Crescent Moon Acres LLC

02/14/2026

If you are looking for excellent service and food please head out to Early Bird in Allenton
Best breakfast I have had in years 😍

02/09/2026

I think often we expect epiphanies to come with an almost shock and awe like moment. The reality is, they often come in the simplest of moments, like listening to a podcast while doing dishes.

If you are struggling with hope, if you are fearful, uncertain or just asking questions please listen to this podcast. I have so much yo be hopeful for, this reinforced just how powerful the emotion of hope is, it is like oxygen. Thank you Robyn for sharing this beacon, for being there for ne and knowing exactly what I needed to hear.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6teysthqWDmobj5xOvwhco?si=5fazIYL2TEOl2xrUB8IHHA&t=1613&ct=1613

The Mel Robbins Podcast · Episode

01/24/2026

Oh how miss summer...
I am effort to warm my soul I told Chad to bring in the frozen tomatoes so I can tinker in the kitchen. Going to make pasta sauce, pizza sauce and plain tomato sauce, then can it because who knows how much time I will have this growing season to get stuff done.

Tonight I am making red wine braised beef short ribs for dinner tonight but then tomorrow.... I am looking forward to this, braised cabbage with smoked pork hocks. I attached the recipe below. This frigid weather requires comfort food and this will do the trick. Plus we have an abundance of pork hocks that need to get used up! Add in some roasted potatoes and corn bread and we will be happy.

But first a cup of freshly brewed coffee from Valentine Coffee Roasters in my new raven mug. Yes it is Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, a morbid, grief laden poem but I also think it is a good reminder that we have to actively find happiness in the face of so much challenge. I am slowly starting my raven collection, in indigenous American culture the raven is a symbol of transformation, creation, wisdom, messengers between worlds and yes some trickery. I prefer that view over European culture that views the raven as a dark source of energy, a symbol of death. Wednesday I get to sit in the chair at Maverick Tattoos LLC and the start of my raven tattoo will begin, I am so excited!

Stay warm and safe, revel in the sun that comes with the cold, it's light is so welcomed right now.

https://emilyquickdinners.com/moms-braised-cabbage-recipe/

01/22/2026

Book 3 for this week, my friend Lisa Jurgens recommended Karin Slaughter as she knows my live of a good thriller. So far it is great, so much so that when my hot flashes woke me up at 0345 I decided to read for 90 minutes.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier was a quick read, done in 24 hours so that should tell you it was enjoyable :)

With the horrid cold coming I plan to work at my day job, tinker in the kitchen, pack some stuff and read some more. It is soup weather so if you have any outstanding soup recipes post them! As always book recommendations are welcomed and loved, even though my stack to read is already a bit daunting.

01/11/2026

On to the next book :)
New author for me but yes back to my psychological thrillers. I enjoyed the break from them but like a soft blanket, a good, scary crime book somehow is relaxing.

The recommendation for this came from Twinreadsandreds, my new go to for all book things. They review a wide range of genres and I find their humor very refreshing.

I am also starting to design my bedroom library for the new house. Never in a million years did I think I would like my bedroom to have an anchor wall in black but here I am loving this vibe.

Books, grandchildren and future home that is how I am surviving the world we live in right now. The pictures of the girls below are courtsey of CeCe herself. She took them last night when we went for a visit. I needed to see their beautiful faces to recharge my soul.

01/06/2026

If you are floundering, feeling like something is missing or life doesn't seem to fit together right now, I recommend reading this book.

I have never been a big "self-help" book person but I needed a break from my more normal reading habits and I came across this book. It is no secret that I have been cultivating a life that involves more awareness of my footprint, that I love creating a space that is of my/our doing. I know it sounds cliche to say I want an old fashioned life, but in many ways I do. No, I don't want an outhouse or to have to lug water from a well or stream. I still want modern things but I want my days to be filled with intention and purpose rather than convenience and commercialism.

When we faced the inevitable end of our farm here my heart broke. Knowing that it was the result of cruel actions by others really took the life out of me. This past summer I was the least productive I have been in 8 years. Now some of that is due to our decision as a family to re-center and focus on our new goals but truth be told, I burned out. My heart just wasn't in it. Rarely did I go out and sit with my chickens, I quit caring about the garden, the flower beds, I did very little canning. I was in a funk.

It is funny how when we get to that headspace our response is so often to do less when really our brain and body need us to do more. Idle hands provide no benefit to the feel good brain chemistry that occurs when we are being productive and purposeful. I scold myself for allowing this to happen but the real response needs to be action. So I am planning, researching, designing and dreaming. Not a day goes by where Chad and I don't talk about something that has to do with our homestead build, the new barn, the gardens or the livestock. I close my eyes at night and picture a pasture with cattle, I can hear more than one rooster crowing and see Chad walking the fields with his dog.

