The Year In Review

2025 is behind us, and we face 2026 with hope, intention, and open hearts and minds. Looking back, 2025 was filled with growth, good times, and heartache. Lessons have been learned; this must happen for growth to occur. Not all lessons are pleasant or easy, but their importance cannot be minimized. Sometimes, the lesson is in how one handles difficulties, not in the difficulty itself. We gain confidence when we face challenges, grow from them, and learn valuable lessons we can apply in the future. I have learned to be grateful for the challenges, the growth, and the times of stability. The difficult seasons make the seasons of stability even sweeter. 

In early May, strong, damaging straight-line winds blew through. They blew down our almost 100-year-old arborvitae trees, a huge branch on our ancient hickory tree that is alarmingly close to the house, and a decorative flowering crab apple tree in our landscaping. I was sad to lose the arbiviteas that provided shelter for wild birds and were the favorite spot for my flock of chickens. However, I am grateful that our home and barn were not damaged. This situation has led to extensive research and reflection on what we want for our landscaping. This spring, we plan to plant evergreen groundcover that will provide habitat for beneficial creatures, food for wild birds, and help suppress weeds. To replace the arbiviteas, we have decided upon native red cedarwood trees. These also provide shelter for wild birds and food during the winter months. My goal for the property is provide a legacy garden rather than just short-term decorative landscaping. I am planning each section to be filled with beneficial native plants that will support local wildlife while remaining safe for my domestic animals. There will be nothing planted that is harmful or poisonous to goats. I also want to incorporate edible plants we can enjoy, rather than just decorative ones. It's a lofty goal that will take years to complete, but it will be well worth the effort. 

The spring also saw my favorite human bean meet yet another milestone of young adulthood. She earned her driver's permit and is well on her way to a bit more independence. It is bittersweet to watch her grow and become more independent. Although a bit of my heart breaks, it also soars with each accomplishment. We also toured her first college while taking a serious, long look at her future and her goals. We have several more visitations planned, some out of state, but I believe my girl is on a good path that is uniquely hers. Despite a bit of heartache, I am confident my girl will go on to do great things that will help others. She makes me very proud. 

This year also put my health front and center. I was hospitalized twice with unusual illnesses that seemingly appeared from nowhere. These incidents made me well aware that I need to listen to my body, make my health a priority, and stop viewing medical treatment as a weakness but a necessity. I am now diligent about taking supplements, exercising, and following up with my doctors. It's a rude awakening to realize I am of the age where my body can fail me at any given time. It makes me feel vulnerable and fragile, and those are not feelings I appreciate.  

2025 marked our ninth year as vendors at Ligonier Country Market. You know what that means: 2026 marks a decade! It's hard to believe we have been in business for 10 years. We continue to be grateful for our market family. This journey has been filled with the most pleasant surprises, namely, good people. We are so happy to have you in our lives. 

August marked our fourth year as vendors at the Shaker Woods Festival. Our neighborhood in the woods is filled with talented, remarkable people, and we are so happy to have them in our lives. I have loved this journey, but most of all the people who have been brought into our lives because of delightful goats and goat's milk soap. You all make what we do worthwhile. I will be forever grateful to you.  

August was also filled with loss and heartache. The perfect deadly storm blew in with a very wet spring, followed by long-lasting above-average temperatures. This created the ideal environment for a triple threat of barber pole worms, coccidia, and liver flukes. Oh, and throw in pink eye for a solid kick while we were down. One of these parasites is bad, but three are murderous. We lost six of our beloved herd members before we understood what was happening. My sweet Mama Boo, my dear girl, Boo, and our funny girl, Tiger Lily, were lost. We also lost our new herd sire buckling, Woody, and two of our dear bottle babies. We have never experienced a loss on this scale. It was devastating. However, we have learned a lesson the hard way. I have a deworming schedule on my new calendar to prevent such a catastrophe from occurring again. We have found a new mineral brand that appears to be much more effective in meeting the needs of our aging herd and our young ones. Everything on this farm is now treated for coccidia as a precaution. I just treated my chickens and plan to do so every month. My birds are also on a deworming rotation. The Bibbed Wonder has added a new high-protein feed for the milking girls and for our aging girls who struggle to maintain their weight. With improved mineral absorption, all the little nuisance problems like hoof rot, dull coats, and mites have disappeared. When one thinks they finally have a good understanding of what one is doing, here comes the curveball to remind one that life is filled with lessons.

In the fall, I wrecked our side-by-side, reminding me of how quickly accidents happen and that we are not always as in control as we think. Thankfully, nobody was seriously hurt. I had a very ugly bruise that lasted for a very long time, but that is the extent of it. The accident is a reminder to stay alert and not drive too fast. It also taught me that I can literally fly off a moving object, and my kid will not notice because she has her face in her phone. Technology is not always a good thing. 

The Bean and I took a four-day trip to celebrate my birthday. This trip reminded me of how beneficial it is to explore, try new things, and revisit old loves. We went horseback riding, and it ignited a flame in me that I have long forgotten. Getting off the farm, seeing new sights, meeting new people, and visiting new places is good for the soul. It is essential to make time to do things, experience things, and spend time with those we love. I am already thinking about my 2026 birthday trip. 

We welcomed several new, beautiful faces to our soap family. Hopefully, you will see much more of Erica and Megan in the upcoming year. We are planning our live show schedule this month, so I will have a nice show roster to share. Again, it is the people who surround you who make life worthwhile. Although she enjoys staying behind the scenes, we consider our dear friend Janet part of our family. Good, bad, or indifferent, welcome to the fold!

On a more personal note, we were invited to attend church by dear family friends. In the past several months, we have quietly begun a journey of faith. I am so happy to share that all three of us are enjoying this new journey. We are attending a small, non-denominational country church. It is Bible-focused, with content based solely on His word. No politics, no frills, no nonsense. It's just the most welcoming congregation I have ever experienced, filled with good people who don't judge or claim to be the only way to heaven. Frankly, it is refreshing. I have learned so much from Pastor Brian in such a short time. I'm also very proud that for Christmas, each of us received a bible as our "Something to Read" gift, and we are all thrilled. This is all very new and exciting for us. I look forward to growing on this journey.  

Our holiday season was wonderful! The support you all show for us, our ideas, business, and farm is phenomenal. Seriously, we can not do what we do without your support. Whether you shop our products regularly, tell your friends and family about us, share our posts, read my blog, or come out to our events, it is because of you that we get to do what we love, in the place we love, with the people we love. Thank you all for a wonderful year. 

On this unseasonably warm January day, stay safe, be smart, look back with appreciation, and forward with hope, and keep washing your hands.