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It’s been a while since I’ve shared a personal update, and life has changed in some pretty significant ways over the past few months. Between moving, learning what it’s really like living in a 1790 home, and returning to library work, I’ve been living through one of those seasons where everything seems to change at once.
I’m finally beginning to catch my breath.
Finding My Way Back to the Library
Some of you may remember that before The Outdoor Apothecary became my full-time work, I was a librarian.
About seven years ago, I left a job I truly loved when I was offered the opportunity to become the Town Clerk in the town where we lived at the time. It seemed like the right career move, but after two years, I realized it simply wasn’t the right fit for me. I left that position, came home, and poured my energy into The Outdoor Apothecary.
What began as a creative outlet gradually grew into my full-time job. It has been an incredible journey, allowing me to write about the things I love most—plants, seasonal living, gardening, foraging, and reconnecting with the natural world. This community has made that possible, and I will always be grateful for it.
But over the past year, I realized I was missing something.
Working from home has countless benefits, but it can also be surprisingly isolating. I found myself missing conversations with people, helping someone discover their next favorite book, solving technology problems, answering research questions, and simply being part of a community outside my home office.
So when the opportunity came to return to the very library where I had worked years ago, it felt like life had come full circle.
I first returned as a substitute librarian and per-diem employee, and recently I was offered a permanent part-time position. I’ll be working both at the circulation desk and at the business, reference, and IT desk—exactly the kind of work that reminds me why I became a librarian in the first place.
The Outdoor Apothecary isn’t going anywhere. I’ll still be here writing, photographing, gardening, and sharing everything I’m learning. But adding library work back into my life feels like finding a missing piece I didn’t realize I’d lost.
The House…Living in a 1790 Home
If you’ve been following along, you know we recently bought an old home dating back to 1790. Living in a 1790 home is proving to be everything we hoped it would be—and everything we never expected.
The move itself was exhausting. Packing up decades of memories, saying goodbye to one chapter, and trying to make another house feel like home took far more out of me than I expected…and I’m still not there yet.
And once we actually moved in?
That’s when the house began introducing itself.
You know how people say you never really know an old house until you’ve lived in it? They’re absolutely right. Living in a 1790 home has taught me that you don’t truly know an old house until you’ve spent time within its walls.
Things that never stood out during our visits suddenly became impossible to ignore. Doors that don’t quite latch. Floors that gently (or not so gently) remind you they’re over two centuries old. A roof leak that announced itself after a heavy rain. One bathroom for the entire house—with our bedroom upstairs and that bathroom downstairs at the bottom of a staircase that’s better described as treacherous than charming.
There are days when I look around and honestly wonder if we made the right decision. Restoring a house this old is going to be a tremendous amount of work, and sometimes it’s hard to see past the endless list of projects waiting for us.
At the same time, we can already see what this house wants to become.
Our goal isn’t to erase its history or turn it into something it’s not. We want to gently modernize it in ways that make it more comfortable for everyday living while carefully preserving the craftsmanship, character, and soul that have allowed it to stand for more than 230 years. Finding that balance—between honoring the past and creating a home that works for our lives today—may be the greatest challenge of all.
Some of our first major projects will be adding a bathroom upstairs and moving the laundry from the basement to the first floor. Neither change is particularly glamorous, but both will make living here so much easier. Beyond that, we’re dreaming of transforming the interiors into something that feels less primitive and more cozy English cottage—soft colors, warm textures, and spaces that invite you to curl up with a book while still respecting the home’s remarkable history.
It’s going to be a slow process, and I’m sure there will be plenty of setbacks along the way. I’ll be sharing those projects here as they unfold, including the successes, the inevitable surprises, and everything we’re learning about living with—and caring for—a house that has already witnessed centuries of history.
And whenever the work starts to feel overwhelming, I step outside, and the land reminds me exactly why we chose this place.
The Land We Were Searching For
The house may need years of work, but the land is everything I ever hoped to find.
Every walk reveals something new. Ancient trees. Moss-covered stones. Birds I haven’t met before. Wildflowers tucked into forgotten corners. Quiet places that seem to hold stories all their own.
And as if our own land weren’t magical enough, directly across the road lies an 80-acre protected nature preserve. Knowing that it will remain forever wild is a gift in itself. We never have to worry about houses replacing the forest or the landscape changing beyond recognition. Instead, we have this incredible place to explore in every season.
The preserve winds through a deep ravine where a series of waterfalls tumble over ancient rock ledges, creating one of the most breathtaking landscapes I’ve ever had the privilege of wandering. The first time I visited, I knew I’d found one of those rare places that speaks to something deep inside me. It’s exactly the kind of landscape that has always captured my heart—woodland trails, rushing water, towering trees, moss-covered boulders, and the quiet feeling that nature has been left to tell its own story.
It feels magical.
Between our own property and the preserve, I already know that this land will shape much of what I write about in the years ahead. There are plants to identify, wildlife to observe, seasonal changes to document, and countless trails waiting to be explored. I have a feeling every month will bring new discoveries.
The land makes every challenge inside the house worthwhile.
Looking Ahead
This next chapter of The Outdoor Apothecary will naturally reflect this season of my life.
You’ll still find plenty of recipes, herbal remedies, gardening advice, seasonal nature studies, and wild plants.
But you’ll also be seeing more of this old house, the thoughtful updates we make along the way, cottage-inspired decorating, the surrounding landscape, and the slow process of creating a home that honors both its history and the natural world around it. I’ll be sharing what I’m learning about living in a 1790 home—finding the balance between preserving its historic character and adding the modern comforts that make it work for our everyday lives—while slowly creating the cozy cottage-inspired home we’ve envisioned from the beginning.
Thank you for continuing to follow along through every season of this journey.
I’m excited to share what’s ahead.
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