Category Archives: Relationships

Snow Patrol: I Love You, but My Family Doesn’t

The atmosphere in the car crackled with hostility. (How is that for a cheesy, spy novel introduction?) I had just taken over the wheel, prepared to drive the mind-numbingly boring section. The Norwegian Artist, who, per our long understood agreement … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, cars, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Entertainment, Family, home, Humor, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, music, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, shopping, travel, Uncategorized, vacation | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Quiet” and “Shy” Are Not the Same Word

At one time, like a lot of reserved people, I considered myself shy. The misconception is understandable, given that once a room fills with more than four unrelated people, I clam up like an oyster trapped inside a mussel shell, … Continue reading

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The Single Most Significant Thing I Do

The other day was one of those in which nothing ever quite worked out the way it was supposed to, schedules were disrupted, the computer acted up, and everybody was hungry but no one had any inspiration, or time, to … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Business, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, success, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Get Me to the Church on Time — Or, Not

There is this pervasive, and perverse, belief in Christian communities that one of the hallmarks of a true believer is the tendency to get up early– really early, say 5 a.m. or 4:30. Otherwise, you’re a sluggard, the Proverbs one. … Continue reading

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The Big Significance of Small Business

Normally, I avoid buying cookies, or anything, from strange children on my doorstep. It’s not so much that I discourage budding entrepreneurs as that I prefer to not support the mega-companies providing the product and pocketing most of the profits. … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Business, children, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Job, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Personal, Relationships, shopping, success, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why I Knit

My mother taught me to knit when I was 15. In her day, she said, a woman knit in between romantic relationships. An especially heart wrenching breakup, followed by months of no dates at all,  could result in a complete … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, Business, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Economy, Encouragement, Family, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, knitting, Life, Lifestyle, News, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, Style, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Politics of Pinching Peaches

Generally, the produce department of a grocery store is a quiet place. Pinching peaches, while it is a dreadful practice, doesn’t result in sounds from the peaches. I imagine, however, that the people who work in the produce department scream … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, Food, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, media, News, Personal, Politics, Random, Relationships, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

E-book — The Jane Austen Driving School

The newly published Jane Austen Driving School is the second volume in the Ordinary Life Is Beautiful E-book Series, adding to the stories and illustrations of Life Is a Gift. Thirty short, easy-to-read, fun and funny stories bring readers into … Continue reading

Posted in books, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Entertainment, Family, grandparenting, Growth, home, Humor, inspirational, Job, knitting, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bathtime at the O.K. Corral

 I’ve noticed a couple things about the end of the day: 1) we’re all tired. 2) If the Toddler has been with us for the day, not only is she tired along with the rest of us, but she’s extra, … Continue reading

Posted in Art, blogging, children, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Family, grandparenting, home, Humor, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

New E-Book — Life Is a Gift

Just published with Amazon e-books, Life Is a Gift is a series of 30 short, upbeat essays about life with the Norwegian Artist, the Progeny, and the rotating assortment of animals on the studio farm. Drawn from a compendium of … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Beauty, blogging, books, Christian, Culture, Current Events, Daily Life, Encouragement, Entertainment, Family, Humor, inspirational, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, News, Parenting, Personal, Random, Relationships, religion, shopping, success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments