Connie Moore

Connie Moore

At Home in Ohio

By Connie Moore

Connie Moore, of Medway, Ohio, has been writing for newspapers and magazines for a number of years; in fact, one of her columns is in its 19th year. Her blog will focus on life in rural Ohio, with other topics of her life at home, kitchen moments, yard and garden moments, local bird life, local road history and almanac tidbits.

She is busy these days “keeping up with writing assignments, which include a weekly newspaper column for four papers, a monthly almanac column for those papers and seasonal extra pieces for our county fair week, and local autumn and spring festivals.”

On her to-do list are a few gardening chores: divide and replant all perennials to fill in bare spots in flowerbeds; reshape west flower beds to lessen mowing chore; and find a heat and drought resistant flowering shrub for south flower beds.

Connie has always lived in a rural setting, and she defines a homesteader as “a person or family who owns or holds a piece of land on which they establish their home. When we work to establish a home and all its potential and the potential of the land it sits on, being steadfast at the task, then we are a homesteader. Wherever, however small or large that may be.”

She has gardened most of her live, including her 45 years of marriage, and she currently has planted tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, chives and marigolds. “Much more such as corn, strawberries, carrots, squashes, were flooded out this year with the heavy rains,” she says.

When it comes to animals, Connie says, “Dozens of wild birds frequent and nest on our home ground. Occasionally rabbits, possum, raccoons, wild ducks, and deer end up here, probably just to check out available food sources.”

She lists her country skills as cooking, gardening, canning, freezing, edible foraging (mushrooms, autumn nuts), quilting, sewing and flower arranging.

And her philosophy on country life?

I believe country life is the best way to live and learn in order to realize our potential in caring for ourselves, our family and the earth.”