I am still a novice when it comes to vegetable gardening but after several years working in a garden center I have picked up on the basics. Last year I started my own raised bed garden and grew tomatoes and lettuce and had an unfortunate go ‘round with deer and bell peppers. In any case, I did gain additional knowledge, the most important, be aware of the space you have.

I have sat down several times over the past week to work on this blog and every single time I’ve come up empty. I’m not sure what to say or share, I’m not sure what I do have to say matters or that it will be heard. Then, last night, I was reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic and came across this simple sentence. “Just say what you want to say, then, and say it with all your heart.” Here is what I want to say…

While the events of the past couple of years have not left me unscathed, I believed that I was weathering the storm pretty well. The introvert in me loves being alone and quite frankly, I don't enjoy the mall and stores as much as I use to. I've spent a lot of time working on my photography and other projects but in the process, I have put something important on the back burner...my health. 

Hello friends! As we begin to wind down the first month of the year, I wanted to take the opportunity to reach out and get to know you a little. One of my big dreams this year is to begin creating a community built around gratitude, creativity, and a love for nature.

Welcome to 2022! I don’t know about you, but I am flying into this new year with more joy and excitement than I can ever remember, and I believe that it’s due to one simple practice…gratitude.

Welcome to December!! In celebration of these last 31 days of 2021, I’m challenging myself to finish this year differently.

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies…

…those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”

-John Milton

If I came with care instructions it would say: Operates best in open spaces.

Every morning I watch her walk by on the bike path that runs alongside our house. A few moments after she passes, I hear Dozer, located on the other end of the house, begin to bark. It is just a small piece of the beautiful puzzle that has become my morning routine.

According to Dictionary.com, a goal is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed. My problem was not my goals. My problem was me, and it is my hope that these lessons might help you bypass some of the pitfalls that I realize I have fell into.

I am a gratitude girl. I love the outdoors and nature and the smell of dirt. I have a passion for photography and simplicity. That is what Fence Row Living is about and for; a place where I plan to share my journey in the hopes of helping you find your path to a life of simple, heart-felt joy.

2020 was the year that I cleaned up my inner closet. Several times I opened the door only to slam it shut and run away.