 How many times have you heard, "Laughter is the best medicine"? Many think it is a biblical quote. While the actual quote is not found in the Bible, the origin of laughter as the best medicine is found in Proverbs 17:22 - A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Movies and videos ...  After finishing the greenhouse EIFS we began the EIFS on the barn. But, I have decided to make you wait to see pics until it is completed rather than give you bits and pieces at a time! So, in the meantime, I thought I would share my newest project - photography classes! After last year's grape harvest, ...  If you have been around for awhile, you know that we moved from Alabama a little over 5 years ago. We left a very comfortable lifestyle (thanks to corporate America) to relocate in west Texas and start a vineyard. Unfortunately, our nearly 5,000 sq ft home about 40 minutes from Mobile was put on the market ...  Today on Family Friday I would like to share an update on the greenhouse. Last week we poured the concrete in the ICF walls (insulated concrete forms). While the ICF has excellent insulation value, we chose it for the greenhouse just for ease. The ICF snap together like big legos and are so easy for the DIY'ers. We ...  We have finally gotten back around to work on the greenhouse that we started way back when! I think we have too many projects going on at the same time! And, when you do the work yourself on all of them, well, it just takes time. I know patience is a virtue but it sure can be hard ...  Having a large family and farm animals makes for educational opportunities almost daily. This week, however, our attempts to maintain a G-rated barnyard have been almost futile! We have had not one but two family milk cows in heat. That's right - both Buttercup and Emme came into heat. We had thought that Buttercup was ...  We have expanded the vineyard another 5 acres this year! We added 4 acres of Montepulciano and another acre of Aglianico. Both are Italian red varieties and make full bodied, dark red wines. I would have to say that harvest is definitely the most exciting time of year but planting is the next! The whole ...  You may have noticed that there was no Family Friday post last week. I have a good excuse - I was in Georgia visiting my mother and sister before heading to Alabama to clean the rest of our stuff out the house we had lived in for 20 years before moving to Texas to start ...  Today on Family Friday, I thought I would give a quick run down of our week and end with the highlight! We have had extremely cold, wet and windy weather here in west Texas. This is why be started pruning the vineyard early - so we would not have to prune in this type of weather. No one ...  Today on Family Fridays I have a couple of highlights to share. The week started with decanting the Aglianico and Montepulciano wines we have settling in our shed- 90 gallons of each - that is a lot of wine! Don't worry mom, we will not drink all of it - we give a lot of away ... |
     
 
God has amazingly blessed me, Dina-Marie, with a wonderful husband and 10 beautiful children. Moving from our "secure" life in Alabama to the "exciting" life of starting a vineyard in west Texas has definitely been challenging. Besides frugality, farm life and simple living, I have learned the importance of diet, quality of food and traditional cooking. Through the GAPS diet, I am successfully reversing my rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and food allergies. I hope to encourage you to make the most of where you are and what you have as I share my life with you. 
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