"Look at that! How did that get there?" My husband was pointing to a Grandpa Ott's morning glory flower, which had planted itself at the base of an autumberry bush, that had planted itself in the raised beds that made up the retaining walls near our front door.

Nary a sprinkle of rain had fallen in some days, and the bed was filled with gravel and a thin topping of soil, but that volunteer flower was tenaciously clinging to that volunteer plant like it was climbing up the finest trellis in a pampered garden bed. Nature finds a way.

Every year that passes on our homestead brings surprises. We don't keep the place immaculately groomed, so domesticated plants sometimes escape their original planting areas, and the wild ones shift and change depending on conditions.

I had been growing morning glories in a planter near the front door, but didn't expect them to wander over to the retaining wall beds, especially given how poor the soil is and how dry it's been. Nearby, the drought tolerant flowers we put in the beds on purpose escaped and planted themselves in the gravel in front of the garage. It's a bit shaggy, but pretty.

August's brother and a close friend (Gregg) were over today working on the solar system again. After they finished, we were talking around the kitchen table, and Gregg kept looking at something outside. Finally, he asked, "What is that? It looks like a pumpkin, but it's in mid-air."

As it turns out, it was a pumpkin - in mid-air. We had a couple of volunteer pumpkin plants show up near the trellises south of the greenhouse, so we trained them up and across the trellises. We added some reinforcement to the vines (the waistbands from old sweatpants) and now we have what we call our "sky pumpkins".

Last week I was weeding near the sweet potatoes, where it had gotten overgrown. (I skipped mulching - bad idea.) In the middle of the plants I didn't want, there was a volunteer ground cherry plant with a number of ripe fruits.

Sometimes the best parts of a homestead aren’t the ones we planned. Seeds quietly take root and remind us that life has its own rhythm. Nature doesn’t worry about perfect timing — it simply grows where it can. If we slow down and look, we’ll see that grace often appears unannounced, blooming right where we are.

Remember:

• Not everything needs planning. Some blessings simply appear when conditions are right.
• Welcome the unexpected. A volunteer tomato or squash (or a new opportunity) can be a gift, not a nuisance.
• Look for patterns of grace. Nature fills empty spaces — a reminder that life wants to thrive.
• Shift from scarcity to trust. When you nurture your surroundings, life responds with more than you imagined.
• Celebrate the surprises. Every unplanned bloom or friendship is proof that abundance happens naturally.

Notice one “volunteer” blessing this week — in your garden, your home, or your life — and give thanks for it.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

P.S. - Duncan started massage school this week, so my "partner in crime" is missing a couple days a week. He's finding that his homeschooled background has placed him in a good position to continue to build his knowledge. I'll let you know when they're ready to release him for clinic duty and he can work on clients as part of his schooling.

This week's featured articles...

Apple season is rocking along. We cleared another tree this weekend, and the guys fired up the apple press to make cider. Apple jelly is another really easy recipe to make, because you don't need apple pectin - just apples and sweetener.

If you'd like a recipe with big chunks of apples, try these brandied cinnamon apple preserves.

With cooler weather finally moving in, baking is a lot more pleasant. This easy banana bread recipe is quick to mix, and uses a bit of natural kitchen chemistry to help it stay moist.

It almost seems crazy to be talking about winter when we've had temps in the 80s, but it is October, and it's coming. While long range forecasts are iffy at best, Accuweather, NOAA, and The Farmer's Almanac all suggest that the northern tier — especially the Great Lakes, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest — will see above-normal storm activity, particularly in the form of snow.

If it's anything like last winter (here in northeast Wisconsin), we'll start mild, and then the snow will settle in and refuse to quit.

We've put together a Winter Preparedness Checklist to help get things in order - before the bustle of the holiday season and the bitter cold and snow.

Fall Prime Days are coming up Tuesday, October 7, and Wednesday, October 8, 2025 on Amazon. If you start your shopping via our Common Sense Home storefront, we earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you. Thank you.