Greetings from the farm and happy 2019 to you and yours. We rang in the new year in a quiet fashion, heading to bed early to read as the bayberry taper we lit for good luck burned down, waking at midnight to hear fireworks on neighboring farms, wishing each other a Happy New Year and texting the same to kids and relatives in other locations. I've always loved the opportunity for reflection and refocusing that the end of one year and the beginning of a new one offer. This year was a big year for me, the first year I've lived on the farm full-time and taken a bigger role in managing the animals and landscape. It was a thrilling year, fast and furious, and sometimes feeling a bit out of control, holding down a full-time job while taking on more of the farm chores, intense bouts of rough weather, a steep learning curve in livestock care, and and trying to get soap-making and egg-producing off and running. As behind-on-everything as I felt all year, reflecting on it all on New Year's Eve, I realized how much we've accomplished and this recognition filled me with happiness, renewed energy and huge excitement for the coming year. Winter is no time for rest here at Prairie Turnip Farm, as lambs will start dropping any day now, 25 laying hen chicks are on the way soon, and the time to start seeds indoors is rapidly approaching. We have two half Great Pyrenees, half Anatolian Shepherd puppies arriving soon, and a bevy of new projects in the offing. It promises to be another exciting year. I am grateful for this fun, crazy, at times overwhelming, but always interesting and exciting life. I hope you have fun plans for the new year that promise to enrich your life in whatever way suits you best. Cheers to 2019!