This has been quite the year filled with chaos and change. And everything seems to be in flux still. It’s been a while since I did a formal “year in review” post, and I thought it might be a good thing to do.
1. Me. I had to have a formal headshot done for the campaign. It’s been probably over twenty years since I had a formal photo taken of me, so it seems momentous. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with the outcome.
the formal headshot
2. I Love You. So many to choose from. But I’m going to use the picture my friend took (another for the campaign) with the two who come up and want loving no matter what (or who else might be around).
These two–Popcorn and Pretzel
3. Still Laughing. I have to say, Skittles just makes me laugh with most of the things she does. But the ears going back every time she sees me just cracks me up.
Skittles
4. Winter Wonderland. We didn’t have a winter at all last year, and this year we’ve been all over the place with our weather.
Maybeline in one of our too many snows already this winter.
5. Birthday. I can’t believe my dog is nine. I can’t believe he’s not still a pup.
Sky–my good boy
6. Friends. I have so many friends here on the farm. If Popcorn and Pretzel got to represent everyone for the “I love you” post, Antigone can stand in for everyone for this category.
Antigone
7. I Was Inspired. This is the year I was inspired to jump into politics. It’s something I didn’t think I would ever do, but as I was contemplating it, this owl (symbol of dreams, wisdom, and Athena) sat on the post and let me photograph it. How could I not interpret that as a sign to go for it.
barred owl
8. Spring Fever. I always have babies in mind when it is spring. But it’s also the time I really enjoy walking in pasture and photographing birds. This past spring, I knew it was likely to be my last one owning the farm, and it was.
male Baltimore oriole
9. Travel or Vacation. It’s a rarity when I get to travel. I did take two day trips this past summer. Of course, both involved cemeteries and searching for family. I’m not sure I’ve mentioned that I have fifty-three grandparents buried here in Iowa, and after this summer’s day trips, I’ve visited every single cemetery where they are buried.
John Milleson (1808 – 1877)
10. Summer Days. This summer was all about the patio gardens and watching the hummingbirds. They brought me so much joy, and I hope they come back this coming summer.
11. A Day in My Life. That’s a taste of chaos. Somehow, wrangling animals from one place to another and trying to keep everyone healthy seems to be the daily around here. Last summer was certainly over the top with all the bacterial issues–aborting to the diarrhea. I’m actually hoping for a good long freeze this winter to mitigate some of those problems. But as long as I live here with goats, I’ll have the copper to deal with on a pretty much daily basis.
copper supplies
12. All Smiles. It was all smiles as the family got together this week to celebrate my mother’s 85th birthday with fried chicken and ping pong. And it makes me smile any time I get to see my granddaughter.
Chris and Addilyn
13. Autumn Harvest. This one is another conflicted one because it’s the first time in a lot of years that the crops harvested were not mine. And it is a memorable one with the necessity of the fire department.
14. Family or Home. My gardens this summer really epitomize home to me. But this last year also came to be the time I realized I just can’t stay here on the farm. It’s too much. My house is too much, and I just can’t do all the stairs. So this one is another hard category. I’ve lived here for so many years, and there are so many memories here, but I am trying to figure out where I want to move to and how I can do that with my small herd that remains with me. I obviously can’t make a final decision on location until after the election this fall, so it will be a while yet.
front deck and gardens
15. Celebrate. Retirement. After thirty-two years in education and all the changes and craziness right now, I am very glad to be retiring from education. Of course, there’s lots of uncertainty with that, but I’ll find out next November what the future will bring. I’m adding Tiger’s picture for this one because I adore him, and he’s a rock steady.
He’s so handsome!
16. Let’s Do It Again. I’m not sure there’s a lot from this year that I would want to do again, but this year has certainly been one of change and reflection. I’ve lived the natural cycles of nature–the seasons, watching my goats be born, grow, and helping them leave this word–for so many years that I don’t even know what I’d do if I weren’t to live this farm life. So let’s have another year of babies and watching them grow and inevitably leave the world. It’s just how it is.
Ava and her quadruplets (but no quads!). Dee is the one she’s licking.
17. I Miss You. This one breaks my heart. I actually haven’t lost many of my animal family this year–my handsome peacock and those little kids. But I so terribly miss my goatie girls who left the farm. That one is harder than burying them. Every day I think of at least one, and I miss them so much.
My whole herd last spring
18. Beautiful. Even though I sold my farm this year, I still think that sun setting over Eden Hills is a beautiful sight.
19. Dress up. We don’t play dress up around here much anymore. But mother nature certainly has given us some fancy lately. I will say the Northern Lights are something I could do every night.
20. Macro. I should really spend more time just playing with my camera. I haven’t done that much this year, so I think I’ll go with my favorite flower out in the yard–the mallow with a bee on it.
21. Holidays. Holidays are fun with my post. And I really upped the Halloween decor this year.
The post fully decked out for Halloween.
22. My Favorite. I try not to play favorites (too much) with the animals, so I think I’ll go with the favorite wild critter I got to photograph this year
23. Don’t Ever Change. If there is one lesson from 2025 it is that everything will change–ready or not. But I’m not ready to completely give up this farm life despite my body’s insistence that it’s too much work. I can’t imagine life without my herd and this farm life. I’ll be here for at least another year and a half. After that we’ll see.
24. Just Because…So There. This one is just for fun. While the skunk wasn’t my favorite wild critter this year, it was the only time I’ve gotten to photograph one, so I have to include it here.
25. Hopes and Dreams. Despite it all, I really am optimistic. I have to be. I have five months left in my teaching career. Then there’s five more months of intense campaigning. Then I’ll get to figure out what I’m doing in this next chapter of my life. The hummingbird is a symbol of hope, so it seems appropriate to share it for this one.
hummingbird
Here’s to an amazing 2026 as all of these changes start to sort themselves out into my new reality.
Teresa
Eden Hills 