They Came from Norka

"Happy the man who fondly thinks of his forebears, 

Who likes to tell the willing listener the tale 

Of their achievements and greatness, and is glad

To see himself a link in the beautiful chain."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1837)

What is it about looking at old family photos? Sometimes what you see is someone young who you only knew as old. Sometimes you recognize that the strong jaw, the doleful eyes, the distinctive nose on ancestors you never met are the same as what you see in the mirror or in the faces of your children. They have been gone a long time and yet some of their DNA courses through your veins. 

Henry Miller, Joel Miller, newlyweds A.R. and Esther Miller Epp, Lydia Miller, Dora Traudt Miller Photo from 1929

Kind of a Secret: Butternut Chili Soup

Not Everyone Approves of the Secret Ingredient in My Chili 

I guess it's not really a secret ingredient when you put it's name in the recipe title. However, not everyone who eats reads the recipe.

Sweet Baby Goats

Spring brings new life. Grass grows. Flowers bloom. Easter is celebrated. 

Into all this newness, our baby goats arrived. 

Joyful Exuberance!

Palm Sunday and Spring Flowers

There's something about spring and the holiday we celebrate during this time that lightens the heart and brings a smile to the face. Joyful exuberance! 

Gift from the Garden: Butternut Squash Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Streusel Topping

My new favorite autumn cake began last spring. There was a little extra room in the vegetable garden and so I planted some seed I'd saved. I wasn't sure exactly what it was.