Ten years ago

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In January, Instagram was filled with people sharing photos from 2016–10 years ago. Though I didn’t do an Instagram post, I did take a look back through the blog. A whole year of posts and projects from a decade years ago.

It was interesting to remember where we were and some of what happened. Some things are the same. Some things are different (the number of projects being one).

It was really fun to look back, so I thought I’d share some highlights with you. I know some people have been here since 2016 while others are new. Whether these are familiar to you or not, I hope you enjoy some of these memories.

The basement was a big focus in 2016.

We did our major renovation in 2012 (continuing into 2013) when we first moved in. But four years later the closet under the stairs still needed shelving and we decided another closet in the laundry room instead of cabinets and counter would be more useful for us.

Drywalling the laundry room

I also added some fun stuff to the basement, like a large chalkboard, oversize scrabble tiles, and the shower curtain I’d been hunting for in the bathroom, which allowed me to write the long overdue reveal post.

Black and white bathroom

Amongst the small adjustments we had a bigger issue. The basement was leaking. So we had to undo some of our renovations and have it properly waterproofed.

Upstairs, I made over the guest room, which was a lovely space while it lasted. This room is now Ellie’s bedroom. I also posted floorplans for possible future renovations. It’s neat to see what’s come true (garage, mudroom and a new bathroom) and what’s still on my wishlist (porch, kitchen, principal bedroom).

Robin's egg blue country guest room

It was a big year outside in the vegetable garden. The gardens are my major home goal for 2026, and it was neat to see that they were in 2016 as well.

To get the garden in shape, Sarah in Illinois (remember when Sarah used to write for the blog?) and I kicked off the season with a DIY duel. I built trellises for the raspberries, squash and tomatoes, and Matt and I trenched a waterline out to the garden. I’m hoping some of that 2016 energy carries forward to 2026.

Trenching a waterline to the garden

Seeing how clean the garden was was a bit shocking. It is so overgrown now. We have a lot of work ahead of us. But seeing how productive it was gives me hope.

2016 was our first maple syrup season and first monarch hatch. Those are traditions that continue and are so much fun for us every year.

We have some things that are never ending, like thrifting furniture, property clean up and firewood.

Matt splitting firewood

Also a tradition, someone missed a stop sign, skipped the ditch, crashed through the gate and ended up in our east field (it still happens every so often).We had a grass fire in our ditch that fortunately did little damage (and has not happened again), though the little tree still has some bare spots ten years later.

I started my shift to freelancing and consulting in 2016 when I switched to working four days instead of five. I am so grateful that I made this move. I say often that time is the most valuable thing I have. Time gives me Ellie, Cigo, the animals, the farm, my projects, writing. Freelancing and teaching give me control over my time. My work has shifted several times since 2016, but the flexibility and prioritizing time has continued.

Baxter and me

The blog is special. I had no idea when I started it how long it would continue and how incredible it is to have a chronicle of our life here at the farm. Ten years ago, it was Matt, Baxter, Ralph, me and the farm. Now, it is Ellie, Cigo, Cedar, the chickens, me and the farm. Reflecting on the journey from where I was 10 years ago to where I am today is meaningful.

Life builds and changes, sometimes in ways we can never predict. It was a good life 10 years ago. It’s a good life now.

Thank you to everyone who’s been along for the journey. Whether from 2016 or today, I appreciate you being here.

If you’d like to browse the whole 2016 archive yourself, you can access it here.

Odds & sods

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I am writing this from the couch in the living room watching flames dance in the fireplace while snow swirls outside. Later, I will put on my snowshoes and head out with Cigo for a field walk. I will stop at the barn to check on the chickens and Cedar. Then I will return to our cozy comfortable house.

The farm is my favourite place to be, whatever the season.

What we present online is usually a highlight reel. The best of our lives. Not the hard or mundane. My first paragraph in this post is no different.

Shortly after I wrote it, the fire fizzled out. When I went for my hike with Cigo, I didn’t strap my snowshoe on properly and it was close to falling off.

I repositioned the logs and the fire rekindled. I stepped carefully, held up my toes and the snowshoe stayed on. Sometimes life requires adjustments. It can still be beautiful and fun, even when it takes extra work.

January has been a beautiful and fun month. We had my Mom’s birthday and celebrations lasted for four days. We skated on the pond and went skiing. We had a thaw and then a deep, deep freeze and lots of snow.

