Tag: fellowship

30 Things I Love: Friends

Domestic Goddess Friends
Lynn, Sandy, Stephanie, and Me

Every girl needs to have some good girlfriends in her life. The types of friends that, even when you don’t see each other as regularly as before, you pick up right where you left off. I love my Domestic Goddess friends!

When I moved to Cottonwood in 1988, Jonathan’s friends became my friends. However, it took a long time to find good female friends. Ones that you could talk to about things that make guys cringe. There were a few newer young couples that moved to Cottonwood, and they were looking for friendships as well. We were all stay at home moms at the time, and we needed some fellowship with other women who were in the same boat.

There were five women and a handful of kids at our first gathering for coffee. We all agreed that we needed to get together regularly, so we tried for an every-other-week coffee and play date. We took turns hosting, with the rule that it didn’t matter how messy your house was, because we weren’t there to see your house. We are all different, yet we all clicked. We were sad when the first one moved away, but we were determined to keep getting together.

As time went on, another moved away, our kids became independent, and coffee at each others houses turned into lunch in town. We don’t get together as often anymore, but when we do, it’s like we just had lunch last week. I always thought that as the kids got older, it would be easier to get  together, but it isn’t! We’re all involved in so many things, and support our kid’s activities as much as before…which means more travel as they move to college. I crave time with these women, and I cherish those moments when we are together.

I am so thankful for Lynn, Sandy, Stephanie, and Diane. I love you girls!

Day 1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Day 4: The Ability to Vote

Day 5: My Heritage

Day 6: NASCAR

Day 7: Black Velvet for Photography

Day 8: Strong Coffee and Strong Hairspray

Day 9: Peacefulness

Day 10: Winter’s First Snow

Day 11: Freedom

Day 12: Dairy

Day 13: Jonathan

Day 14: Coffee

Day 15: Seasons

Day 16: Scones

Day 17: #AgNerds

Day 18: Playing in the Dirt

Day 19: Friends

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30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 17: Bonfires

CarolynCares Bonfire

Bonfires in the summer are fun. Bonfires in the fall, when the air turns cool, are awesome. We like to have fires in the summer, roast marshmallows, and eat s’mores.  It usually signals a small break in the action on the farm.

In October, the high school youth group from our church gets together for a hayride and bonfire. We welcome in the fall by roasting hot dogs, and marshmallows over an open fire. We huddle around cups of hot chocolate, and eat s’mores while having devotions or talking about the year ahead. It is a time of fellowship, shared around the warmth of a fire.

Sometimes, we need to get together with fellow believers, fellow farmers, friends, family. It is when we spend time together with others like ourselves that we become a brighter flame, able to warm up those around us. I will be traveling to meetings starting this next week, where I will have the opportunity to hang out with people who will help to spread the warmth of agriculture. The first meeting will be with the Organic Advisory Task Force, where members of many sectors of organics will work towards a common goal of advising the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the University of Minnesota on the issues surrounding organic agriculture. The second meeting will be the Minnesota Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, where I have the privilege of being a voting delegate for my county. I always feel excited about farming, and about what we’re doing on our farm when I get together with these groups. The many ideas, and the fellowship help to ignite the fires in the members. We may all be individuals, but it is totally awesome to see what can happen when we all come together as one.

What ignites the fire in you? Who do you like to hang out with around a bonfire?

 

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