Journal, 9.13: The Future

do you have these sorts of dreams? care to weigh in on ours?

Hello my friends,

Stuart and I decided early this summer that it was high-time for us to finally move a few dreams from the clouds into reality. You know the sort of dreams of which I speak? Dreams that cause disruption? Or maybe don’t make a lot of sense to others? The dreams that never seem to fully leave you, but linger on for years?

Ya. Those dreams.

Six years ago, we were invited to attend a week-long getaway in Tuscany - at a beautiful villa outside of the small Roman-walled town of Lucca. We jumped at the opportunity, of course. It was the first that we’d been away from our four-children. It was, really, the first time that we’d spent significant alone time together in (at the time) almost a decade of marriage. Even six years ago, times were different. The children were much needier in physical ways and in some ways, we were still growing a bit into who we’ve become (though I suppose that process never really stops).

Most of the people that we shared the getaway with enjoyed themselves and happily and moved from one event to the next.

But not me. I almost couldn’t function - I was held in awe of the place, the people, and of my friend Carla who led the getaway. Perhaps this term is a bit overused, but I was well and truly speechless. I kept looking at Stu with tears welled in my eyes. “Stu…” I would whisper as we strolled through the streets. “I know.” he replied, anticipating and reading my heart waves.

It was during that trip that we launched The Elliott Homestead Cooking Community. Carla gave me final advice in the days leading up to the launch. “Make it perfect.” she said. “Bring the people along for your story.” Stuart and I wanted to reach people in their homes, make an impact on the way they thought of their food and prepared it for others. We wanted to encourage the communal aspect of food, of sharing your table, and of nourishing your body. We wanted to create a community that was supportive and resourceful. I’m pleased to say that as I type this, our community (coming up on its sixth anniversary next month) is that and more after all these years.

But much has changed in the six years that have passed since that trip. The animals and children are older and bigger, the gardens have grown in taller and denser. The internet, always a volatile and fast-paced-place, has taken severe twists and turns. Perhaps most importantly, our desires for the future have changed.

What is time, after all, but an opportunity?

I don’t know if you’ve ever stood naked in a crowd, but I feel a bit like that currently. Exposed. Bringing dreams forth has a way of doing that - as if you’re unfolding and showing a private piece of your soul to the world. “This is my precious treasure.” you say, hoping that by bringing it forth, you give it room to grow and don’t instead bring forth it’s demise.

Months ago, Stuart and I were planning out the new website for The Elliott Homestead and we wanted to make sure each piece was authentic and accurate to who we are now. What are we doing here? What’s the point? What is it we’re wanting to share with others? What’s going to carry us through the next fifteen years of our blog?

It took endless hours of conversation, but the goal became clear. We are here to focus on: Cultivating The Beautiful Life.

Here on our homestead, life is so ripe and wonderful. We’re still as invested in our farm as we’ve ever been. Beauty and bounty spur us on daily in our tasks and enjoyments.

But dreams don’t die. Instead, they go to seed.

One dream becomes a hundred.

Planting and nurturing our dream seeds has been the driving force behind our new store, Limone. Goods for the good life. The curation and selection of our products will grow over time: but as the cliche saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step. One simply must begin somewhere. I dream of a store filled to the brim with jarred tomatoes, rattan baskets, hand-woven linens, specialty jams, stacked cutting boards, aged cheeses, and my favorite Italian honey-cookies. I can almost smell the speciality espresso from here.

But even the dreams don’t stop there.

We will, Lord willing, be sharing a week in Umbria with 10 of you next October for our first Italian getaway. The dream would be to share this week with a small group of you, twice per year (once in the spring, once in the fall) and share with you music, photography, food, and fellowship. A week of rest, refreshment, nourishment, and joy. I can almost smell the olive oil and wine from here! (Our little getaway is in dire need of a name… have any suggestions for me?).

The Cooking Community is celebrating six years.

The blog is being updated and refreshed.

Limone will do a soft-opening next week.

Plans are being put together for our getaways.

I guess it’s safe to say there’s a lot “moving and shaking” here on the homestead.

There are a range of wonderful people here that have shared this journey with us from all corners of the globe - each cultivating their own beautiful life in a particular way. I’m reminded in all of this how many layers (and layers and layers) that it takes to build a business and more importantly, a community. If you have suggestions on how The Elliott Homestead can serve you better in the coming years, will you please email me back and share your thoughts? Though our business takes many forms, helping you to cultivate the beautiful life is why we’re here.

Looking forward to the future together!

Cheers,

Shaye

PS: Next week, as a soft launch, we will open up our new online store “Limone” for four-days-only. This will give us an opportunity to ensure all kinks and calculations have been accounted for - and it will give you the opportunity to see a bit behind the veil into what we hope this store will grow into. More on that to come!