Quitting my TV news career has come with many benefits but perhaps none as important as how it has affected my ability to parent. My relationship with the Producer would have consisted of about an hour in the morning (stressed about what I’d cover that day) and an hour at night (still stressed about what went wrong with my report that day). I’ve started “Hold On to Your Kids” by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté and I highly recommend it. They describe the era since World War II as one where peers have taken over the role of parenting, calling it “peer orientation”. They write, “Orientation, the drive to get one’s bearings and become acquainted with one’s surroundings, is a fundamental human instinct and need. Disorientation is one of the least bearable of all psychological experiences. Attachment and orientation are inextricably intertwined. Humans and other creatures automatically orient themselves by seeking cues from those to whom they are attached.” This has also got me thinking about my pressing question about why so many journalists prefer group think over curiosity. Are we adults also suffering from “peer orientation”?
When we lived in Washington state, we used to purchase a Forest Service land pass to hike with a chainsaw and cut down a wild tree for Christmas. It helped with forest management, maintaining space between trees to reduce wildfire risk, and also gave us a very fun adventure. We have not done that yet in Florida - though you can get a similar pass. The tree would look a little different, of course. But we still get a real tree. I love the smell and at least feel a tiny bit of connection to the wild trees we left behind out west. If you decorate with a tree, what kind of Christmas tree do you put up? And what is your favorite tradition?
I love making sauerkraut with kids. They enjoy every part of it and get interested in fermented foods at a young age, which kickstarts taste buds geared for a healthy adulthood. It’s incredibly easy to do! Fermented foods are packed with probiotics, vitamins and minerals. They restore your gut health, which is the center of all health. Please drop your favorite fermented food recipe in the comments. Here’s how we make sauerkraut.
🥬 One large head of cabbage, remove outer leaves.
🥬 Rinse under cold water.
🥬 Cut out the core and slice into thin pieces.
🥬 Put in a bowl and pour 1-3 tablespoons of sea salt on it.
🥬 Mash the cabbage in the bowl, use your hands, a muddler or a wooden spoon. (This is the fun part for kids!)
🥬 Once cabbage pieces are almost half the size they were, and you have a good amount of liquid in the bowl, transfer to your fermentation container.
🥬 Add water to cover the cabbage and use weights to keep it below the water level.
🥬 Add dill or anything ...
Did you know that chickens love milk? Whenever our goats knock over a jar while we are milking them, we give the remainder to the chickens as a treat. They go crazy for it. It has a lot of protein, which gives them a boost for winter nutrition, and calcium, which is great for strengthening egg shells. Raw milk is also given to chickens at times to aid with gut disorders because of the beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Plus, our chickens just love it! Anyone else do this?
I have tried uploading this video multiple times, to no avail. I’m not sure what is going on here on Locals, but here is the link to the YouTube version. It’s a compilation of some of our baby goat moments from 2025. Enjoy!
I'm not on any side. But I know cheap race bait when I see it. And I'm simply AMAZED at how politicians keep people falling for the same scam over and over.
Meanwhile, Epstein didn't kill himself and the economy continues to crumble. While the actors in DC get rich.
Racist Cinnabon Worker Beat Maga for 100k Before They Turned on Her - YouTube
