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VG-R Rob, Kirstin & Oscar!
Grandpa Duke
Grief, vaccines, and new life

Grief, vaccines, and new life

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | April 30, 2021

April has been a hard month, with both new life and loss. Less than a year after Kirstin’s Grandma Beverly died, her Grandpa Duke passed away. A man of great kindness, generosity, patience, joy, and faith, Grandpa Duke was a huge influence in both our lives. He was one of those people who was always …

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Making black walnut syrup
Syrup, garlic, and a goodbye

Syrup, garlic, and a goodbye

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | March 31, 2021

In late February, the sap started running which means: syrup time! Our friends Dan and Margaret are conducting an experiment tapping black walnut trees on the Huss Project property that we all help tend. Most folks tap sugar maples for their high sugar content, but we recently learned that black walnuts make excellent syrup as …

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Letter from a friend
Letters, winter, and sourdough

Letters, winter, and sourdough

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | February 28, 2021

This winter, though stressful when it comes to national news, has actually been quite pleasant at home. One of the delights has been receiving letters from our three-year-old friend, Mira. With her mom’s help, she writes a letter a day, complete with drawings and stickers. We love it, and can’t wait to hang out with …

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Making applesauce!
Standing for peace, building community in a new year

Standing for peace, building community in a new year

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | January 31, 2021

We kicked off the new year with our very important tradition: Belgian waffles! Usually we’d have a big crew around our kitchen table for brunch and even though all that is on hold because the pandemic, we still enjoyed a sweet breakfast with our friend Willard’s maple syrup. While we were still off work, we …

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Walk in the woods
Advent, Christmas, 20th Anniversary

Advent, Christmas, 20th Anniversary

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | December 31, 2020

As 2020 comes to a close, a lot of folks are talking about what a disaster this year has been. We’re keenly aware of how many families around the world are grieving the loss of loved ones due to COVID, still suffering under the weight of systemic racism, and wondering how to pay the bills, …

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Tree of Life pond
Campfires and altered traditions

Campfires and altered traditions

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | November 30, 2020

The first week of November was our second week on retreat. It was nice to be in a quiet place away from the Internet during a contentious election week, but also a bit hard to be disconnected from the news. We enjoyed many early evening campfires and sunsets out by the pond. The weather ended …

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Recent Posts

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  • Grief and gratitude
  • Happy Mother’s Day!
  • Introducing Oscar Lewis!
  • Farmer’s Market, a birthday celebration, and a new kitten

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