The chickens, who have gone into an untimely moult, have been staying inside. We’ve had some unfortunate feather situations and less eggs. Cigo bounds through the snow and comes home with snowballs frozen into his fur. Cedar, who has the thickest fur, rarely stays in the barn and is determined to break into the house. He comes running anytime the door opens and has perfected his timing for sneaking in while I’m wrangling buckets, baskets, leashes, dog, eggs and mitts. He’s also discovered there are sometimes treats–like our gingerbread house or my Mom’s birthday cake.

Life is beautiful and fun.

Here are some other things I’ve enjoyed this month.

I’ve used Passion Planner as my daybook for years. Their goal setting template is a useful tool, especially at this time of year when people are looking for a reset. I gave it to all of my final year students at the end of last term.

I read The 5 Types of Wealth between Christmas and New Years, and it’s stayed with me. It reinforced what I value and how I make decisions for my life. Though I have some quibbles about the author and class, I think it’s a good reminder of what’s most important in our lives.

“You should decorate and design your house… to make you happy.” I love this designer’s philosophy. I also love her happy house.

A perfect meal for a cold January. This Sweet Potato Chickpea Chili is simple, quick, full of vegetables, tasty with a bit of heat–even for this non-chili fan.

I’ve kicked off home goals 2026 with Ellie’s playroom. She would like multi-coloured tie-dyed walls, so we’ve been looking at wallpapers, but haven’t had any luck yet. I’m considering trying sponge painting. Anyone have any advice?

January wraps up for us with another big snowfall. We’ll be starting the week shoveling out–and a day off from school. I have some client work and marking for my course. I’m also planning on tackling a tricky task in Ellie’s playroom.

How has January been for you? Share something highlight reel worthy… or maybe not so much.

Home Goals 2026

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Last year was a big year for home projects. This year is a little smaller in some ways. The list is shorter, but what I’m hoping to accomplish still feels big. Read on for all the details of what’s on my list for home goals 2026.

Ellie’s playroom

Sources: Wallmur & Designer Affair

My first goal is Ellie’s playroom, a carry over from last year. Our girl is so creative and I really want to give her a special space for whatever she wants to do. This will be the first project of the year. (In fact, it might already be underway.)

Garden(s)

A beautiful country vegetable garden from Country Living

Source: This photos is several years old, but it’s still a beautiful inspiration shot for me. It was originally from Country Living, but the link is not active. It is of Pamela Page’s garden.

Forget the year of the horse. 2026 is the year of the garden(s). The vegetable and flower gardens have received very little attention for the past several years. I’m hoping to change that this year. My main priority will be the vegetable garden, but if I have enough time and energy, I’d like to give the flower gardens some attention too.

Prepare for the worst

Preparing for the worst was on my list in 2022. I’ve taken some steps, but I’d like to do more. Some of the things on my mind are involved like working on a back-up power solution. Others are simple like running a fire drill. Some are tedious like making sure I have copies of important documents. This is an ongoing undertaking, and putting it on my list will hopefully motivate me to give it more attention.

That’s it. That’s the 2026 list. Three things.

Of course, other things will come up through the year. Ellie’s playroom will likely make some dominoes for the living room and my bedroom. We should have time to handle them.

Last year was productive and busy and fun. Taking things a little slower this year can also be productive and fun, but maybe a bit less busy.

What projects are on your list for 2026? Are you focusing inside or outside this year?

Looking back at Home Goals 2025

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2025 was a big year for us.

The birds! The bathroom! The cats!

I tackled the biggest projects we’ve done in a while here at the farm–maybe ever when I think of the birds who are now a fixture of the farm.

When I laid out my home goals a year ago, I was very excited by what was ahead. As I look back, I’m very excited and proud of what I accomplished.

Here’s my look back at Home Goals 2025.

Coop

The coop was a big construction project and it turned out so well. The barn, pens, storage, and runs all work very well and have kept our birds comfortable and safe. Adding birds to our family has been a very special, fun experience–even the turkeys.

While it’s not directly for the coop, there was another big barn task I completed last year: eavestrough. I’ll be sharing more details about this project in an upcoming post.

My office

My office was the first project of the year. It is a comfortable, personal room. Having this space for working, writing, crafting, sewing, whatevering has been so nice.

It’s also helped me to be more focused with my worktime. I still bring my computer to the couch occasionally, but having the desk, a place for my laptop and a dedicated spot for work has helped me leave work on my desk a bit more.

