Gretchen Louise

seasons and siblings

Seasons change.  Siblings grow up.  People get married.  School and jobs and marriage take siblings all around the country. Not too long ago he was my baby brother who I took delight in dressing in different outfits and taking pictures of and having as my personal baby Jesus in the Christmas plays.  Now he’s a…

one month old

Dear Daniel, You’re going bald on the top of your head, you’re developing a double chin, and your baby acne has come out in full force.  But you’re starting to coo and even smile a time or two!  I’ve had to cut your fingernails three times now and you’re outgrowing some of your newborn outfits. …

deep breath…

The door closes behind my husband, off to work.  I take a deep breath.  The day is ahead of me.  Along with a table full of breakfast dishes and un-eaten food, an overflowing laundry basket, and a desk covered with unpaid bills and unwritten thank you notes. But before I can attend to them, there’s…

Daniel’s sisters

Dear Daniel, Your big sisters love you very much.  Before you were born, I was getting out some coming-home clothes to pack in the diaper bag, when Ruth finally realized that you were, as she phrased it, “Running around in your tummy without clothes on!”  It was quite the revelation to her.  As was the…

our moms

My mom blesses us with her gift of organization as she helps pick up after our 1-year-old and 3-year-old.  His mom blesses us with her gift of teaching as she passes on her knowledge of gardening. My mom loves to shop (and return things).  His mom loves to garage sale (and sell things). My mom…

if you met me…

If you met me, you’d find a girl with dark red hair who still feels closer to 20 than to 30 (even though it’s not true) and is taller than most of her friends (but not her brothers).  You’d see two little girls bouncing around me, and a swollen stomach indicating another little one on…

Miss Bishop

I had the titles that sat on my grandmother’s bookshelf beside the fireplace nearly memorized.  I studied the spines as I sat in the big cozy chair.  The Rim of the Prairie. A White Bird Flying.  A Lantern in Her Hand.  Spring Came On Forever. My grandmother loved Bess Streeter Aldrich. Somewhere in my teens,…

Books About Books

I knew they were somewhere.  After all, I had a special place for them on my bookshelf before we packed up everything during the remodel. And I wanted to take some pictures of them for the upcoming post on YLCF.  But could I find them anywhere?  No, my books about books were missing.  Positively not…

The End.

The End.