About

Hello & Welcome!

I’m Melissa & I’m so happy you’ve found my personal blog!

A little about me? Goodness. How do you boil a life down into a few short snippets? You don’t, but here’s an attempt at a little snapshot:

I am…

A mama (to two amazing daughters) & a wife (to the most amazing wife), a writer & photographer, a fierce advocate for social justice & a solid shoulder to lean on.

I am also a proud Gen-Xer who would wilt in a world without music.

I love…

To read & crochet, wear graphic tees & drink copious amounts of hot black tea with milk and honey, play in the garden & cuddle my critters (pups and kitties and goats, oh my!).

I also love star gazing & candle magick, family dinners & board games, dinosaurs & petrichor, chatting with my bestie & my sister on Marco Polo.

I believe…

Love is love, Black lives & Indigenous sovereignty matter, healthcare is a fundamental human right, water is life, no human is illegal, science & climate change are real, intersectional feminism is essential, truth & justice matter, and kindness is imperative.

I also believe in the importance of walking softly and carrying a big stick.

I have…

Written about my family’s journey from urban farming to large scale homesteading at Ever Growing Farm (and its corresponding and now dormant Instagram) since 2011 and began writing about family history and genetic genealogy at Bold and Queer (and its equally dormant Instagram) in 2023.

I have also worked in restaurants and non-profits, studied ASL Interpretation & Early Childhood Education, practiced mindfulness & explored all my Clairs (-voyance, -audience, -sentience, etc.) been cracked wide open by the deepest darknesses & learned how to heal those cracks while letting the light shine through.

And now…

Under the Elderberry Tree is a place where I can share my thoughts & experiences, inspirations & happenings, moments tiny & grand, in the form of an old school blog. No niche, no ads, no affiliate links, just words flowing through me, out onto these pages, and reaching you just when they’re meant to.

The creative chronicles of an incoming crone.

In a world that is moving ever quicker around us, I hope you’ll grab a cuppa your favorite beverage and sit with me under the elderberry tree for a spell. The view is lovely and I’m so very happy for your company.

In gratitude,

Melissa

Other places you can find me: