Quarantined and Turning 32

All I hear is the sound of rain falling into the nearby creek. Oh, and Emma’s occasional snore as she switches positions on the hardwood floor. Why did I ever question coming here?

Quarantined in a cabin, and tomorrow when I post this, 32 will have woken me.

I could sit here and write the same thing that I have for the last decade, “Where did the time go? How did it all go SO fast?” but instead I will spare you of that. Time went because that’s what time does. It passes. Three hundred and sixty five days, year after year, and it doesn’t stop, until it does.

There are no street lights here. There are no cars, no construction, no people even within our view. We can’t see the stars because it has been so cloudy, rainy, and dark. Yet it is so beautiful. So quiet. So peaceful. So needed.

The world currently is experiencing things that I have never witnessed or been a part of. It is essentially, in many ways, shutting down, in ways that even my parents have never seen. What all of us are going through is textbook worthy—someday. People will write about this, our children will remember this, and we will probably be left wondering: how did I handle that?

Pandemics.

I don’t believe there is any way to predict them. And with this one, sickness does not discriminate…it does not pick and choose, it just barges in without notice, without permission, to whoever unfortunately is in its’ way. It does not care about your religion, your ethnicity, your stance on world issues, and by God it does not care what political party you represent. It just is and it just DOES.

So what are we doing? What am I doing? I’m here. In a cabin. In the woods. With my husband and our children, six and seven years old, and our one year old Golden, Emma.

It is an awfully strange time to be celebrating turning another year older, but just like I can’t control the Pandemic, I also can’t control aging. This year feels different. Not because I can’t celebrate with anyone besides my family or because I can’t go out to eat at my favorite restaurant—no…it feels different because this year FINALLY feels like the year I may have a lot more figured out than I ever have in any birthday prior.

I used to care SO drastically about SO MUCH. It’s not that I don’t anymore, it’s just that my priorities are shifting. I don’t have the energy or the time to sit and wonder and mope about failures. Wait. I don’t even want to say that. Were the things in my life that ended up being disappointments ‘FAILURES?’ I think I am realizing that the things in my past that have hurt me and that I thought at the time would wreck me tremendously…are actually things that stretched me into ME. I had a friend once who I absolutely adored. I think though if I am being honest, I had her on a very high pedestal. I wanted her approval, and for her to think that I was beautiful and wonderful and that she would look to me in the way that I looked to her; and what that ended up doing was push us apart. I had SO many damn expectations that should have never existed. I mourned the loss of that friendship, I grew bitter roots and had to tear them down time and time an time again. And then you know what happened? One day I woke and said out loud, “Dang I miss ____. I’m going to text her.” I literally felt the sun shine deep into my heart that day. Like the universe smiled and said, “Ashley, those things don’t matter anymore. Just tell her hello.”

It’s been the little things like that, especially over the last year, that have changed me. The past few months I wondered how in the world 32 would be ANY different than 31. I was scared I would dread it, want to ignore it, poo poo it, let it pass me by. Birthdays are weird for me, in my adult life they always have been. And then this dang Pandemic happened and my family and I were literally forced to STOP doing our ‘normal’ lifestyle, to stop physically socializing and STOP going IN to work every single day, and we were forced to just BE. It has made me think a WHOLE lot more and within that, check in on people I have maybe neglected to for too long… it’s made me see what MATTERS.

This is what matters.
My people. My dog. My family. My friends.
Letting go of bitterness, old regrets, shame, sadness, worries, and failures.
In the past I felt so sad about not having that ONE friend who you just did every single with: chick flicks, walks, Target runs, coffee dates, and whatever else comes with having a BFF. And then it dawned on me. Why would I crave anything else when what I DO have is literally right in front of me?

A husband that literally takes a riding lesson on your horse to prove to you that he loves you and wants to someday ride with you. Who binge watches ALL the shows, makes ALL the snacks, is the best shoulder to laugh OR cry on, who does all the Target runs, WOULD do all the chick flicks if I asked, and who loves me SO incredibly and tremendously well.

And it’s not like I don’t have friends outside of him. I’m just no longer incredibly STRESSED by the fact that they may ebb and flow and drift and wander and that all of that, is perfectly normal. By all means I don’t have it all figured out, Y’all. I’m still at heart, a natural feeler. ‘Big feelings’ is what I like to call my emotions. I still worry and do the what if game. I wonder what five years from now looks like. Control, success, BIG dreams are still very much things that I am drawn to. But my prayer is that this year, I can continue to knock down the things and hurts of the past so that even MORE sunshine pours in. Instead of dreading 32 or wishing that this was year 22…I really and truly am going to try my hardest to embrace it.

Here’s to another birthday. Another year around the sun. Another chance to be great, to work hard and to LOVE WELL.

