🌸 Whispers & Wildflowers: Musings from the Wellspring
Stories, skills, and slow living from a faith-rooted homestead
Welcome to my little corner of the wild and the well-rooted. This is where I share what’s blooming, what’s brewing, and what’s being stitched together by hand and heart. From herbal remedies to homeschooling, ducks to devotions, you’ll find simple skills, heartfelt stories, and old-fashioned wisdom for a slower, more intentional life.
Here at Wellspring & Wild, it’s not about having it all together—it’s about coming back to what matters. Faith. Family. The garden gate. The quiet work of hands in motion and hearts at rest.
So pour a cup of something cozy, kick your shoes off at the back door, and stay awhile. There’s plenty of good stuff growing here.
— Amanda at Wellspring & Wild
What You’ll Find Here:
- Homesteading How-Tos – gardening tips, animal care, preserving harvests
- Handmade Living – crochet patterns, felted wool projects, upcycled crafts
- Herbal Remedies & Foraging – old-school medicine with modern heart
- Faith & Family – encouragement, devotions, and real talk from a mama of eight
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From Pen to Pasture: Ducklings First Free-Range Day
Today is a big milestone on the homestead – the ducklings first free-range day! Corvis (formerly known as Blondie) recently turned 4 weeks old, and the rest of the flock is just ahead of him at 5 weeks. They’ve been exploring the outdoors for the last couple weeks, but always inside pens. Today, we opened the gate and let them roam completely free for the first time, and they took off like they’ve been waiting for this day their whole lives. They wasted absolutely no time diving into the clover, darting through dandelions, and chasing every bug they could spot. They explored every inch of that yard, leaving no blade of grass untouched. Watching them roam, explore, and stretch their wings felt like a glimpse of who they’re becoming. They’re growing fast—more independent, more curious, and more confident every day. Soon enough, they’ll be fully feathered out and big enough to join the adult flock out back. But for now, this new front yard freedom is a perfect balance of freedom and safety – they’re able to soak up the sunshine, learn the land, and make the most of this new freedom while still staying safe. Watching them explore the wide world around them reminds me that growth doesn’t always happen in big leaps—sometimes it happens one small, joyful waddle at a time. Thanks for following along with the wild life on our little patch of land. Whether it’s ducklings, garden beds, or herbal remedies, there’s always something new growing around here. Curious about raising ducklings? Here’s a great guide to get you started.
A Little Rainbow Magic
I’ve been looking forward to making this one for about a week now. I ordered some yarn from the UK specifically for this little project—a crocheted rainbow keychain—and as soon as it arrived today, I finally got to sit down and make it. I had the keychain part ready and waiting, just needed the right colors to come in. I ended up working it up this evening, right before tucking the kids into bed. It was a quick make, but it turned out exactly how I pictured it—simple, soft, and colorful without being loud. Just one of those satisfying little projects that comes together at the end of a busy day. I’ll be adding a few to the shop soon, once I get a handful made. But for now, I just wanted to share this one while it’s fresh off the hook.
🌿 A Quiet Beginning
There’s something sacred about slow starts.This little blog won’t be flashy or fast-paced. Just like the life I’m building here on our homestead, it will be rooted in simplicity, intention, and grace for the process. Maybe one day I’ll look back and see how it all grew — post by post, season by season. But for now, it starts quietly.I don’t have a master plan for what this space will become. Some days it might be a how-to. Other days, a prayer or a recipe. I just want to share what’s real — the good, the gritty, the growth. So if you find yourself drawn to a life a little more grounded… welcome. You’re in good company here. “And aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands…”— 1 Thessalonians 4:11
Life Lately on the Homestead
It’s hard to believe I haven’t written a blog post since right before Christmas. Life on the homestead has been moving fast these past few months, and we’ve barely slowed down long enough to sit and write about it.
Since then, we’ve added new animals, welcomed new babies, tackled a huge home project, and somehow squeezed it all in between everyday homestead life.
Meet the Pigs
Back on January 10th, we brought home two pigs. Six days later, we got quite the surprise when our gilt delivered two tiny piglets — one little boy and one little girl.
Definitely not the slow introduction to pig keeping we expected.
Watching those babies grow has been such a fun experience for the kids, and they’ve quickly become part of the daily routine around here. There’s just something about piglets racing around the pen that makes it impossible not to smile.
A New Guardian Pup
On March 21st, we brought home our newest addition: Thor.
Thor is ¼ Anatolian Shepherd and ¾ Great Pyrenees, which means he’s already showing signs of becoming a big, fluffy guardian dog. He’s still very much a puppy, but he’s settling in well and learning the rhythms of homestead life little by little.
Between the ducks, rabbits, pigs, and all the general chaos around here, he certainly has plenty to keep him entertained.
The Basement Project
And then there’s the project that has basically consumed most of the last month so far.
Since April 13th, I’ve been working on building a new wall and closet in the basement. What started as “just framing a wall” quickly turned into framing, electrical work, insulation, drywall, and removing a whole lot of old wood paneling along the way.
We wired in a closet light and two new outlets, and at the same time, we decided to remove a good bit of the old paneling and install mineral wool insulation between rooms, mostly for sound deadening. With a large family, quieter rooms are always appreciated.
The framing, insulating, and electrical are finally complete now, and we’re down to drywall work. It’s been a massive learning experience, a lot of sore muscles, and more trips to the hardware store than I care to admit, but it’s finally starting to look like a real finished space instead of a construction zone.
Ducklings Everywhere
Of course, spring also means baby season around here.
Two of our duck hens recently hatched babies. One mama hatched 13 ducklings, and another hatched 5.
And somehow both mamas are managing their little flocks beautifully.
We also still have three more ducks sitting on eggs, so if all goes well, we should have a whole mess of ducklings running around in about three more weeks.
Spring on a homestead always feels a little chaotic, but in the best possible way.
Looking Ahead
Between projects, animals, gardening season starting up, and everyday family life, things have definitely been busy around here. But busy in the kind of way that feels meaningful.
I’m hoping to get back into writing and sharing more regularly again soon, especially as the garden really gets going and all these spring babies continue growing.
Thanks for sticking around while life got a little hectic over here at Wellspring & Wild. There’s always something happening on the homestead, even if I don’t always get a chance to sit down and write about it right away.