It’s hard to be anything but real when we have people over for dinner. They might arrive just moments after I’ve finished vacuuming the momentarily neat floor. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be strewn with toys before they leave. They see that our children don’t always eat their dinner nicely or politely—or at all. …
I fail Him so often. The hasty word. The thoughts that only He Who made me hears. The pride and the impatience and the list goes on. And yet, in His tender grace, He is so quick to forgive me when I come to Him yet again. I don’t love him as I should….
It’s been a delicious month for books… My husband surprised me with one of the first of my friend Lanier’s Low Door Press editions of Kilmeny of the Orchard for Christmas… He’s reading it aloud to me so we can enjoy it together. (I can’t believe I’d never even heard of this L.M.M. book until…
The dream is always vivid. Oh no, I’m such a bad friend—I haven’t written or called Merritt in forever! And it’s always the same. Except for last night. I haven’t heard from him in forever. Should I write or call? No, that would be assuming too much. I’ll text Marlys instead and maybe she’ll let…
I love it when it’s cold enough outside that I can cook on my woodstove inside… The chickens are laying well these days, so eggs foo yung is a frequent dish—combined with egg rolls and fried rice and egg flour soup, of course.
I started out last year with grand plans to keep track of every cent we spent. I kept every receipt and faithfully separated out items and figured totals in each budget category in Microsoft Money all the way through…March. By the time December rolled around, I was just about to throw away my overflowing folder…
In the din of the day, the children, the dishes—sometimes I almost miss it. His gentle roar. But then, in the faces of my children, I catch a glimpse of it. His slightly reproachful face. And when the quiet hours finally come at the end of the day, I can feel it. His claws, scratching…
I open a new post. I pause and look at the blank screen. Often, I have a topic idea. Some days, it’s just a one-word prompt. Sometimes, I have no idea at all what I’ll write. Others, I think I have it all outlined in my head, only to end up with a completely different…
I grew up with a little divided bank—there were three little spots for giving, saving, and “fun”, and one big spot for “goal money.” But my thrifty young self put a label over the “10% savings” and turned it into “10% goal”, allotting the 70% for savings. (The savings label has long fallen off, but…
It’s a story about a farmer and his family, making it an instant hit in our house. This particular farmer, like ours, grows a lot of things on his farm. But unlike our farmer, he also grows Christmas trees! The Pine Tree Parable is a sweet tale with cute pictures. On each page you see…
“I get the idea that you like green,” the painter said when he stepped into our house and surveyed our green bathroom walls, our blue-green kitchen walls, and the green paint on his hands. “This color can actually look more blue, depending on the time of day,” I laughed. “But yes, we like green.” Green…
Dear Grama, You always find the perfect gifts to welcome in each season of the year, be it Easter or Autumn or Christmas. And it was no exception when we saw you earlier this month. You know how we girls love our aprons. And you found the most adorable Christmas aprons for all three of…
The End.
The End.