Purpose, whether it is old fashioned or new innovation is something our brains crave, our souls demand and in a way the very earth we stand on needs to survive. New Years resolutions have never been my thing but this year we are fostering new LIFE resolutions. It will come with many challenges, likely some failures BUT the work we put in, the dreams we build and the quiet evenings after a hard day will be worth all the effort.

Life doesn't have to be done on a grand scale, it doesn't have to be a move 3.5 hours away. Sometimes it is just a simple change like making your own bread, growing a container pot of lettuce or learning how to crochet. It can be about feeding the wild birds in your yard, volunteering somewhere to give back or even just making sure you say thank you to those who help you during the day. Purpose isn't limited to just crossing off things on a list, it is about reinvesting in yourself and your life.

01/03/2026

My version of a perfect Wisconsin lunch. The heel from a loaf of homemade bread, brick and gouda cheese and a pink lady apple.
Life is good.

I also needed to take a break from my scary book reading, the last one, Su***de Forest" by Jeremy Bates was a doozy. My brain needs some focus and this current book will hopefully provide that. Keeping my brain out of the current events of the world and focusing on our new future is a necessity.

Oh I also designed my next tattoo (for a non-artist, AI is helpful). The books are a nod to my love of reading. There are 4 of them, one for each home we bought together and the 4th book is our forever home. The pines are a representation of our view from the home, the crescent moon a nod to all we have learned on our little farm. The Raven, traditionally they symbolize rebirth, transformation, intelligence and are messengers between two worlds. They happen to be my favorite bird 🖤

12/22/2025

I wrote this in 2022 about the passing of my Grandma. I have been up for 2 hours, her laughter was ringing in my ears when my eyes opened. I have been trying to come up with words to describe what it feels like to still miss her so intensely...I cannot. I do know that she is so proud of each and everyone of us. For me personally, I try to live with her deep sense of empathy and compassion, sometimes I fail but she was a believer in the idea that redemption doesn't come with the uttering of words. It is found in our daily actions, the simple act of just loving one another, even when differences run deep. If you do one thing this holiday season, make it be an act of kindness. Hold the door for someone, tell a service worker thank you for taking care if you, let a person go ahead of you in a check out, leave a big tip, drop off a gift to an unsuspecting neighbor or just smile and tell someone they matter. Life isn't about grand gestures, it is about all the little actions we do that bring smile, laughter and a sense of wholeness into life.

"On December 22, 2013 my Grandma left this earth. She frequently reminds us that she is right by our sides. Her sparkling laughter rings in our ears and warms our souls. She whispers words of encouragement, as soft as a butterfly wings, directly into our hearts, reminding us that we are so blessed to love and be loved.

Our dreams are filled with the smells of freshly baked bread and the hum of her sewing machine, all gentle pushes to get up and create something every day. Our tables fill with food and the chairs fill with people, honoring her teachings that there is always a seat available and a plate that can feed someone.

Though she is gone from our sight, she lives on in all of us, nudging us to be better, be kind, be accepting and to never give up. She exists in the dappled light of a shade tree, the scent that fills the air from the lilacs and that feather that always seems to float down from somewhere. She beats in our hearts and is the twinkle in our eyes, the reason we will suddenly break out in a smile or tackle a new project. She is us and we are her ❤"

12/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19y3463NbE/

11/30/2025

Tyler asked me this morning when I thought I might leave the house again.....
I realized on my way home from picking up my dress for Katie and Jack 's wedding that I have not even put on 1000 miles on my car since August 8th, normally I put on about 30,000 miles a year with my prior commute!

So when will I leave the house again?? Well, looking at the forecast for the next week, probably April. So in the meantime, a nice little bourbon cream coffee while the bread rises and the soup for dinner simmers. I know exactly how lucky I am and am grateful for all I have in my life that allows me to be in the job I am at and the comforts of my home.

11/29/2025

I have slacked in the canning/prepping for winter department. So today with the snow falling and true crime playing in the background I am making beef and chicken stock.
Just look at these "soup bones", they are really beautiful beef shanks. They are roasting at 450 degrees and then will simmer 18 hours. Once done I will pull the beef from the bones and set aside for beef noodle soup. The stock will get canned and then dispersed among our family and is shelf stable for at least 18 months.

You don't get soup bones like this the the grocery store, so find a farmer to buy beef from or hit up your local butcher, ours is Loehr's Meat Service. Quit putting money in the pockets of the big 4 and know exactly where your beef comes from, you won't be sorry.

Oh and peep my new favorite author! Simone St James ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I think this is my favorite book of her's so far!