01/03/2026
In case you have been under a rock, Happy New Year! As I stand on our hilltop gazing out across the expanse, I chuckle because, seriously, from our porch we can see the back of Walmart. In my younger days I could have thrown a rock and hit the store. Nowadays I'm more likely to throw out my back or shoulder, so I will leave those thoughts on Memory Lane where they don't hurt as much.
Speaking of hurts, Im looking forward to a fresh start in 2026. A chance to leave behind the heartaches and lumps that found us in 2025, carrying the celebrations into the New Year. We are thankful for the joys of weddings and births and God's providence through the good and not-so-good parts of 2025. We've mourned the passing of Saints and had tears of joy for the new Christians. Some good neighbors have been replaced with new opportunities. It's gonna be a good year.
So, what do we have “penciled in” for the Homestead? Dawn has taken a much deserved break from the canners. But don't worry because she will be back at it soon. One of our vendor hosts has relocated, allowing us some down time to brainstorm. We start building our booth at the new location tomorrow. We are working on a “menu” of our products with descriptions and pricing that we want to make available on our page and at our live events. Also, I have been tossing around ideas for a loyalty reward program, possibly something Bingo-ish, but based on your purchases instead of the chance that your number is chosen.
Is this a crazy thought? We are considering enlarging our garden....almost double! We acquired a 3-tier seed starting rack with12 trays and full-length grow lights. I already had a DIY unit with 6 trays. I can expand to 24 trays if I wanted. I will be offering seedlings at the farmer's market for sure. There is lots of garden prep to do even if we don't expand. Make compost, bake bread, wash the fence, declutter.....like I said, “penciled in”. We keep an eraser in one hand!
If I had one hope for us all in 2026, it would be this....we would all be blessed beyond what we deserve. Let that simmer for a minute. Where would we be if we got what we truly deserved. Forget what the catalogs say we need, or what society says we should have. Where would we be without Grace? Or Forgiveness? Or Love? All traits of an awesome Creator. God loves you and there ain't nothing you can do about it.
Thanks for letting me ramble. We hope to see you on the streets (or the market, or Facebook...you get the idea).Thank you for supporting Dawn's Early Light Homestead.
