Returning to my roots has been on my heart for a long time. Radiant is defined as sending out light; shining or glowing brightly. My vision for this page is to share my journey through homesteading, homeschooling, farming and faith. I hope my journey can be a shining light to help others find their way back to their roots.

“Go back to your books, to your armchair. Plant your trees, watch them grow. If more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place.”

— Thorin Oakenshield – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

  • Dairy Cow vs. Dairy Goats: Which is Right for your Homestead?

    “You don’t have to do it all. Just do what fits your land, your hands, and your heart.” If you’ve ever found yourself daydreaming over a glass of fresh milk about whether to bring home a dairy cow or a… Continue reading

  • Roots of Healing: Rediscovering Herbal Wisdom

    “The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them.” -Ecclesiasticus 38:4 (KJV Apocrypha) Modern medicine hasn’t really been around that long when compared to the entirety of human history. Medicine has… Continue reading

  • Planted in the Chaos

    “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” -Christine Caine It’s been quiet here on the blog for a bit – not for lack of things happening, but because life piled… Continue reading

  • 5 Wild Edibles You Can Forage in Your Backyard

    “No barefooted, tree climbing, frog holding, mud pie baking, cloud spotting, puddle stomping, bird calling, wild foraging, moon gazing, firefly chasing, fort building, creek following, rock hunting moment with Mother Nature is ever wasted. “ ~Nicolette Sowder When most people… Continue reading

  • Dough It Yourself: Make Homemade Sourdough Work For You

    “The best loaves are shaped by hand and heart.” -Traditional Proverb Are you too intimidated by sourdough to give it a go? Trust me, I completely understand. I put it off for a long time because it just seemed like… Continue reading

  • Fresh Milk to Silky Suds: Everything You Need To Know To Get Started Making Goat’s Milk Soap

    “Soap is to the body what laughter is to the soul.” – Yiddish Proverb Let me start by saying that all soap is made with lye. Any “soap” not made with lye at some point is, in truth, a synthetic… Continue reading

  • Making an Impact

    “Life is about making an impact, not making an income.” Kevin Kruse The world tells us to measure success in dollar signs. From the time we are young, we are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow… Continue reading

  • Journey Into the Unknown

     “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings We all… Continue reading

  • The Seeds That Endure

    “Love leaves a legacy. The way you treated other people, not your wealth or accomplishments, is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth.” ~ Rick Warren When I look back on my childhood, I don’t remember what we… Continue reading

  • Farming the Hard Way

    There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” Aldo Leopold I recently posted on Facebook about our… Continue reading

Latest Posts

  • Chickens vs. Guineas vs. Quail: A Homestead Poultry Comparison

    “Every farm has its own rhythm; the right bird is simply the one that sings in tune with yours.” If you’re looking to expand your homestead flock beyond standard backyard layers—or deciding where to start—it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options. Chickens are the universal default, but guineas and quail offer unique options that…

  • 8 Homeschool Favorites + An Easy Hours Log That Works No Matter How Chaotic Life Gets

    “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” — O. Fred Donaldson If you’ve ever looked at unending curriculum options and complex homeschool tracking systems and felt instantly overwhelmed, welcome to the club. I am not naturally built for rigid schedules, color-coded binders, or complicated homeschool planners. Between farm…

  • DIY Yarrow & Plantain Salve: A Hands-On Homestead Project for Kids (and Adults)

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” — Benjamin Franklin If you spend any amount of time working with your hands—whether that’s tending livestock, gardening, wrangling energetic kids, or just living life outdoors—scrapes, bug bites/stings, minor burns, and dry skin are daily occurrences. A few days ago,…

  • Splintered Fragments: From Bookworm to Book Dragon

    We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming ‘sub-creator’ and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew…

  • Favorite Foraged Flavors: 3 Ozark Native Plants Ready to Harvest Right Now

    “Late summer is a secret season, a time of harvest without planting, where wild branches yield what no gardener ever sowed.” — Hal Borland **Before proceeding with this article, please note that these articles in my foraging for food and medicine series are very in depth and therefore can get a bit lengthy. I utilize…

  • From Survival to Spreadsheets: Finding My Spoons Again

    “Motherhood is a constant process of letting go—including letting go of the expectation that you should feel like yourself overnight.” I never thought I had postpartum depression. There were no crying spells on the nursery floor, no terrifying anxiety, and none of the overwhelming symptoms that medical professionals ask about at your six-week checkup. I…

  • Bearing the Ten-Ton Burden: Why Community is so Important

    “The reason most people think that something cannot be done is because they know that they can’t do it by themselves.” — Herman Ostry We’ve all been there. You’re staring at a massive, seemingly insurmountable problem on your land, and the quote you got to fix it makes your stomach twist into knots. For Herman…

  • Foraging Wild Bergamot: How to Identify, Harvest, and Create with Monarda

    “Still, everywhere flowers are blooming in the sun. Bees in the bee balm buzz and hum… these flowers will be here when we’re gone.” ~Rachel Hadas, “Zoom and Zoom” **Before proceeding with this article, please note that these articles in my foraging for food and medicine series are very in depth and therefore can get…

  • Wild Yarrow: History, Healing, and Hunting This Ancient Herb

    “I will pluck the yarrow fair, That more brave shall be my hand, That more warm shall be my lips, That more swift shall be my foot. May I an island be at sea, May I a rock be on land.” — Ancient Gaelic Charm, Carmina Gadelica **Before proceeding with this article, please note that…

  • Wild Foraging for Clay: Reclaiming the Ancient Art of Pottery (No Kiln Required)

    “Foraging isn’t just about what grows out of the soil—sometimes it’s about the deep history waiting right beneath our feet.” Foragers are trained to keep our eyes on the landscape. We watch the seasons shift, looking up at the trees or down at the green things growing along the fence lines. We look at dandelions,…

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