Hi, hey, hello, and welcome to Under the Elderberry Tree, my little corner of the internet!
I’m Melissa, a book loving, soil tending, never-not-learning, family historian, and multi-crafter…
and also, a queer, introverted, Gen-X resister, and a little bit witchy.
I write (here and elsewhere) in the margins of my very busy days about all that’s been, is, and has yet to come.
While I’ve been blogging on my farming & family history niche sites for over 15 years, Under the Elderberry Tree is a place where I can step out of the proverbial box to share my mosaic of interests & experiences in the form of an old school blog.
No niche, ads, AI, or affiliate links, just words flowing through me & onto these virtual pages.
In a world that is moving ever quicker around us, I hope you’ll grab a cuppa your favorite beverage & sit with me under the elderberry tree for a spell.
The view is lovely & I’m so very happy for your company.
*9 Tidbits About Me
- My wife & I caretake a large property in Northern NM where we keep a menagerie of farm critters & grow some food.
- Despite being a solid introvert, I’ve always worked outward facing, community focused jobs.
- Making things makes me happy (creative journaling, crochet, illustration, embroidery, photography + + +).
- 99% of the time, you will find me in jeans & a graphic tee.
- Mood reading is my favorite pastime.
- Strong hot black tea with milk & honey is my comfort item.
- With one tiny exception, I lived within a five mile radius of the hospital I was born in for the first 37 years of my life.
- I have officially accepted that I am a cat person.
- Petrichor is my favorite word (& my favorite smell).
9 Truths 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
- Kindness is imperative
And also…
I believe in the importance of walking softly and carrying a big stick so if any of these beliefs sit wrong with you, feel free to pop off now. Also, the witch in me believes that words are indeed spells, so please write/respond like you might in real life.
We tend to be kinder that way, you know?
I can also be found:
- Scrolling Bluesky
- Tracking all my reads on theStoryGraph
- Saving bits of inspiration on Pinterest
- Sharing the nitty gritty about my DNA Surprise here
- Gabbing about goal setting, creative journaling, family history, and the divide between Gen X and Millennials here
- Only very occasionally sharing to Stories and the Grid on Instagram because fuck the algorithm and fuck the Oligarchy
I can be reached directly at melissavisionwillis [at] gmail [dot] com
Onward,
Melissa
*Why 9? It is my life number and my second favorite number in general. The first is 3.
Nice to learn a bit more about you, Melissa. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Thank you so much, Marsha! I look forward to learning more about you and sharing the blog-o-verse with you 🙂
I agree with you Melissa, I look forward to learn about the person behind the blog.
I hope you have a great week!
Thank you for being here, Vicki! Hope your week ahead is lovely!