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

  • 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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