Happy New Year!
a potpourri of a post // new year newsletter
Happy New Year!
I’ve started and stopped writing this newsletter so many times I’ve lost count. I sat down once to write about our brown Christmas without snow on the horizon. I sat down another time and wrote about seasons on the farm compared to seasons of motherhood—the cyclical ways of raising crops and animals and how motherhood is seasonal yet more linear. Once you’re through a season in motherhood, you usually don’t come back to it. But I couldn’t fully conceptualize my thoughts on it, so stay tuned.
I started to write how, from my kitchen window, I could see the cows cutting paths in the grass, grazing the brown hillsides. The cows are only in this pasture right before calving—a sign of the next season on the horizon. Days after Christmas, winter arrived in full force, changing my view from the kitchen window (see below). Since then, two calves arrived1 while Rich and I were in Texas. Thankfully, the temps were above zero, unlike last year when the first calf arrived at -40.°Regardless, you’ll still find me scanning the pasture, looking for another calf on the ground, until the cows are moved to the ranch yard, where they will be watched 24/7.
I started writing an essay in my head while skiing before New Year’s about how you should choose the guy who waits for you at the bottom of the run. I’m a decent skier but always a minute or two behind him. And he waits for me every time.
I thought about writing about my new (temporary) job, but there’s not much I can share about my work as a school counselor. For years, my whole motherhood actually, I’ve wondered what it would be like to be a working mom. I assumed I would feel more fulfilled in my role at home because I was filling my bucket outside the house. But in reality, I feel like I’m not getting any work done at the house, and getting myself plus three kids out the door by 7 a.m. leaves me frazzled. Finding the time to write has been a struggle because I know my creative brain works best before 10 a.m. And when I get home in the afternoons, I feel zapped. Even though I know I’ll never be able to completely understand what it’s like to be a full-time working mom (particularly a working mom with babies and toddlers), it’s been a good peek into a life I thought I knew.
I knew I could keep overthinking this newsletter and procrastinate forever on sending it out. (My notes tell me this was supposed to be a November newsletter, but now it’s... um… January.) I kept thinking I needed something profound to tell you, a metaphor to leave you with. But I was reminded of this post I read by
in which he wrote, “Newsletters should be letters.” So, for now, this is my letter to you.
Farm Happenings
It’s (almost) calving season! Even though we have two calves on the ground, we’re not technically supposed to start calving until the 20th. The next two months will be focused on calving, a never-ending Groundhog’s Day. The farm crew has been hauling grain to town when the weather permits. And, as time allows, some of the guys will work in the shop, preparing the equipment for spring fieldwork.
Up next: calving season.
Things I’m Loving . . .
For some reason, my reading suffered in 2024. I continually got into “non-reading” modes and went days and weeks without reading. I didn’t finish my Goodreads reading goal for the first time in years. I picked up “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at the library a few weeks before Christmas—I couldn’t remember if I had ever read it before, and flew through it. I kept on my Herdman path and listened to The Best School Year Ever and The Best Halloween Ever. They were easy listens, but I didn’t love them as much as the first book. It took me weeks to finish All the Colors of the Dark. It was so long that I bought the audiobook over halfway through reading to get me a couple of hours of listening while driving to and from town. It was enough to push me through, and on New Year’s Eve, I stayed up until 11:30 p.m. finishing the book. (I went to bed right after, not even bothering to stay up for 30 minutes until midnight.) It would be a great book to discuss in a book club!
On Christmas Day, after we ate dinner with Rich’s family and opened gifts, we came home and watched The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I sobbed through the end, and the kids kept asking, “Why is Mom crying?” It was so good.
2024 was the year of trying new lipstick colors, and this one from Mac is my favorite. Narrative podcasts are my favorite genre, and this new series, “Making a Mother,” is well worth the listen. The first two episodes are out; the next one drops this week. This serum feels so good on my skin, especially in these dry winter months. I’m a creature of habit, and every year, I make these cookies and deliver them to our employees and the bus driver. Can I suggest butter balls? They make cooking eggs more fun! I treated myself to a pretty new winter hat to have something to wear instead of my Carhartt stocking hats all the time. Allie got this heatless curling set from Santa. Her hair looks so pretty and works much better than me curling it. (I want to try it on myself, but I honestly don’t know if I can sleep with it.) These are the best Valentine’s for rural kids2; we buy them every year. I’m not 100% claiming these help me fall asleep, but I’m enjoying using this magnesium lotion and magnesium spray every night when I get into bed.
I think many of us are feeling these thoughts around social media. Also, am I the only one who feels like IG is getting “weirder”? When scrolling, I keep coming across posts I don’t want to see.
My shameless plugs are few, but I shared my thoughts about growing into who I was meant to be and a post with ten random facts about me. 💚
If you made it through this random post—thank you. I’m currently on day three of the flu. I’m feeling much better today than yesterday, thankfully. I hope to be back sooner rather than later with another post, one I haven’t overthought for two months.
Until next time,
Stacy
The calves are a couple of weeks early, and the assumption is that a neighbor bull got in with the cows for a little romp.
Or any kid who is obsessed with tractors and all things agriculture!
How did I miss this?! I love this and thanks for sharing my essay!!
Beautiful photos!