Y’all, this summer has been something else. We are up before the heat breaks, feeding animals, filling waters, hauling, mowing, weed-eating, and coming in with mud on our boots and sweat on everything else. Finding good help out here has been a real challenge, and we cannot wait for you to meet Jess. She has been such a gift to this farm, and we are so glad she’s here. It still takes all of us to get through a day, but having the right people alongside you changes everything.
Here’s what I keep coming back to, though– we chose this place. Not because we love sweating through a Tennessee summer (preference? not exactly), but because we wanted a life that asks something of us. That has always been part of the deal. And I’ll tell you, there’s real meaning in choosing work that keeps you moving, keeps you present, and keeps you honest about what you can actually do. It is not a gym membership, but it is a great way to stay active.
I think a lot about what it means to design a flourishing life. I used to believe that meant finding the arrangement where everything ran smoothly. I don’t think that anymore. Sometimes a flourishing life looks like coming in from the heat with aching arms, knowing you did something real.
Jules & Lane
Looking for the letter that fits the season you’re in? Take the quick quiz and find it here, along with free worksheets for designing what’s next.
This letter first went out to our readers in the Country Living Connoisseur on July 16, 2026. The full issue has the garden and farm kitchen sections too. Want the next one? Pull up a chair and join us here.
Written by
Lane and Jules Morris
Authors and University of Tennessee faculty writing from our farm in East Tennessee about gardening, the farm kitchen, faith and designing a flourishing life at any age. More about us
