Anyone who works in agriculture can arguably attest to the fact that there is a high probability of having to work alongside family, specifically if you’re working on a farm. Many farms are operated by a variety of family members, and my own family and our farm are no exception to this likelihood. I started … More The reality of working with family
I recently saw an Instagram reel that broke my heart. In the video, a woman is describing her struggles with general socializing with others; she explains how for most of her life she has been told she is annoying, despite her best efforts not to be, and how when she tries her damnest to justify … More Stop trying to explain yourself to people who don’t matter
I am infinitely grateful to my mom and dad for introducing me to classic rock music from a pretty young age. They exposed me to other genres, too, like country and soft rock, but classic rock was almost always playing in our home every Sunday morning while we ate breakfast together as a family. It’s … More If you’re an Eagles fan, read this
The day has finally arrived; merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you, my incredibly appreciated readers, and to your friends, families and loved ones, too. Whether you celebrate or not, I hope your day is joyful and warm and filled with all of the things that make you happy. Last night, on Christmas … More Merry Christmas
I like to think of myself as a relatively pleasant person, although I will happily admit that this varies depending on the day. I try my best to be kind to others whenever possible, and as wonderful as being friendly is, it definitely has its downsides. I can’t help but suspect that people who are … More The fine line between kindness and assertion
My sister and I were raised by what some may consider ‘old-school’ parents. My mom and dad were, and are, tough, but simultaneously fair, and they raised us in a way to ensure we would carry valuable traits over into our adult years. Both of my parents are Baby Boomers, and while their age classification … More Comparison: not always a thief of joy
While the production line has finally ceased, my mom and sister have been hard at work over the last couple of weeks making homemade tomato sauce, using tomatoes from my sister’s garden. When myself and my cousins were smaller, my dad’s side of the family would come together to make tomato sauce, but once we … More Here’s how to make the best homemade tomato sauce
It seems as though evenings in which Blaine and I are able to watch a movie together without him falling asleep are becoming more and more distant as of late. I don’t mean to sound as though I am blaming him – he works long, tiring days, so it makes sense he is pooped at … More Have you seen ‘Instant Family’?
I figure it would be fair to wager that just about each and every one of us has been at the receiving end of the exclusion equation at some point or another in life. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky; if you have, you would likely agree with me in addressing exclusion as a rather … More Exclusion: an irksome life occurrence
For most of my life, I was blissfully unaware of the fact that I have Irish roots. My mom’s father was from Belgium and her mother was from Holland, and both of my dad’s parents are from Hungary. A couple of years ago, my mom, sister and I got my dad a DNA ancestry kit … More How much do you know about Ireland?
In the slim chance you’ve been living under a rock and missed it, today is Christmas Day. I’m not sure how you’re spending today, but I hope it is with people you love in a safe and welcoming space. I always enjoy Christmas Day, and the main reason I do is because of the traditions … More Merry Christmas
Not too long after Blaine and I moved into our home, I noticed a sweet cat hanging around our property. I later figured out she is female, and I will get to that shortly, and despite my best efforts to be able to handle her, I came to the ultimate conclusion she is too feral … More Welcome home, Timmy
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has a special place in my family’s heart. We have been going for years, since my sister and I were babies, and have kept the tradition going strong for many years. I will admit that I haven’t been to The Royal in a hot minute – my mom and sister … More Have you been to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair?