* If there’s one thing I can suggest to you as you finish reading this? Go find a cabin. The one we are in has been absolutely wonderful. There’s a hot tub, a pond nearby, lots of trails, a cozy, cozy living space, and all the quiet in the world. Being in Kentucky, we are still practicing our social distancing by coming here, and what a needed retreat it has been. PS: you can even get 15% off from now until May 1st with the code GLASS15 so especially if you are a fellow, Kentuckian, I say do it!*

Sprouting Seeds and Starting Your Own Garden

What does a garden signify to you? Maybe you have zero desire to have or keep up with one. To plant, water, watch, wait, harvest, and go through the whole process. That’s okay, I still think this post will mean something to you..

VERY early on in our marriage my husband Asa has always created a garden in our backyard. The first one was on 2nd street in Old Louisville. Gardening and growing is basically his thing. He has always gotten so excited to create a plan, a blueprint of how he dreamt it would be. I wish I had pictures of all of them (and maybe I do?) but what I did remember that I have, are photos from 2013.. when Pierson was twelve months old and we lived in our first HOME…and oh my heart, Guys. How sweet are THESE? Jackson Street, how I love and miss you and cherish all of these sweet memories!

Anyway, back to why you are here—gardens and how in the world to get started! This is what Asa had to say on it…

When it comes to planting seeds and starting gardens I like to employ the KISS method of thinking. It’s not very elegant, but Keep It Simply, Stupid. (Sorry, you aren’t stupid. I needed a working acronym.) Basically, don’t over think it. You need soil, light, water and a seed. We can get into the nuances of which soil, how much light, and how much water. The temperature of water and soil? Which seeds? Organic of non-organic? Which variety of each seed? And the list goes on. If this is your first garden, keep it simple. Learn as you go. There is a reason growing seeds is a kindergarten science project. Just grab dirt and a cup. Bury your seeds (not too deep). Add water and put them in a window. You’re likely to have success.

The more detailed version of what we are doing is this. Grab yourself a seed tray from the hardware store. (Probably any department store will carry them this time of year.) This tray has 72 slots, which admittedly is a LOT of seedlings for my family. I grabbed one bag of organic vegetable potting soil to fill the slots. To be honest, “organic” was the option on sale that day. I don’t have a strong preference here. Then I grabbed seeds. This one is tricky to do the first time or two. Knowing what seeds will grow in your yard, how much sunshine your projected garden gets outside, what food your family will eat, and eat regularly and other factors really go into seed selection. For now, pick things that need full sun, (thats most fruits and vegetables) and think of things you’ll eat. We eat a lot of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, spinach, lettuce, melons, and herbs.

When you plant seeds, put 2 or 3 seeds in each cup. This is a fail safe for you. If one or more seed is dead, hopefully the other will grow. As the seedlings grow, you will need to thin it down to one strong seedling per pod. This is normal. Don’t sweat it. Save the nutrients in the dirt for the healthiest one that sprouts. Once your seeds are planted you need to give them a little water. Keep the soil MOIST (yeah, I said it) but not wet. And put the cups in a bright window. We are using grow lights from an old AeroGarden. The AeroGardens are amazing indoor planters, but cost a fortune. And honestly they limit the number of seedlings you can sprout to 7-9. So I’m simply using the lights above my tray this time around.

As your seeds grow, you will need to transplant them to bigger cups from their slots in the tray. Keep them indoors until all risk of frost has passed. About a week or so before you put them outside, you need to “harden off” the seedlings. This simply means put them outside for 8-10 hours a day and bring them in at night. It gets them used to the temperature change of the outdoors. Once they are hardened off, you can plant them directly into the soil at the appropriate distance (social distance?) from each other. The seed packages will have all the planting and sunlight details on them.

This year we are growing some of our favorites, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. And adding some new things to try like carrots and swiss chard. The newest goal for this springs garden is to create a rhythm of planting so we are daily harvesting and replanting to keep a steady stream of food, instead of a massive harvest with too much to eat at one time.

Lara Casey is one of my favorite authors and I love her heart for the Lord. In an excerpt from her book, Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life, she said this:

The world says do more, grow fast, be big, use these tricks, analyze, do it like those people, get ahead. But that’s not how good things take root. Maybe, despite what everyone tells you, slow is richer than fast. Maybe a slower pace will help your roots stretch deep and wide. It’s okay to grow slow.

I always feel like I resonate SO much with her words, her philosophy, and I just wanted to share even a snippet of her wisdom. GOOD things take time. A slow pace is not bad. We need roots, we need to be able to stretch, to grow, to replenish our nutrients. And you know what…? Right now, when the world seems to be at the quite possibly the largest stand still it has ever been in MY life, maybe this is THE perfect time to work on growing slow.

