I am a dreamer.  I believe I got this trait from my Dad, Herbert Stelting, as he was a dreamer as well. I think my three sisters would agree on this.  Dad always dreamed of new things in new places, new adventures, new friends, new opportunities and yes he was crafty as well making lovely turned wood items and other wood craft things. He was not necessarily a ‘polished’ woodworker but he made functional pieces and some of them turned out just flat beautiful!! We each ended up with a few of his pieces after his and our Mom’s passing.  These pieces evoke fond memories for me and take me back to days watching Dad in his workshop and the stories he would tell whilst working.  Oh yes Dad was a great story teller too. For someone who never finished school, he was so well read and had an awesome vocabulary. Dad was also a writer/poet and had more than a touch of wonderlust  in his soul. Here is an excerpt from one of the many poems he penned:

Itchy Feet by H.W. Stelting

I’ve scratched my itchy feet

On windswept desert sands,

On rugged mountain ranges

And on the shores of foreign lands.

I’ve soaked ’em in icy waters

Of lake and stream and bay

But still the itch remains

To plague me night and day.

To read the rest of this poem and many, many more see our website www.homesteadline.com and click on the books link. Dad’s book is called Tales of Skookum Jim.  You will also find there books and/or cds available about our (us four sisters and our folks) life on a homestead in Alaska.

Now, back to me, I enjoy travel but don’t have the itchy feet syndrome so much as Dad did…. I truly enjoy being home most of the time. I do dream of things to come and/or things I would like to have happen. I love to read and do so voraciously, lots of different types of books enthrall me and transport me to places I have never been and probably never will go.  Ah it is so fun to get lost in a great story and wile away the hours…but wait………… there is housework, a grand daughter to care for, dinner to fix, laundry, yard and garden work  and the ever present ideas for crafting. So when do I have time to read and dream, well I manage to sneak in a little time each day for these things as I believe they are important for my well being. And being a multi-tasker I can listen to a book while I sew and craft and I can dream along during those times as well. I am blessed to have my husband who understands my need to craft ( and who also loves to read) and lets me ‘do my thing’ and actually often comes up with new ideas for me to try – as if I did not have enough myself! It is so awesome to have my husband/best friend to bounce ideas off of and he will tell me if he thinks it’s a bust as well as to tell me when he thinks it’s a great idea.

It is snowing again today and we have a roast with spuds, carrots, onions, and garlic cooking in the crockpot for tonight’s dinner. Perfect meal for a cold winter day. Maybe I will be ambitious and make some rolls to go with it.

So my friends, have a safe, warm day and take time for yourselves each day – I do believe that we need to take care of ourselves well in order to be able to take care of others. God Bless!