I’m not the Pinteresty, crafty, DIY type. But sometimes, I forget that. When I saw my friend Amanda’s Instagram image of her silhouettes project, I knew I had to try it–regardless of the fact that spray paint and scissors were required.
Or at least, I thought spray paint and scissors were required.
Dear JenJen, I still remember sitting there beside your mom, in a back pew of the church. She was wearing her raspberry red maternity dress with matching red heels. And there, in the middle of church, I got to feel you move when your mom put my hand on her tummy. When you were on…
Water kefir (or kefir soda) is one of my favorite probiotic beverages. I like to drink it with my meals to aid in digestion. I love knowing that I’m getting all sorts of good bacteria that are great for my immune system, without all the sugar of fruit juice, or the chemicals or a carbonated beverage….
Dear Family and Friends, It’s hard to sum up a year on just one piece of paper. But there are some of you with whom we only get a chance to chat once a year via this letter. So despite the fact that we check in with many of you on social media, we cling…
My grandpa went home to be with Jesus on September 11. I shared the following tribute at his memorial service on September 21. There are two smells that I will always associate with my grandpa: fiberglass and butterscotch. Grandma and I never could understand why he didn’t like chocolate, but I loved making him butterscotch…
Kefir soda is a probiotic beverage filled with all sorts of good bacteria. It’s like getting all the benefits of eating healthy yogurt while drinking something as flavorful as your favorite carbonated drink. It’s a great replacement for a soda pop addiction, and a healthy alternative to sugary fruit juice. Kefir soda is made by culturing…
They called me over in the hotel breakfast room. “Excuse me, how old are your children?” she asked. “Five, three and a half, and almost two.” Even my reply sounded tired as I stopped to calculate. “We’ve been watching them and trying to guess,” they explained. “They are so well-behaved!” I didn’t know whether to laugh…
Dear Grama, It was from you I inherited my love of the written word. Some of my earliest memories of you are watching you at your typewriter. I was fascinated to watch the letters appear on the paper, and even more intrigued at the way the correction tape could erase them when I distracted you…
Dear Papa, I knew something was wrong that morning. I woke up at your house and you weren’t sitting there at your table by the fire. You were always there. Every morning and every evening. At night you were making notes on your veterinary clients of the day. At daybreak you were taking notes on…
I’m not an auditory learner (I’m a writer; I’m a visual learner). And I don’t like having extra noise turned on in the background (there is usually more than enough noise in a house full of little people). I never thought I’d be someone who listens to podcasts (I don’t even listen the radio very…
I didn’t expect to be surprised by motherhood. My little sister was born when I was almost 12. My baby brother followed 3 years later. I was an old pro at changing diapers and cooking dinner with a baby on my hip by the time the baby I was juggling was my own. I knew…
Dear Grandpa, There are two smells that are forever intertwined with my memories of you: fiberglass and butterscotch. You never have liked chocolate, a fact which Grandma and I were always unable to understand. But you loved your Butterscotch cookies and candies. And you were my most faithful “Cookies Express” customer, paying for dozens of…
The End.
The End.