Hi, hey, hello, and welcome to my little corner of the internet!
I’m Melissa, an introverted Gen-Xer who passionately writes in the margins of my very busy days.
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 and experiences in the form of an old school blog.
No niche, ads, AI, or affiliate links, just words flowing through me and onto these virtual pages.
The 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.
*9 Tidbits About Me
- Mood reading is my favorite pastime (I may have a TBR problem).
- My wife and I caretake a large property in Northern NM where we keep a menagerie of farm critters and grow some food.
- Making things makes me happy (creative journaling is at the top of my maker list these days but crochet is a solid stand-by).
- 99% of the time, you will find me in jeans and a graphic tee.
- Strong hot black tea with milk and 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 (and my favorite smell). Copasetic is a close second.
- I’ve studied Sign Language Interpretation, Early Childhood Education, Environmental Education, and the development of my various psychic/witchy abilities.
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?
Thank you.
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
Life is too short to take everything too seriously, no? Especially in relation to our social media presences 🙂 Which is why I adore this portrait my dear friend Laura made of me years ago and why I use it for most of the above accounts. If you’re not having fun, why are you doing it?
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!