Ellie’s playroom

Ellie’s playroom makeover did not happen. As fall arrived, I really wanted to tackle it, but the reality of everything I was already doing and the number of hours in a day meant that another project would have been too much. I’m glad I decided to postpone the makeover, and I’m eager to start this room this year.

Main bathroom

The novelty of our renovated bathroom has not worn off. Every day I am grateful for how beautiful it is, how well it works, that I did so much of the work myself and that after living here for 13 years it is finally done.

Checking off three out of four home goals feels pretty good, especially since these were big projects for us. And, I need to say it one more time, they all turned out so well. I love the changes we’ve made to the house and the farm, and I’m really proud of what we accomplished.

Did you have any big home accomplishments in 2025?

Word of the year: Try

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“Do or do not. There is no try.”

With much respect to Yoda, my word of the year for 2026 is try.

In case it’s not clear, I’m a doer. I love doing. It’s a key part of my identity. However, I tend to avoid doing things unless I know I can do them fully. This doesn’t mean I always know exactly how to do everything. But I’m confident I can figure it out, and I tend not to take on tasks unless I can give them my full commitment. (In this way, I’m following Yoda’s teaching.)

But that means I have a long list of things that I’d like to do, but I haven’t gotten to because I don’t have the knowledge, the time, the energy, the force… the whatever.

This year, I’d like to give myself a little more wiggle room to try some things. Even if I do them imperfectly or incompletely, there is benefit in taking small steps.

This will mean continuing to try to be better at sleep and rest. I also have ideas of things I’d like to try for fitness, work, community service and stewardship for this land. Some of these ideas have been bouncing around in my mind for years.

I read The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom over the holidays. One of the concepts Bloom talks about is mental wealth, which he defines as growing, changing, adapting and achieving your potential. I have never been very focused on personal growth. I like what I have achieved and am very satisfied with my life. However, in some areas, I’m perhaps too comfortable. I’m ready this year to make some changes and try some new things.

A quote from the book that connected with me is, “Regret from inaction is always more painful than regret from action.” I won’t say I have many regrets, but I do have a list of things I wish I could make some progress on. Taking action–any action–feels like a first step.

An article dissecting Yoda’s oft-quoted admonishment said it “is about the mindset; it’s not about the outcome.” I’m often focused on the outcome, accomplishing my goals, checking another project off my list. But even if I don’t fully complete something, this year I’m trying to remember there’s value in trying.

Catch up on past words of the year: Balance … Slow … Resolve … Focus … Content … Choose … Rest … Care

How do you feel about doing versus trying? What are you focusing on for 2026? Have you made any resolutions this year? Anyone else have a word of the year?

Finishing up the fall to-do list

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December has arrived–and with it our first significant snowfall. That means time is up on my fall to-do list.

Winter came on fast this fall. I was waiting for all the leaves to fall from the trees before I cleaned the eavestroughs. Then temperatures turned cold. Weather got rainy (causing unfortunate hair-dos for Hair-Do) and then snow.

I cleaned the eavestroughs, but it involved a jug of hot water and a chisel. I turned off the last outside tap when temperatures were already below freezing. I dealt with some new to-dos, like resetting our mailbox post after it was knocked over by a street racer and setting up a cat house for Cedar who persists in hanging out under the lilac in the front flowerbed rather than in the barn.

“Inside is for wimps.”

“Never mind. This inside is perfect. I’ll stay here. Thanks.”

I also checked a bunch of smaller tasks off the list and tackled some (not all) of the tasks on my main fall to-do list. Here’s how I did.

Coop

The coop felt like the biggest task–and the most critical. I did pretty well here.

Clean out the pens – Done.
Put in fresh straw – Done. The chickens will keep getting new layers of fresh straw throughout the winter.
Patch drafts in the walls – Done.
Patch leaks in the roof – Not done. We had some big rains in the fall and the coop stayed dry, so I’m crossing my fingers that will hold for the winter. I’m hoping to revisit the roof in the spring.
Clean up scrap wood – Half done. (The smaller pile, of course.)
Set up a designated straw area – Done

Barn grading

This task was my biggest fail. Fortunately, it’s not a critical pre-winter task, so it’s moving over to the spring to-do list.

Remove old fence post – Done.
Remove bush – Half done.
Spread dirt – Not done.

Driveshed siding

Done.

