why i love coming home.

my parents are incredibly self-sufficient.

sometimes, i wonder if my dad was meant to be a pioneer.

these are his grapes. he makes his own grape juice.

he keeps his own bees and harvests the honey himself. he has the silly beekeeper outfit and everything.

[it really isn't silly. it's quite practical. it just looks silly.]

he has chickens too. we never buy eggs from the store anymore.

these are things i miss when i'm away at school.

i have to go to the store to get eggs if i realize i don't have any for breakfast. when i'm home, my dad will run out to the garden and grab some for me.

when i'm home, i don't have to think about buying vegetables. when my dinner needs a little more color and nutrients, i'll grab a zucchini or squash from the pile on the counter - cut it up, and throw it in a pan [with lots of butter]. voila. vegetables.

i'm smuggling out a jar of my dad's honey before i leave. 

and maybe a few jars of my mom's jam in the freezer.