About Me

Hi! I’m Christine… the country girl turned city mom. And welcome to Once Upon a Time in a Bed of Wildflowers.

This is my space to talk about what I am doing, and why I am doing it. I may also talk about how I am screwing it up.

I grew up in the middle of an apple orchard. My husband grew up in a town with more cows than people—a lot more cows than people… nevertheless, we are making our home on 1/10 of an acre in the middle of a city.

Our “livestock” consists of a Golden Retriever and one very mean Cat. And two wonderful children—a Boy, age 9, and a five-year-old Pixie.

It is my dearest hope to have chickens one day… yes, we can have chickens in the city. Three to be exact.

We have a leggy cherry tree… though it has so far produced seven blossoms—ever—and no fruit. We have blueberry bushes that seem disinclined to grow. We have tomatoes in the summer. And we have mint that is taking over the back yard.

I’m a lawyer turned stay-at-home mom, writer, blogger, and sometimes photographer.

I see my life right now as a journey… trying to learn, or possibly relearn, things my great-grandmother would have just known. Cooking from scratch, canning and preserving, cleaning without chemicals, finding the rhythm in the seasons and dancing with it.

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t even have all the questions.

So… what are you likely to find here?

Real Food Recipes. I only rarely use processed or packaged foods—and, even then, only when I have an extraordinarily good reason. I shun white flour, sugar, and anything artificial. I loathe food dye, MSG, “natural” flavors, and GMOs. I love butter, wine, and honey. I cook with venison my husband shot himself, and I buy meat raised in pastures just outside the city and fruits and vegetables from farms I grew up near. With obvious and glaring exceptions, we eat locally and seasonally.

Posts on natural living… natural remedies, natural cleaning, a sustainable lifestyle. Basically ways to love and support Mother Earth. I’m a Witch… so taking care of the Earth is more than just a nice thing to do; it’s part of my religion.

 Crafts. Maybe. If you are looking for a blog to teach you how make legwarmers in ten minutes, how to “upcycle” an old t-shirt into something sexy, how to organize your closet or your pantry, or how to make cupcakes with little kitty faces on them… this is not that blog. I might, however, tell you how I tried to do those things… and the resulting—hilarious—disaster. This blog, after all, is here for your entertainment!

Posts about Raising Humans—which is harder than it looks!

Books. Lots and lots of BOOKS!

And the occasional political rant thrown in just for fun.

So… grab a cup of coffee—or better yet wine—and let’s hang out!