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

  • Herd of Turtles

    “The best education does not happen at a desk, but rather engaged in everyday living – hands-on, exploring, in active relationship with life.” -Vince Gowman Do your kids ever ask for things? Not something small like a toy or a… Continue reading

  • Wild Foraging

    “Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mold myself?” Henry David Thoreau Foraging is an ancient practice of gathering wild plants, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fungi for food and medicine. Too few… Continue reading

  • So, you want to Homestead….

    “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” – Confucius This quote embodies my thoughts on homesteading. Many people are overwhelmed by the thought of homesteading and all the work and investments of… Continue reading

  • Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile)

    “Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” A.A. Milne Identification: Pineapple weed, also known as wild chamomile, and disc mayweed, is an annual plant that freely re-seeds itself. Green-yellow cone-shaped flowerheads with no petals appear from March… Continue reading

  • Knowledge is Power

    “Reading brings knowledge and knowledge is power; therefore reading is power. The power to know and learn and understand . . . but also the power to dream. Stories inspire us to reach high, love deep, change the world and… Continue reading

  • Intro to Goat Keeping

    “Success requires sacrifice; if it were easy, everyone would achieve it.” Martin Luther King Jr The only way you can keep goats is if you love them; and if you love them, you will likely keep them even if you… Continue reading

  • In the Brambles

    “Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling… Continue reading

  • Goat Kisses

    “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”  – Samuel Johnson  It has been a hot minute since I wrote a blog post because I am in the midst of what goat people know as kidding season. Those… Continue reading

  • Don’t Throw Marshmallows

    “Learning can only happen when a child is interested. If he’s not interested, it’s like throwing marshmallows at his head and calling it eating.” Katrina Gutleben My twins are only 4 years old but that doesn’t mean we haven’t started… Continue reading

  • How do I do it all?

    “Sometimes I can feel my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living.” Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close This quote has always resonated deep within my soul because I have this zest for… Continue reading

Latest Posts

  • The Footprints of the Forager: An Introduction to Plantain

    “Nature is a first-aid kit, and the world is a garden; we need only to look down to find the remedy.” **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 a type of…

  • Clever Cleavers: Nature’s Velcro

    “Whoever drinks cleaver water for nine weeks shall be so beautiful, everyone will fall in love with them.” — Ancient Welsh Folk Belief **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 a…

  • The Elusive Morel: The Ultimate Treasure Hunt

    “Hobbits have a passion for mushrooms, surpassing even the greediest likings of Big People.” The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien **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 a type of expanding…

  • Pineapple Weed: The Trampled Tropics

    “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” — Confucius **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 a type of expanding detail feature for some things (particularly all the recipes) to…

  • Purple Dead Nettle: Purple Powerhouse

    “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Luke 12:27 **Before proceeding with this article, please note that these articles in my foraging for food and medicine series are very in depth and therefore…

  • Unschooling: Farmstead Style

    If you have been wondering where I’ve been the last three weeks, it is goat kidding season here on the farm which means a chaotic whirlwind of waddling goats finally releasing their long-held hostages in a flurry of grunts, calls, and slimy afterbirth. It often means late nights and early mornings, and sometimes hardly any…

  • Chickweed: The Forager’s Winter Star

    “He who seeks the mind of the Creator in the little things of the earth shall find a wisdom that the world cannot give.” — In the spirit of George Washington Carver **Before proceeding with this article, please note that these articles in my foraging for food and medicine series are very in depth and…

  • Dandelions: Not a Weed – A Forager’s and Homesteader’s Treasure!

    “Why doesn’t constant trampling defeat the dandelion? The key to its strength is its long and sturdy root, which extends deep into the earth. The same principle applies to people. The true victors in life are those who, enduring repeated challenges and setbacks, have sent the roots of their being to such a depth that…

  • The Beautiful Mess and The Potter’s Hands

    “Whether it’s pottery or life, it takes more than one attempt for them to come out right. And all that effort makes the end product more valuable, too.” — Yeon Somin Teaching five-year-olds on a pottery wheel is a sensory-rich experience. The goal isn’t to produce a perfect vessel; it’s about exploration, cause-and-effect, and fine…

  • A Winter Wonderland of Wildlife Tracks

    “The tracks we find in the snow are more than just footprints; they are the signatures of the Creator, proving that even in the deepest winter, His world is vibrantly alive and perfectly sustained.” Winter weather often makes us want to get the necessary outside chores done as quickly as possible in order to cuddle…

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