Mowing

No photo evidence. Done.

Brush chipping

No photo evidence. Done. I’ve already started rebuilding the brush pile.

Swallow shutter

Spot the assistant.

Swallow shutter – Done. (It’s definitely not a shutter, but the broken window is covered.)

I feel pretty good about what I accomplished this fall. The birds, cat, barns, tractor, house, property have all had attention and hopefully we are all ready for winter.

How are your winter preparations going?

Odds & sods

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Fall sunrise in the country

Over the weekend we hosted Matt’s family for a pre-Christmas get-together. This gathering has been happening since Matt and I were dating–more than 25 years. Over that time, the family has changed. Four people have died. People have joined. Marriages have begun. Four babies have been born.

Family changes. There are losses and additions. Tragedy and joy. Friction and love. Family can be hard. But it’s worth it.

On Saturday, seeing these people playing, laughing, talking, eating, enjoying together was very special. It is definitely worth it.

Here are some other things from this month that are worth it.

I have a new niece! I knit this hat ages ago, and my Mom had it still, so it went to baby M. It’s such a cute baby girl design.

Another motivation to return to knitting, the Campaign for Wool Canada videos are so beautiful and inspiring.

I made these scones twice this month. They have the flavour of cinnamon buns with a fraction of the effort.

Our new bathroom is done! And it’s beautiful.

I love so much about this house. The small size. The traditional style. The colours.

A friend of mine posts beautiful thoughts of the day every morning. This one feels appropriate for a post talking about family, whether your family is two or many:

“A good relationship is just two people saying, “Hey life is hard, but I want to do it with you.” That’s it. It’s not a highlight reel… Love isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just choosing each other again and again.”

I’m grateful my families (all of them) choose each other and value being together. It’s not always easy. But it’s worth it.

Bright, traditional, farmhouse bathroom reveal

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“A huge main bathroom with double sinks, a huge vanity and tons of storage. (The cracked sink, 1970s tile, painted paneling on the walls and Care-Bear-colour-palette on the counter top are examples of potential.)”

This is what I wrote about the main bathroom when I first introduced it on the blog thirteen and a half years ago.

I finally fulfilled that potential. The main bathroom renovation is done. And it is so beautiful.

I took everything out–the fixtures, the two tubs, the fake paneling, drywall, insulation, Care-Bear counter top–and redid it all.

My philosophy for the past 13 years was if I was going to renovate, I wanted to do it completely and ensure the end product was exactly what I wanted.

It is.

I’m going to dive into all the details. But first, here are a few before and afters.

Bathroom before and after

Main bathroom before
Main bathroom
Main bathroom before

All the details on our new country style bathroom

Behind the walls are new wiring, pipes and insulation. The walls themselves are beautiful pine V-groove paneling. A big upgrade from the fake sheets that were there before. With every renovation in this house, I’m trying to add more farmhouse style, and I felt like the paneling was a good way to do that in the bathroom.

I kept the walls white (Benjamin Moore Cloud White) to keep the look fresh. The white paint highlights the V-groove which gives a subtle texture and interest to the walls. Plus going with white allows the other parts of the bathroom to stand out.

I can’t decide what stands out most to me. Is it the huge wood storage hutch? The sparkly taps? The beautiful marble? The veins of the tile? The leafy shower curtain?

I love how all of the elements of the bathroom work together so well.

For the floor and tub walls, I chose very large tiles with strong veining. The large size is very practical for cleaning (minimal grout!). The finish is matte, which feels appropriate for the farm and contrasts with some of the other sparkly bits in the bathroom. The tiles themselves are also full of contrast with grey lines snaking and swirling over the warm white background. I also had in-floor heat installed, which makes the floor so comfortable.

Accompanying the tiles is our marble on the shower ledge and countertop. This marble is a statement. It’s dark and light and dramatic. Adding to the drama is the beautiful ogee edge, the sculpted backsplash and sidesplashes and the leathered texture. I’m so glad I added these details.

I’m also glad I added the ledge all along the side of the tub. It was a simple adjustment to make at the construction stage. The ledge gives us so much storage and I much prefer the look over a niche. Bumping the tub out by 4 inches didn’t impact the function of the bathroom, and we still have plenty of space between the tub and vanity.

