Landscaping is the hardest work I've ever done.  As part of preparing our property for sale, I've been tending to flower beds that have been neglected during months of pregnancy and life with babies.  Digging into unyielding soil crisscrossed with roots and crabgrass for three hours a day left me exhausted and my right wrist in considerable pain.  We're almost done with the hardest part of the work, and I'll be happy to put away the shovel. 
 
One of the pleasures I took while working outside was watching a family of robins nesting on our front porch.  This is the third year robins have raised their young in the same nest.  The first year, they were so skittish they would fly at the smallest sound or motion.  This year, they simply stared at my children as they bolted out of the front door.

We have a great entry this week by Gwendolyn Roach.  Check it out on the Food & Family page.  Gwen and her husband Graham are creative and resourceful farmers with a great vision for serving the community.  The owners of Winstead Farm, they will begin selling produce and poultry May 12 at the Old Salem Cobblestone Market from 9:00-12:00 p.m.  Go meet these wonderful people, and sample their offerings!


Laura Miller

Welcome!

This week my children and I watched six Black Swallowtail butterflies emerge from their chrysalises where they had wintered since last September.  How could they survive so long without food or water, undergo such a dramatic transformation, and emerge full of life?

My husband has taken a new job in  South Carolina, and we are in the middle of preparations for a move, ridding ourselves of clutter, making repairs, preparing our house for market.  I find this work almost impossible while watching over three little children ages five, three, and one.  So I'm taking deep breaths hourly, and imagine that will become a practice throughout the remainder of spring.

We have several fine offerings for your reading pleasure this week, including an article about Wendi Stogner and the Stogner Foundation which raises money for scholarships for autistic children.  They are throwing a fundraiser this Friday, April 13, and it promises to be a blast.  So for everyone local, take a look at the flier below.  Your participation will give you a terrific date night, or girl's night out with costumes, dancing, casino games, and fine food and drink, and in exchange you'll help a child receive the therapy he or she needs. 

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to The Lantern Bearers blog, a forum designed to inform, encourage and inspire.  Based in Winston-Salem, NC, many of the people you will hear from are local residents, but we'll have a variety of contributors in the coming months from elsewhere.  

Check out this week's offerings by clicking on the tags to the right.  Enjoy!