I realize Thanksgiving has passed, and that dedicating a post to a scalloped potato recipe arguably would have been more relevant prior to Thanksgiving; I will note, however, that scalloped potatoes are absolutely a dish that can be enjoyed at any point in the calendar year, and furthermore, for any occasion, large or small. I’m … More Let’s make scalloped potatoes
I came across a Reel via Instagram recently that got me thinking. It depicted a young man, probably around my age, who was discussing the concept of people-pleasing, and he drew an interesting parallel between the concept itself and parenting – he explained how, in most cases, people who consider themselves people-pleasers in their adult … More People-pleasing and parent-pleasing: a tricky union
A few days ago, my dad’s side of the family got together for a lovely dinner to celebrate my Nagymama’s (grandmother, in Hungarian) birthday. We tend to celebrate her birthday with the entire family every year, and this year was no exception. We went to Devlin’s Country Bistro in Mount Pleasant and enjoyed a tremendous … More Let’s make pecan pie
I have to begin this post by acknowledging my dad – this one is for him, and any other dads out there who raised their daughters to be firm and stand their ground. If my previous sentence didn’t give it away, I consider myself a strong woman. By strong, I mean physically, to an extent; … More Understanding strong, assertive women
The month of May is a busy one for me and my family. Not only do we start planting some of our crops on our farm in May (some are planted earlier), but we also celebrate Mother’s Day, Blaine’s birthday, my birthday, our nephew’s birthday, and Blaine’s Dad’s birthday. My birthday and Blaine’s are four … More Read this to learn how to make homemade Dairy Queen ice cream cake
A little while ago, I composed a post discussing gratitude. I emphasized the significance of recognizing what we are grateful for in our daily lives because it is so easy to take things for granted when we get caught up in daily routines and habits, and I truly believe acknowledging what we are thankful for … More Let’s start a gratitude list
I’m not exactly sure if the term ‘life timeline’ is the best way to encapsulate what I’m referring to, but hear me out. I haven’t heard another term for it as of yet, so we will tentatively stick with ‘life timeline’ for now. When I say life timeline, I’m making reference to how one’s life … More Stop comparing your life timeline to others
To answer my own question, for Blaine and me, it was a busy holiday season this year. We went to my grandmother’s house with my aunt and cousins, my parents and my sister on Christmas Eve; on Christmas Day Blaine and I went to my parents to open gifts with my sister and we had … More How was your Christmas?
In case you’re unaware, this weekend happens to be Thanksgiving, a time of year in which we often gather with family and friends and acknowledge all of the things we are grateful for. Arguably, when most of us contemplate what it is we are grateful for, things like food, water and shelter come to mind, … More What are you thankful for?
I would argue that just about all of us would say we are busy. Busy seems to be an inevitable state when it comes to this thing known as life, and I find we are becoming busier and busier the older we get. While I’m not certain if we truly are taking on more duties … More The significance of designating time to spend with your partner
The idea of keeping one’s nose out of someone else’s business is not, in any way, shape or form, a new concept. It’s been around for quite a while now, although despite its prehistoric origins, it seems to me as though a lot of us are blissfully unaware of this ideology and could benefit from … More Mind your business
I think it is safe to say that the majority of families involved in agriculture work with each other. This is an observation I have garnered over the years through chatting with other folks who work in farming, and a vast majority of those of us who work in the farming industry work alongside family … More The reality of working with family
On February 6, my parents will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. It’s a pretty big one, if you ask me, hence why I’m writing a post about it; I think 40 years of a lot of things are worthy of recognition, but especially marriage. I think it’s safe to say I’m a bit biased … More Cheers to 40 years, mom and dad
This years Christmas was a unique one. Come to think of it, so was last years. And the year before that. It’s safe to say that COVID has made its presence known in the context of Christmas and celebratory gatherings in general, and I would wager most of us have experienced disruptions in plans as … More The significance of identifying what truly matters at Christmas
I should arguably preface this post by stating that I completely and entirely recognize that not everyone has siblings, and further, there are some of us who have tarnished relationships with our siblings. I do not mean to generalize, but rather, I wish to orchestrate this post in a manner that is relevant to those … More Here’s why you should spend more time with your siblings
I am a firm believer in recognizing someone’s efforts and a job well done when appropriate. Perhaps this stems from a history of working at jobs where hard work goes unnoticed, because I’ve endured a few (like most of us, but regardless of where the incentive comes from to applaud people when appropriate, it is … More Giving credit where credit is due
Venting, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, typically involves a person unloading their stresses, anguish or frustration with a given situation via conversation with someone. It is something probably all of us have engaged with at some point or another, and a lot of us associate the concept of venting with positivity; getting things off … More Venting: good or bad?
ontheedgeofeverything 