I'm just trying to walk myself home.
In the same way that a pot of soup full of Herbes de Provence simmering on the stove makes me dream of far away countrysides, this Herbs of Provence Caldrea hand lotion is like a little breath of fresh French hillside air. This lotion is all natural and super rich, so I keep it by …
For several years I have used the same chili recipe that I hunted down from a friend after we had it at an event at church. I have made several alterations to it so now my recipe is scribbled on quite a bit, plus it is drizzled with red spots. I added garlic (of course) …
In September of 2012, my daughter, Mary Polly and I went on a Mediterranean Cruise. This post is all about the unbelievable boat that took us on this fabulous trip, the Carnival Breeze. We boarded this ship in Barcelona, Spain. Last year at this time, I had already booked our Mediterranean cruise on the Carnival …
Have you seen this precious new book from the author/illustrator duo, Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago? A few years ago, they brought the world The Jesus Storybook Bible, which is my most favorite children’s Bible ever. Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing is already a treasure at our house. It is a beautiful devotional book for …
We are currently in the middle of a series at our church called DTR (Define The Reliationship). Last week, in his less than endearing off-the-cuff manner, Taido told the story of how our relationship changed one night when we had a DTR. We wouldn’t have called it that back then because Define The Relationship …
I could not possibly count how many cups of coffee and tea I have sipped over the last month. In the very near future I will be taking a hiatus from both (as part of a journey of fasting), the imminent arrival of which is making them seem ever more dear during the month of …
While Simon was under the weather over the school break, he requested a chicken soup with rice. Like in the book Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak. When I served this one to him, he said that it was good, but it wasn’t really what he was thinking of. I’m pretty sure he was …
A few of my favorite reads of 2012 The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer The City of Tranquil Light by Bo Caldwell Peace Like A River by Leif Enger The Fiddler’s Green by A.S. Peterson (sequel to The Fiddler’s …
I made these ornaments as a child with my mother. I think we made 56 snowmen one year. I have been homebound with sick ones this week so instead of attending Christmas school parties we stayed in our pajamas for four days while sorting legos and making ornaments. And watching The Lord of the Rings. …
Every day, I drive over one of the many bridges that connects my town to downtown Little Rock. We walk on them, ride bikes over them, drive to and from school over them. Most days, I give no thought to what is happening underneath these bridges, or more accurately, who is under them. This is …
My beautiful grandmother went home home to be with Jesus last Saturday. And though I earnestly prayed all last week that she might be released from her earthly body, I have found that with each day that dawns, the world seems darker without her in it. Today we will bury her and say goodbye. We …
As I write this morning, my Grandmother, who is the queen of the world in my heart, is fading from us. She is taking her last breaths on this earth, and every one seems more labored than the last. Yesterday at church, on this first Sunday of Advent, I sang Angels We Have Heard On …
Are you looking for something to read this Christmas? Here are my Advent Readings for this year. My six year old, Simon, is counting down the days until December 1st. He remembers fondly that even though there is currently no evidence of the coming season in our house, we usually start Christmas on December 1st …
I’ve been trying to hold my eyes wide open this week to see the good in the world. Though I am constantly trying to cultivate a heart of thanks, it’s more than being grateful. I am also fighting to stay in the light. Praying for eyes to see and ears to hear. Beautiful things. Here …
I know mashed potatoes are almost just too easy of a recipe to even post on a blog, but for the sake of my children who will look this up when they go to college, I am going to go ahead and write down the instructions for making mashed potatoes. Just in case they don’t …
Pie is probably the most necessary part of Thanksgiving to me. Mother used to make 3 apple pies, 2 blackberry pies and 1 pumpkin pie for the big crowd at our Castle Bluff Thanksgiving gathering. We would leave straight from school and the van would be all packed with pies and food. One year I …
My grandmother has been making these rolls since I was tiny. And her grandmother before her. My mom and my sister have made a few changes to this recipe over the years, so I have noted where we all differ. They also have the rising and baking down to a science. My mom can even …
Last week I read Seven: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker, and thinking about this book is taking up the better part of my brain. The book is the storytelling of her efforts to do a fast of sorts for seven months, from seven different things. One month she eats seven foods. One …
Here’s a little secret about the sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. I just make them for my mom and me. Everyone else eats about a tablespoon’s worth of sweet potatoes, but Mama and I eat them like they are the star of the show. I find most sweet potato dishes to be overly sweet. I …
Several variations of this Sesame Kale Salad, which is made ahead so the kale can marinate in a sour combination of lemon juice, soy sauce and sesame oil, have been appearing on our table for quite some time now. I love kale because it keeps longer than salad greens, and this salad is good for …