It's Been A Long December...

I have that Counting Crows song in my head "it's been a long December and there's reason to believe, that maybe this year will be better than the last."  It's capturing my mood perfectly these days because I tell you what, it's been a long December around these parts.

When we first decided to do Christmas Lights, I had misgivings (see previous blog post), mostly about the amount of time it was going to take to get it up and I didn't want to miss out on family time around the holiday.  Had I known how much blood, sweat, and tears it was going to take I'd have definitely put my foot down and no amount of persuasion would have been able to talk me into it.  It was hard, really hard.  The weather wasn't awesome on the weekends in November, we were trying to keep overhead as low as possible in case this wasn't a hit, and we ended up doing an insane mad dash scramble just to get the props up...and then since we've opened we've had light problems, wiring problems, generator problems, radio problems (if I never see another radio it will be too soon), weather problems (remember that rogue windstorm last week?  It blew down half our props and now it's going to rain most of this week)...it's just been one thing after another every week.  Then factor in the customers...maybe that's our fault.  We decided to do it too late and weren't able to get the word out.  Maybe people don't really understand what we're trying to do out here.  Maybe they don't want to walk (it's not far I swear!).  Maybe it's just too busy of a season for us to try to do anything.  Maybe we're just burned out from the fall and the craziness that entails.  Maybe our heart's just not in it (more about that in the ensuing paragraphs), I'm not sure.  We've had some steady nights and we know it's going to take time for us to build up a customer base, but it's not been busy.  So if you're looking a light display show without a wait, come see us (of course, it looks like tonight might be our last night open, since the forecast is for rain the rest of the week)!

Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

It's amazing how much Christmas lights will do in a cornfield.

Even the tractor got a little bling!

Another tough pill to swallow this year, we will not have a 2016 strawberry crop.  I know, I know, I hate it more than you know (even though I like to gripe about how much work they are).  It's like a part of our farm is missing.  I can't tell you how sad I am about it.  We tried to plant, we went and got all the materials, and then it rained, and rained, and rained, and so by the time it dried out enough to plant, we were almost a month behind planting (not to mention in the middle of the corn maze season and slam busy) and then The Husband got busy traveling around handling claims with his job (he works a lot in SC, where they had 30 inches of rain in a weekend) and when he wasn't busy, it rained again.  So we were a month and a half behind and every forecast I saw said it was going to be cold and wet.  We could push the plants if it was going to be a warmer winter, but if it's going to be cold, we found out last year, there's not any pushing you can do.  So instead of starting the season already behind and trying to run and play catch-up all winter and spring, we decided to lay out a year and plant again next fall.  We might be down, but don't count us out.  We will have a crop in 2017.

As if the business issues weren't enough, we've been through the ringer in our own family too.  I don't like to talk a lot about our personal lives here, because I feel like you're reading to learn about the farm not my life, but just this once, indulge me.  The first full week of December we were all sick with different things, viruses, colds, diverticulitis flare ups.  Then my 92 year old grandfather got sick and ended up in the hospital.  Three days later, last Sunday the 13th, he passed away.

I cannot quantify how much that man meant to me.  He was the rock of our family, the sun we all orbited around, and for me especially (I think maybe I didn't even realize how much until he was gone).  My parents were divorced and I have never been close to my father, something that has only grown worse since I've gotten older and had my own children (I like to live a drama-free life as much as humanly possible, and with my step-mother in the picture that's impossible).  I have a step-dad I love and who loves me, but he's not been the constant figure my granddaddy was.  Donald Herring was the person I measured all others by.  After my mama, he was the one who's opinion mattered the most, the one who loved me completely and unconditionally.  He was my role model and the best man I know or ever will know I think, though my Uncle Pat is a close second.  Now that he is gone, everything will change.  My grandmother has gone to live at Brookdale (what used to be The Pines) because she is unable to live alone (though so far she's doing well, a small blessing), when I have questions about things I can't ask my granddaddy anymore, my kids will never appreciate what an amazing person he was (I know I can tell them, but I've learned with trying to explain my sister to them that there are things they'll just never know.  The Boy will somewhat, but The Girl will not remember him much if at all).  Change is scary.  I know from losing my sister that our family will heal (as best you can) and it will not always be this way, but for right now we're hurting.

My grandparents taken the day before their 71st wedding anniversary last month

The Girl and her Grandpapa taken summer before last.

The Boy and Grandpapa, taken in 2010

So now that I've got you good and thoroughly depressed...

