Today was Christmas decorating day here at the Flaming Acres farmhouse—a tradition that always seems to officially usher in the warmth and wonder of the season. As I moved from room to room, hanging boughs and placing wreaths just so, the house slowly transformed into a soft glow of lights and evergreen.

As November settled softly over the farm—bringing quiet mornings, silvered fence posts, and the first hints of winter’s hush—we found ourselves reflecting on the simple joys this season brings. Today, we’re delighted to share one of those joys with you: announcing our November Giveaway winner!

Sunday, November 30th, 2025 This morning, Flaming Acres woke up wrapped in white.Not a heavy snowstorm—just a quiet dusting, the kind that settles gently on fence rails, rests softly on the greenhouse roof, and whispers, “Ready or not… winter is here."

As November settles softly over Flaming Acres, I’m reminded why this month always feels a little extra tender. The fields are quiet now, the dahlias tucked away for their winter rest, and there’s a hush over the farm that invites reflection. It’s the perfect moment to gather our community close and share something special—and I’m thrilled to tell you that our November Subscriber Perks have been sent to our subscriber email inboxes.

The day after Thanksgiving has long been known as a busy one—sales, travel, leftovers stacked in the fridge. But today felt wonderfully simple, beautifully grounded, and full of the sweetest kind of noise: the sounds of my granddaughters filling our home.

Today feels different from the bustling holidays of years past, yet no less special. This year we’re keeping things quiet—just Dion and I heading to my parents’ home to share a simple Thanksgiving meal. For decades, they were the ones hosting our entire extended family, filling the house with laughter, cousins, stories, and the smell of roasting turkey. Now it’s our turn to bring the warmth to them. And honestly… this slower, gentler holiday feels like a sacred gift.

This afternoon, my daughter Ashley—my flower-loving, artistic ray of sunshine—came over with a mission. She had one goal: to help me finally begin the shadow boxes I’ve been planning for my daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters. She knows me well enough to sense when I'm procrastinating, and today she gently but firmly nudged me out of “analysis paralysis.”

Today was a day wrapped in twinkle lights, peppermint air, and the joy of local creativity. Dion, Ashley, little Olivia, and I bundled up and made our way to the Christmas Fair—a beloved hometown tradition that somehow manages to feel both familiar and magical every single year.

Monday, November 17th — Today was one of those quiet, steady days on the farm—the kind that doesn’t look spectacular on the outside but carries so much hope beneath the surface. I spent the afternoon harvesting flower seeds from what remains of this year’s garden: zinnias, cosmos, yarrow, bachelor buttons, and amaranth. Their petals may be long gone, but their promise lives on in every tiny seed.

Today felt like the turning of a page. The wind moved across the farm in slow, steady breaths, tugging at the last of the golden leaves still clinging to the trees. All day long they drifted down—quiet, gentle, almost like a benediction over the fields that worked so hard this year. Every gust sent a fresh flurry spinning to the ground, and with each little shower of color, I could feel it: we’re crossing the line from fall into winter.

Today felt like a true closing chapter of the season here at Flaming Acres. Just after lunch, the rumble of engines echoed across the farm as the combine and semi-trucks rolled into the corn field. There’s something about that sound—steady, purposeful, almost triumphant—that stirs an emotion deep in the bones of anyone who loves the land.

In the midst of unimaginable grief, Kaylee’s family sought something beautiful, something living, something that could carry her light forward in this world. Kaylee’s mother, who has always held a special love for dahlias, reached out in hopes of finding a grower who might help honor her daughter in a meaningful and lasting way.

After weeks of long days and muddy boots, every dahlia tuber is finally cut, sorted, labeled, and safely tucked away for winter. The fields are quiet now, the tools are cleaned, and the last crates are stored—out of reach from frost and all the other unpredictable forces of nature we’ve battled since early October.

Today was a day for the record books—our hardworking crew cut through 47 crates of dahlia tubers in one single day! That’s a new Flaming Acres record and such a satisfying milestone in our harvest journey. Now, I have 35 bins of tubers waiting to be sorted and processed over the next few days as we tally up our inventory—determining which tubers will be shared with others and which will be planted again for next year’s crop.

We kicked off the morning with “dahlia flatbread” baked by one of our teenage helpers—a creative experiment that had us all laughing before the first tuber was even cut. Then, the boys decided to get artistic, sculpting funny little people out of discarded tubers. The result? A lumpy, knobby masterpiece that had us in stitches.

Monday, November 3rd — Today felt like turning a long-awaited page in our harvest story. At 10 a.m., our faithful crew arrived, bundled against the chill, ready to face what we hoped would be the last big push. The morning light was soft and golden as we dug into the final two rows of dahlias—each clump a mix of soil, roots, and promise for next year’s blooms.

After church, we stopped to visit my elderly parents and ran a few errands before heading home. As we pulled into the driveway, there he was—Cooper —standing tall and triumphant as if to announce, “You won’t believe what I’ve been up to!” We laughed and shook our heads. But the real surprise came when we stepped into the house. The back door stood wide open. On the kitchen floor was a soft mound of dust—evidence of Cooper’s long, cozy nap. Then we noticed the feathers.

Congratulations to Our October Giveaway Winner! We’re delighted to announce that our October Giveaway Winner is from Walla Walla, Washington! She’ll be receiving a collection of fall-colored dahlia tubers, a warm celebration of autumn’s fiery palette—each bloom a promise of next year’s beauty waiting quietly beneath the soil.

The fields at Flaming Acres are wearing their late-season glory—golden leaves, crisp air, and rows of freshly unearthed dahlia clumps that remind us just how much beauty was rooted here this summer. As October draws to a close, we can’t help but look back with gratitude for how far we’ve come in this harvest.

This evening, I feel a peace that’s been missing in recent weeks. Maybe it’s because the digging finally went right—or maybe it’s something deeper. Around here, plans often shift and tools break, but giving up isn’t an option. Each setback teaches us something new, if we’re willing to see it that way.