In September of 2023 I took down brianna.org for the first time in (gasp) 25 years. And I left it down. It wasn’t a premeditated act or anything other than the VPS I had hosted this site and my main business site on for many years had been acquired by a new host and the Read more >>

My boys and I have a new nest.

I was looking for handmade Christmas gift ideas that could use up some of the bounty from the farm harvest. I spent hours on Pinterest but it was a passing comment from someone on Facebook that reminded me of soapmaking. Light bulb! I’ve made soap! It’s not terribly difficult! And…I have about thirty pounds of Read more >>

I love my little farm but stocking up on mountain tea (Τσαι του βουνού) in the dead of winter has been a sweet way to keep the sunshine on me when it’s cold outside. The homey, sagey scent is an instant comfort. I didn’t know that this plant was sometimes known as ironwort. I successfully Read more >>

I’m excited for 2015. I’m starting this year off as the mother of little boys, instead of babies. I have amazing help, and a job I like.
Happy New Year, and I hope this is the best 2015 of your life.

This quote seemed a fitting caption to the glimpse I had this morning of mist across the train tracks. And this, a memory of the mountains where I was born.

We almost didn’t make it. We stayed for Christmas, and had a lovely holiday. Once the holiday passed, I began to feel restless to move again, but was ambivalent about going back to California. Let’s just be honest – I’ve never been able to figure out why I left Greece. I guess when you find Read more >>

I had one wish before we left California, and it was that we wouldn’t be too late for summer thunderstorms in the midwest. We weren’t. It’s rained half the time we’ve been here, hours of silent sheet lightning flickering cinematically over the white-sided houses, followed by hours of rolling thunder and speeding clouds. Then rain. Read more >>

It is September, which is birthday + anniversary month and so we’ve decided to head out to Missouri to visit family and get a very welcome break from the routine. We’ve been trying to make this trip for two years and we decided to just take our work with us. There will be family and Read more >>