I can't end on a bad note.  Someone told me at the funeral my grandparents were strong people, both 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' kind of people.  I agreed, and I hope that I've inherited some of that mentality.  I've had some pretty dark times in my life, and I have to say even though I'm sad and life will be harder for a time, this is not the darkest time I've ever experienced.  I have two beautiful healthy kids and a job I love and a family and community who is amazing, my cup runneth over.  Tomorrow is another day, 2016 is another year, the CSA sign ups are approaching and I'm excited to see what this spring will hold for our farm without strawberries.  We're exploring field trip and weekend event ideas, and it's going to be great.  So from my family to yours, please accept our heartfelt Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and lets celebrate being here to celebrate it!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like...Christmas?

It’s no secret that I (we) think Mike’s Farm is the I-Ching.  I’m not trying to really promote another farm, but they really have it all.  When you go there, it’s got a down home feel (plus, the restaurant doesn’t hurt.  If you have not eaten there, you NEED to eat there.  It’s fantastic and worth whatever wait time they have to go.  For years I went without having discovered the perfection that is their restaurant, until my friend Lindsey insisted we go and now I have her to thank for my obsession.  Thanks Linds!).  Anyway, so when we plan out our farm, that’s kind of the ultimate goal we have in mind (except for the restaurant.  I can appreciate it, but the idea of having to run it kind of freaks me out. I know we can hire people to do that and whatever but I’m not ready to entertain that yet).  This year, it seems The Husband has managed to somehow talk me into saying yes to Christmas Lights.

First, let me tell you why I am against it.  Number one, by the end of October I am kind of over the farm.  Don’t get me wrong I love my job and I love my customers, but I usually reach a point in October (generally after not having time to do anything but eat, sleep, and be at the farm) where I am burned out and need a break.  It’s been a long hot year starting in April and this year has been even more difficult since he’s not been around as much to help.  I need some time to recharge and get excited about doing this again, and that’s usually not until after Christmas when I start thinking about the upcoming CSA program.  Number two, Christmas is stressful enough (not for him mind you, because I don’t have one of those progressive men who help his wife in every-thing she does.  I have another phrase for it but since this is PG I won’t say it but let’s just say apparently those women possess something golden which I do not have, therefore I get stuck planning and buying and cooking and wrapping all on my own), without adding a Christmas Light circus to it.  Between shopping (and more importantly in my case, figuring out what to shop for since I am not an expert gift giver.  I’m an expert gift-card giver), and family events (my parents are divorced, and I’m not close to my bio-dad, therefore any family event on his side is complicated), and parties and church events…I’m tired just writing that.  My anxiety level just thinking about it goes to 10.  Finally, number three, the weather.  It’s typically raining in December.  The year I had The Girl it rained every weekend, I remember, because I told The Husband I was glad we weren’t doing Christmas Lights because we’d have been in trouble.  Plus you add the strongest El Nino event on record to that mix and it’s like a perfect storm (pun intended).  

Now I can tell you why I’m for it.  Number one, (and I know this sounds hokey) but to me, Christmas is magic.  There’s something about going to see lights on a crisp starry night, there’s something about seeing the colored lights twinkle in the darkness (when I was a little girl my mom always made the best fudge in the world [still does, it’s on the back of the marshmellow crème can and I can never get mine to be that good] and I’d get up before she did, get a piece, and lay under the Christmas tree staring at the lights), and there’s something about seeing your kids light up when they see all the wonder that Christmas brings.  Number two, our customers seem excited about it.  I was amazed by the response I got when I posed the question on Facebook.  Usually when I run ideas by the customers I get a few likes, a few responses.  I wasn’t prepared for 100+ and the wonderful ideas in the comments section.  Number three, The Husbands will can be a force of nature and if he wants it then by God he’s going to make it happen. 

Based on that, we feel like if we build it you will come, so I guess we’re going to build it.  The plan is to make a walking trail in the corn maze, widen out the paths and put some sort of lights or illumination to mark them, then place different scenes along the way.  At the end of the trail, the tractor’ll pick everyone up and bring them back here.  We might sell some trees, but I think the hot chocolate, s’mores, cookie thing will definitely be happening.  The only thing really holding us back now is time and weather.  All we have to do now is cross our fingers and pray the rain comes on the week days and we manage to get it all done before we open, which is probably going to determine when we open.  Though, I do have to say, writing this post has got me a little excited about it…(just don’t tell The Husband.  I’m using this as leverage to make up for the golden thing I do not have and making him shop with me J).

Freshly Untangled Lights

The girls had a little too much fun testing these lights

Trying to fix the broken strands, AND only 2 out of 4 got shocked!