"As we walked around the pond that sunny morning, we spotted them - near perfect circles, etched into the algae, exposing the brightly lit sandy bottom. Each circle was defended by its gallant protector fish, preparing for spawning season."

This place seems a little bit magical at times. You never know what surprise you'll find when out and about. Whether it's spawning circles or a volunteer apple tree (we found one of those on the same day we spotted the dancing fish), there's always something new to discover.

I suppose that's true about most places, and most things in general, if you can only look at them with fresh eyes. Sometimes we take things for granted, and the magic fades a little, but we can usually find it again, if we make the effort.

Think about the things that your friends and loved ones do that bring a smile to your face - like remembering which fork you like to use (yes, I have a favorite fork), or holding your hand, or simply listening when you need to be heard.

Walk (or drive) around your neighborhood (or area) and look for places that you haven't visited before. Spend time with young children. They provide the fresh eyes when yours are too tired.

Read a good book - printed on paper, preferably. The tactile experience of reading an actual print book helps us to retain the knowledge better, and I believe it creates a richer experience overall. I know my favorite books always gift me with a bit of something new to learn from them each time I read them again.

My task for you this week - find those fresh eyes and use them to remember the magic in your life. Then share the good with others.

One of the most important keys to resilience is being able to have a positive mindset, especially when things don't go as planned.

All our best to you and yours,

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

This week's featured articles...

The young garlic plants are chugging along in the garden, in spite of the mercurial weather. Garlic is one of those crops we always plant, because it is low maintenance and reliable (and tasty). Of course, storage is an important part of staying stocked with homegrown garlic year round. Whether you want to stash your own bulbs or purchased bulbs, we share how to store garlic several different ways to keep it fresh and flavorful.

A friend of mine was telling a story recently about how she accidentally made a rhubarb custard pie from a plant she found on their old farmstead - that turned out not to be rhubarb.

While it is edible, and can even be tasty if cooked correctly, burdock is not a good choice for rhubarb pie. We share how to identify burdock, and how to use it the right way. Now's a good time to dig the roots - before the plants put up their flower stalks. A combination of burdock root and dandelion root is excellent for detoxifying.

We had some bananas that were about to go south on the counter, so Duncan whipped up some banana bread this week. I love this recipe. It's easy and never dry.

If you haven't grabbed it already, and are in an area affected by these storms, make sure to grab your free printable tornado prep checklist. There have been a lot of bad storms already this year, and it doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon.

With pest season shifting into high gear, you may want to check out these safe and natural ways to use medicinal herbs and oils for your livestock and pets from my friend, Heidi.