The vanity is exactly the design I had in mind for years. Drawers, drawers and more drawers. I’m so pleased I was able to find it off the shelf. At first, I was concerned that the drawers would be too small. They are quite shallow and narrow. However, they work really well for most things–the perfect amount of space for toothbrushes, hairbrushes, makeup and lots of space to separate things out. Certain containers or bottles don’t fit. Fortunately we have taller storage elsewhere (more on this below).

The vanity led to the one change of plans I needed to make in the renovation. The sinks I had ordered turned out to be too big. Fortunately, the company I worked with to source all of the fixtures quickly supplied another option, and I was able to make the exchange. The sinks we ended up with are quite small, but they are adequate for most bathroom tasks, like washing our hands and brushing our teeth. Most important they fit with the vanity, the taps, the counter.

The taps were another spot where I was trying to create some of that historic farmhouse feeling. From the beginning I knew I wanted old style cross handle taps. That’s exactly what I found: very traditional and a little bit fancy. Their sparkly finish, cross handles, high arc add so much brightness to the bathroom.

In my initial plan for the bathroom, I had expected to have more of a mix of metals. I had planned for the lights and vanity hardware to be on-trend brass or gold. But as the bathroom came together, I couldn’t make the finishes work. I decided to go with the simple chrome hardware that came with the vanity, and that made the light fixture decision easy–sparkly silver there too.

We still have a bit of a mix with a few hits of black in the hutch hardware, hooks and curtain rod.

Instead of mixing metals, I decided to warm things up with a lot of wood accents. This is another touch of farmhouse style. The mirrors were the very first thing I bought for the bathroom. The wood frame and arched top add softness to the other square lines in the room.

I had always envisioned wood towel rings and accessories. Thanks to Facebook marketplace, some refinishing and a little bit of my own construction, I was able to make it happen.

Of course, the big wood storage hutch is another standout. As I wrote 13 years ago, the bathroom had tons of storage, mainly a large linen closet. Unfortunately, its open shelves were ugly and not super functional. Replacing the closet with this hutch adds so much to the bathroom.

Storage of course. I designed the hutch to have 6 super deep drawers. Towels, bottles, soap, medicine, first aid supplies and more all easily fit in the hutch. The upper section with its four shelves holds towels, toilet paper, sheets, blankets with lots of room to spare.

Beyond storage, the hutch adds so much beauty. The maple wood looks perfect for the farm.

The final finishing touch was the shower curtain. This is our only bit of colour in the bathroom. I chose a watery blue leaf fabric that has a beautiful mix of dark and light that echoes some of the tones in the tile and counter. I sewed the curtain myself. I wanted it to be traditional, so I added some pleats at the top. This gives the curtain lovely fullness. It’s also full length from ceiling to floor which makes the bathroom feel so much taller.

This bathroom renovation was not quick. I began taking the room apart in April and finally hung the shower curtain at the end of September. Beyond those 5 months is the 13 years.

It was worth the wait.

I documented the bathroom renovation on my Instagram as well. You can check out all of the videos at Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Thanks to everyone for following along on the blog and on social media and cheering me on through this project.

Bathroom sources:

Tub
Sinks
Taps
Mirrors
Tile
Lights
Vanity
Wall panelling
Baseboard
Casing
Paint
Marble counter and shower ledge – Arctic Ocean
Hutch – Custom
Shower curtain – Custom DIY
Towel rings, bars, paper holder – Facebook Marketplace

Trades & Suppliers (with sincere thanks)

Waterdown Plumbing
Agentis Electric
Almar Flooring Inc. (tile installer)
Centura (tile supplier)
Granite By Design
EMCO Burlington
Cambridge Crown & Trim
Mennonite Furniture & Gifts

Lessons in remembrance

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At 11 o’clock today, Remembrance Day, I will be standing in front of my students. Most of them are in their twenties. Few were born before 2000.

I will ask them about their relationship to Remembrance Day. I will tell them about my grandfather and the significance Remembrance Day has for me.

I will ask them to give a minute for reflection.

As we move farther from the world wars and the veterans who fought, I feel like the lessons of those wars are diluted. For many of us, war is something we see on our screens. It’s not something that happens to us. Yet we know there is trauma, violence and injustice happening right this moment in the world. Some of it very close to home.

Whether we are able to remember or not, Remembrance Day is a moment for reflection. Nov. 11 is not just for respect and recognition of those who have fought and died. It is for remembering the lessons they have taught us, so that we can do our part to create a world of peace, respect, care.

This is the lesson I am trying to share with my students today.