Ashley English's Blog, page 12

Barnheart (+Giveaway!!!)

Ever had something you long for? Something you pine for so deeply it aches? An itch you just can't seem to scratch, no matter how hard you try? My buddy Jenna had that particular affliction something fierce. She had a desire so strong, a yearning so profound that she called it a disease, seemingly without cure. "Barnheart" was what she had, and a farm of her own was what she wanted.

In her new

What I'm Digging

Hi friends! Happy Friday! We had a pretty great week, chez English, save for Wednesday night when Huxley poked his finger directly into my right eye and I thought a trip to the E.R. was imminent (oof!). Otherwise, this week was an especially fantastic one, as I got to view and edit the unbound copy of my new book. Oh, man. It far surpassed my expectations. You're going to love it. Details are

Recent Acquisitions

Very excited with some new reading material that arrived in today's mail!

Cold Comfort

Oh. Wow. It's cold here. Very, very cold. Low-temperature-with-the-wind-chill cold. The sort of cold that allows me to not have to go in for jury duty on account of icy roads. Snuggle up next to the wood stove cold. 
While we can pile on layers and fire up the tea kettle, the chickens, meanwhile, can't do much more than squawk in complaint and fluff up their feathers in protest. You, however, can

Blood, Sweat and Years

The new year holds some exciting writing projects in store for me. I'll have a column in a debut quarterly magazine that is, for now, top secret. I can't even begin to tell you how pumped I am about it. Sorry to be so mysterious, but, trust me, it'll be worth the wait. Look for more details this spring...

I'm also penning a monthly column, titled "English Lessons" (trust me, I'm aware of just

What I'm Digging

Happy Friday, friends! I'm still battling my head cold, 'tho I think it's finally giving up the ghost. Thank for sharing all of your go-to cold-fighting tips!
Here's a smattering of things that got me jazzed up, amped up, and otherwise intrigued this past week: *This British documentary film about sustainable farming for the future is so captivating.  *Stingless honeybees considered sacred in

Talkin' Trash

Out here in the country, we don't have regular curbside trash service. Well, let me clarify that. There is a trash service, but you have to pay for it. Since we live one mile down a dirt road, by the time we haul our garbage and recycleables into the back of the Outback and down to the curb we figured we might as well just keep driving, skip the removal fee,  and take them to what's known as the

Check Your Head (Cold)

Hi friends! I hope your holiday weekend was filled with everyone and everything that you love. Ours certainly was. We stopped by our favorite children's consignment store on Friday and picked up a few things for Huxley, including a wooden stove (with cabinets! for squirreling things away in!), a wooden rocking horse, a wooden tool box, a wooden puzzle, and some great clothes on clearance. Along

What I'm Digging

It's finally here, friends! Solstice was yesterday (we took a walk in our forest to celebrate) and Christmas is in two days! Baking has been full-throttle, packages have been wrapped and shipped, and plans for a holiday feast are in full swing.

Here's a smattering of things that grabbed my attention, piqued my interest, and tantalized my taste buds this week:

*Gorgeous and inspiring

Sweet Surrender

Oh, my. These past few days have been a flurry of dinner party-noshing, birthday party merry-making, cookie-baking, gift-packaging and baby-chasing. We're finally starting to wind down, looking forward to a quiet, slow solstice walk in our forest tomorrow (if the rain stays away) and then a hearty Christmas dinner with friends and family on Sunday.

We're doing things on a small scale,