioned for me to come inside (and she didn’t even know me yet.) Wow, what a friendly welcome! She turned out to be Judy, the woman of the house. I handed her a dozen eggs and said “These are for you” (not knowing if she had chickens or not.) Turns out, they didn’t have chickens and she was happy to have the eggs (and she appeciated the green Aracauna eggs- they used to have that kind too.) We went back outside and she showed me where they keep their milk in their refrigerator and the jar next to it for people to put their money. The milk was in glass gallon containers. I just love milk in glass containers! They had plenty of milk so I picked up one gallon for Neila and one gallon for Jeff and I. Since we don’t have any goat’s milk right now (our does are all dried up for the season) I decided it would be nice to get some milk to make some homemade kefir that I’ve been missing so much. Usually, when our does dry up, we just go without milk until spring comes again and we are milking them once more. But here was fresh, raw milk from cows eating luscious grass- right down the road from us, how could I resist?! I handed her the money and asked her if she had change. Judy invited me inside while she got it. I admired the wood walls and ceiling. There was a teapot on the woodstove and a tiny fan like ours, that runs off of heat and spreads the warmth from the stove throughout the house. I smiled when I saw the row of socks hanging from clothespins next to the stove, someone would really enjoy putting those warmed socks on before they headed outdoors. When we stepped back outside I asked Judy if I could meet the cows sometime. Well, sure, she said and we headed towards the barn. Judy pointed out all the things they had growing in their big garden space- more types of berries than I’ve ever heard of. I thought- wow, this place must be like a luscious berry jungle in the summer time! Then we got to the barn. As soon as I saw the door, I felt so darn happy to be getting milk from this barn. And I felt so darn happy to have these people for neighbors.

Turns out, Stan (Judy’s husband) has a great sense of humor. (The barn door sign was a good first clue.) I got to see the baby calves just in the nick of time since they are going to their new home tomorrow. They were so cute! I had never seen calves that close up before. Then I got to meet the mamas. Wow, are they pretty! They are the most beautiful cows I’ve ever seen- seriously. This is the kind of farm everyone dreams of getting their milk from. And all this time, this treasure of a farm, has been so close by. I met the curly haired dog that likes to catch craw dads in the river. And I saw the wooly shetland sheep that Stan says no one can tame, they’ll “always be wild.” Once Stan said something and I started responding and then I realized he was joking with me (sometimes it takes me a little while to realize a joke.) I said “You’re joking with me, aren’t you?” Turns out he’s joking a large majority of the time. He is a guy that values humor and I like that about him.

Both Judy and Stan asked me (at the very beginning of our introduction) where I live. This is so common, I’ve realized since moving here. Every local likes to know where everyone fits into the patchwork quilt of this area. They have a deep connection to this area- spanning their whole lives and expanded by relatives and friends. It’s so nice to tell someone where we live and have them know just where it is, instead of a long explanation all consisting of small places not even on a map (and still not getting a look of recognition.) They are both true locals, through and through.

Judy and I started heading back to the house, where my truck was parked. I gazed at the open field surrounded by mountainous forest and accentuated by the river, and I thought- someday I want a farm like this. Don’t get me wrong, I love where I live and feel incredibly grateful each and every day to live there. But, sometimes Jeff and I like to dream about what we would do if we had more land. Our place is mostly forest, we are pretty limited on garden space and how many animals we can have. We like to dream about planting all the fruit and nut trees, berries, and vegetables we could ever imagine. And we like to dream about a flock of wooly sheep, a milking cow for making our own butter, space for our goats and chickens to graze all day long to their heart’s content. Maybe even pigs. And horses. And. And. And.

Visiting farms like this sparks my imagination and feeds my spirit. It’s a huge affirmation- Yes, I am a country girl. Yes- I was born to be a farmer. Even on a small scale.

And the final stop? Right next door to Day and Neila’s place- Santanna’s blueberries. We were out of blueberries?! Yeah, I know. With all the blueberry picking this summer, followed up by buying more frozen berries from them in December….. how could we possibly eat that many blueberries? Well, somehow we manage. And it was time to fill the freezer with blueberries once again. So I went to their place and was greeted by their tail wagging dogs. One of the dogs (someday I’ll know all of their names, but for now I’m sticking to the human names for starters) decided that I had too many scents on me and wanted to mark his territory so he peed on my truck tire. It was hilarious. I loaded the blueberries into the car, gave them the money and was surprised by the bottle of their homemade blueberry wine they handed to me. We had given them a bottle of Jeff’s homemade elderberry wine this summer when we were picking blueberries at their farm. So they gave us a bottle of theirs. I was delighted.

I headed home, excited to return to Jeff with today’s bounty (in February no less) – cream topped milk, bags of frozen blueberries, homemade blueberry wine, and fun stories. I felt so filled up and grateful to have this community of country people. I realized that when I drove out this morning, I was headed in the opposite direction of the grocery store- the opposite direction from town, and yet- there I was- returning with groceries. Groceries of the best kind, grown by neighbors and friends. Dolloped with stories, ricness and meaning that you just can’t find anywhere else.

I’ve felt my roots sink deep into our place and have felt at home here for a long time. But feeling a deep connection to the community around me as well is such a blessing.

And now, Jeff and I are ending our day with….

Blueberries and Cream.

Life is Sweet.