What is the Tao of Elkshire?

I've never had a blog that was my own.  I had a blog in the past that was about what was going on in my family - it was harder, in some ways, to keep up because of the limited topics.  I decided recently that I wanted a place that I could go to talk about my things.  Sometimes about my family, sometimes about what I'm reading, sometimes about my life as a mother, sometimes about my role as the primary bread-winner with an awesome stay-at-home-hubs, sometimes about what I'm cooking, sometimes about how type 1 diabetes entered my life, sometimes about my opinions (informed and uninformed), and just generally all those things that define me and who I am.

Some may wonder where the title of my blog came from - The Tao of Elkshire.  Obviously there are two roots to this title which I will address:

Tao or Dao (/taʊ/, /daʊ/; Chinese: 道; pinyin:  Dào (help·info)) is a Chinese concept signifying 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle', or as a verb, speak.

Elkshire is the name of the family farm that I grew up on, long since sold and put in the hands of other loving owners.   I spent 24 wonderful years there - it's a part of me, it's a part of who I am, where my outlook and philosophies come from.  As you read this blog, you'll see a lot of those things.  In my mind, Elkshire exists eternally green, with a rainbow overhead, fresh and new ... idyllic, if you will.  Right or wrong, that's what I see in my minds eye.  Elkshire is in my heart, always, and this blog feels like a way to express what's in my heart.

This blog will be a reflection of that perspective, my perspective.  The Way of Elkshire ... my glass is always half-full, I can find beauty almost anywhere, I love to be optimistic (I sport a fantastic pair of rose-colored glasses), I thrive to always respond to life with a will to not only survive but to be happy doing it!  Welcome to the Tao of Elkshire.