You know how frustrating it can be when you’re exhausted and you finally get to lay your head on the pillow at night and then that thought comes in, “I didn’t get anything done today.”? It’s an awful feeling. And then the next thought is, and “When I wake up I’m going to have to repeat all those things again.” It’s not very satisfying and it can be totally overwhelming.  Well, I’m going to tell you about how farm life inspired us to try a different way of approaching work. Greg and I will...

Every couple needs a "we" or a third thing—a focal point that exists not solely within one individual but rather something shared between them. Something cherished mutually, binding them together. There is an article by American poet Donald Hall, that left a lasting impression on me. The article is called “The Third Thing.” In it, Hall and his wife Jane Kenyon, also a poet, moved to a rustic farm in Vermont with a pond. The pond magnetized them and created a unit of belonging. It, and the...

This season, we've set out to capture and celebrate ordinary moments in our lives on the farm.  Because even the little things like the basics and the mundane are important.  They can be lessons on how to live well and,  in their simplicity or maybe because of it, they can form significant touchstones in our lives. In this episode, I’m going to tell you all about our little frog family.  And Greg and I are going to talk about our bonds with them.  We are going to marvel at how much such a...

It turns out that we humans are terrible at estimating the value of the present. There is a study I just read by Harvard researchers. They found that as time goes on, we regret how easily we let moments go.  So, maybe the question, “What’s next?”  doesn’t need to be answered by moving or with a new big adventure or project.  What if we decided to stop underestimating the value of the present in our own lives and started figuring out how to capture and learn from those ordinary moments that...

This is the last episode of season 2. In this episode, I dive into the question, why do I write this podcast? What does reflection of this kind mean to me and others? And when the magic seems dimmed, how can we get it back? I talk to Laura Davis, author, writing teacher and retreat leader about the act of writing and its healing potential especially when it’s shared with others. Greg and I reflect on the podcast season and our farm life. And you won’t want to miss this—while at the beach...

Humans are no different than guanacos or sheep or any other animal that finds comfort in the presence of others. We rely on each other for help and support, warmth and protection. But as humans, sometimes it’s difficult to ask for help and support. In this episode, we dive into the question: “Why is it so hard to connect with others and create a sense of community?” I share the beginnings of what may become a vibrant fiber producers guild, and introduce you to my partner in this endeavor,...

Sometimes the best things in life are about the process, not the product. Working with your hands vs. working with your mind. In this episode, I sit down with several spinners to understand their motivation and love for the art. In this episode, I’m telling you about how I ditched a product-led, checklist kind of life, and learned to engage more with the everyday process of living. I talk with others living that life. Josefine Waltin is a Swedish fiber artist who teaches students to spin by...

We’ve lost 6 animals in the last 3 years on our farm: five guanacos and one goat. Now, as a therapist, I’ve sat with so many dear clients in the grips of death and tragedy and the pain that floods in when we lose loved ones. And I’ve faced my fair share of grief personally. But when my goat Milo died, I was hit like a brick.   You’d think that my familiarity with grief and loss would help me when Milo and our 5 guanacos died. But it didn’t. And after talking it through with Greg and some...

Have you ever thought about what you’ll leave behind when your time on this planet is up? An amazing accomplishment of mine had me recently experiencing an existential dilemma. Searching for answers about where all of my prized fiber and tools will go when I’m gone, I turned to my daughter Ruth, and good friend Ann. We also try to figure out if you can ever have too many crafting supplies. In the end, I get the feeling my concerns are the same concerns shared by creators everywhere. This is...

Our goats, Daisy & Milo, taught us how to love better. In this episode, I tell you the story of how I  found them and share a little bit about their breed (Pygora) and why they are so special. My husband, Greg and I will delight in our love for them. And I will tell you how I intentionally engage with their open-heartedness for my own well-being–especially when dealing with one particularly difficult female guanaco. Finally, I will play you a delightful clip of my dear mother singing to...

Fear is a fickle thing. We all feel it. It's part of the human experience. Yet many of us are also told to "fake it till you make it." Therapist turned Fiber Farmer, Lisa Mitchell lived by this motto for years. But, once she started raising wild animals she realized "faking it 'til you make it" doesn't work with fear. In episode one, of Season Two, Lisa and her husband, Greg, talk about nervous systems and survival instincts and the easiest trick to prevent adrenaline from taking over the...

What's the story behind the wrench in your junk drawer? It probably has a story. When was it purchased? Who used it first? What problems did it solve? In this episode, host, Lisa Mitchell, shares her thoughts about handmade tools. Greg and Lisa share their favorite handcrafted tools. And Lisa talks with Ed Jenkins, a very popular spindle maker. He tells you the secret of why spinners line up to buy his beautiful spindles.  Linda York, one of his loyal customers verifies Ed's secret and talks...

In our second season of A Fiber Life, “Homegrown and Handcrafted,” we are going to transport you to a life of making from nature. We are going to introduce you to our baby goats, talk about the tools that we use,  and chat with many of the maker friends we’ve had the privilege of meeting along the way. From spinning guanaco fiber into yarn,  splitting and stacking wood, and growing our own food and botanical dyes, these stories provide life lessons that are powerful. I also think they can be...

When I sit at night at my wheel and pick up that twisted strand  of fiber, the one that faithfully hangs for the orifice, the one that invites me in, invites me to sit and be and watch as the all the individual threads glide into one spun single, I feel the focal point become crisp. I sense the world dropping away. I feel guided down steep steps.