Friends, order some seeds or get them from your local grocery store if yours are still open, and just start. See what takes sprout, and where it goes from here. And if you have questions—email me! Asa is so awesome and kinda geeks out over this stuff :)

How to Make your Own Play Dough + Add Essential Oils

We’re all in this together. Stuck at home. Unsure of what’s going on in the world. Trying to avoid spreading germs and keeping those at risk around us SAFE. So with that comes a LOT of time. Our kids are in first and second grade and they love school. Their teachers are phenomenal, and daily they were being challenged to excel and shine in their every day lessons. We know that while we may not be first and second grade specific teachers, that our kids are blessed to have TWO teacher parents, who are able to be hands on and attentive during this time at home. We do not take this lightly, nor do we take it for granted. Prayerfully, nor do they…

Today after their math and reading lessons we wanted to do a fun science activity. We have been talking a lot about using resources that we already have on hand at home, so when they recently realized that their own store bought Play-doh was pretty dried up, we were inspired to make our own. The kids were so intrigued and Y’all, this was SO easy!

Here is what you would need:

• 1 cup of water

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or I have read that vegetable or olive works)

• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

• 1/2 cup of salt

• 1 cup of flour

• food coloring of choice + essential oils

You will mix everything together in a sauce pan on the stove over low/medium heat. For us it took less than two minutes to have it all stirred in and at that dough like consistency. We let it cool, then brought to the table to let the kids get started!

I saw this recipe from my friend Casey on Instagram, she is the QUEEN of DIY with her adorable girls and she is such a fun and totally real mama. (Check out her blog HERE!) Using Essential Oils to add to the homemade play-dough made this activity even more enjoyable for us as a family. We are treading through uncharted territories with this COVID-19 and stress levels can get quite high. Essential Oils in general tend to help support our emotions and today they definitely boosted our spirits AND made our house so delicious smelling. We used lemon, lavender, peppermint, and last minute I grabbed the ylang ylang to add to our pink play-dough.

Did you know that all of those oils have a huge variety of benefits when we use them!?
Lemon: refreshing, energizing, uplifting AND has anti-fungal properties
Lavender: also has anti-fungal and microbial properties, is calming, and uplifting
Peppermint: energizes, disinfects, largely energizing, and is a great oil to boost spirits
Ylang Ylang: “flower of flowers,” this one is a big mood enhancer and stress reducer and it smells heavenly!

We added about 5-10 drops of the chosen essential oil to each mound of play-doh, and overall, this activity was a WIN. The kids thanked us several times throughout the day for making it with them, they played with it super often, and the density and texture of the play-dough was spot on. Even if you don’t have kids, I still recommend making this. What a great sensory activity for you to do AT HOME, while you have a LOT of time on your hands. If you are local reading this and don’t have oils but would like to try them? E-mail or text me and I’m happy to gift you some samples. We can even practice our social distancing skills and I can leave them on the porch or in the mailbox for you ;) Seriously though. Need oils? Holler at your girl. And if you try this recipe, will you please tag me in any Instagram or Facebook posts/stories you may do!? Find me at Instagram here!

Praying for all of you, sincerely! Thanks for reading and browsing through these photos. As always, hit reply or contact me through this page.

Social Distancing Ourselves to the Woods

“Kids don’t remember their best day of television…”

I recently saw that quote and wanted to share. Right now, our world is looking at a Global Pandemic. We have been faced with worry, anxiety, consuming thoughts, and all the what ifs. Something our family has always done, health pandemic or not, is go OUTSIDE when we are needing a reset. Being outdoors is one of our favorite weekend pastimes so this past Sunday wasn’t really that different for us… This is me encouraging you all, whoever and wherever you may be, to try this as soon as your time allows—and for us now, looking down the lens of potentially three or more weeks of school and work OFF, this is going to happen even more often.

Hiking.

Have you ever felt that bitter taste in your heart and soul? Like this feeling of YUCK when realizing the negativity and hateful comments/words that the universe just tosses around like NO big deal? I bet anything that you have and you may be feeling and tasing those things right now! There is almost constant news coverage going on about the COVID-19 (Corona Virus), and LOTS of people are obsessing, panicking, and even verbally attacking one another. It can be downright exhausting, and I refuse to let my mind get sucked in. Sometimes then, more than ever, adventure is a necessity. Let it cleanse your heart, let it rid the nasty negativity from your overwhelmed soul. Go be in nature. Listen to the trees. Go HIKE!

This is a place called Garvin Brown Nature Preserve. It is a 46-acre preserve super close to River Road, and it is open from dusk until dawn. We discovered this beautiful location not too long ago, and I will never forget Christmas Day 2019—when it was a freakishly warm Christmas and we all went here for a nice long stroll. Elsa pranced around, running through brush and all the water she could find.. I know without a doubt that trails and water were 100% her love language (and the same is now true for Emma, which is pretty dang sweet.) There is something just completely wonderful about Garvin Brown and if you are local reading this, I highly, highly encourage you to go and explore, especially while we are being told to practice extreme social distancing…take your kids, your pup(s), or just even yourself, and go breathe. You will never regret slowing down and enjoying the SIMPLE joys of life, I promise. And your kids will be better for it too!

PS: We had NO IDEA what this terrifying looking fish was (and pretty soon found out) but do you know?! Tell me in the comments below if you 100% know (WITHOUT GOOGLING) what kind it is!! I mean, OH MY WORD, can you imagine swimming with this thing?! (Not that you would swim in the Ohio River, but STILL.)