Light in the Darkness

Isaiah 58 1 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what …

Oven Baked Three Grain Oatmeal

Oven Baked Three Grain Oatmeal This is my new favorite (and easy) hot cereal: Three Grain Oatmeal. I’ve added it to my breakfast arsenal, especially for when guests are in town. You put it all in a casserole dish (or in my case, a cast iron skillet) the night before and set your oven timer …

Zucchini Vichyssoise

Here are all the reasons I can think of that I am currently making a vichyssoise. It’s simmering on Anna’s stove as I write. 1. It’s cold here in Chicago. 2. I’ve been reading Barefoot in Paris, which is the book in which this recipe is found, and it’s cheaper than actually going to Paris. …

Three Soup Recipes

Lately, I have been defying the 90 degree weather by making soup. I mean, it’s OCTOBER for crying out loud. It is supposed to be fall. I am forcing my children (and friends) to eat soup while sweating in my kitchen, made hotter by turning on the oven to make bread. Cruel really. but I …

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

i have been reading eat, pray, love by elizabeth gilbert for several weeks. i started it because hello, anne lamott has the endorsement on the cover, and i love her. i would love to loan it to you, but it’s overdue at the library and someone else has it on reserve, thereby blocking my ability to …

Yoga Groupies

  My newest yoga instructor’s name is Jeanie. She is precious, I tell you. But honestly,  I think I have yet to meet a yoga instructor I didn’t like. Jeanie has blond hair, the usual yoga body and, get this, she’s had seven children.  You heard me.  Seven.  They are all grown, and so now …

Nine Cousins, Whitney Loibner Photography

cousins

my sister has been in town this week with her kids, which makes nine cousins at my parent’s house when you add four chinos and peter and whitney’s two.  we have crammed a lot into nine days with nine kids.  and i am tired.  but i love the whole family all together.  i love to …

heart work

while sitting in church on sunday morning, i played a game with myself to try to get the pit in my stomach to settle down. i had already cried through our pastor’s prayer for a family who lost their 19 year old daughter in a car accident on saturday, and i was driven to distraction …

breakfast crepes with berries and cream

Breakfast Crepes With Berries And Cream

Taido is the star breakfast cook at our house, and his breakfast crepes are the favorite for sure! His waffles and pancakes make weekly appearances on our table, but the crepes on an occasional Saturday morning are a special treat. Incidentally, my favorite breakfast growing up was crepes. My mom made them on Saturday mornings …

Memphis Zoo

We went to the Memphis Zoo on for the day on Monday. I am telling you. This zoo is worth the drive from Little Rock. We belonged to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle when we lived there and what I loved about joining was that once I joined, the zoo became a completely free …

boys swimming

Overheard

Middle schoolers. Pre-adolescents. Jr. highers. Whatever you want to call them. They are a rare breed. The crazy thing about middle schoolers (well, of course we all know there is more than one crazy thing) is that the range of heights and developmental stages is so wide among them. The group Taido works with ranges …

homemade pesto recipe

Fresh Pesto Recipe

Here is my fresh pesto recipe in honor of the bunch of basil in this month’s basket from the farm. I use my food processor to make this, but i’m sure you could use a blender too. You can serve this on pasta or on sandwiches made with homemade bread. Fresh Pesto Recipe (for about …

Solomon, A Kindred Spirit

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. ecclesiastes 1:18 i think that in heaven, solomon and i will be great friends. i feel him when he writes these words. so often i will read something or hear something and immediately think, “i wish i didn’t know about that…” because …