My dear friend Jenni wrote this lovely poignant Mother's Day essay, and I am delighted to share it with you. She tells about the sweet blessing of holding her mother's hand. Enjoy reading x   Holding Hands~ My earliest childhood memory is of holding my mother’s hands. They felt soft, warm, safe–it was as if nothing could possibly go wrong when I was holding them. I loved trying on her rings, spinning them around my fingers, and couldn’t wait to be old enough to wear nail polish like hers: a shimmering pink, usually, or–on special occasions–a deeper rose. Impossibly glamorous. My mother’s hands made “the best spaghetti Bolognese in the world” as I called it, a Baked Alaska that’s still the stuff of my pudding fantasies and the same birthday cake I requested every year. ... View Post

Happy Springtime! Hooray! We made it through the winter, and now spring is here. This season marks the beginning of longer days and warmer weather- my favorites! Here are some ways I am welcoming the wondrous days of spring~   Going on nature walks. All I have to do is step outside to see the evidence of spring’s arrival: - Flowers springing up everywhere - The sweet melodies of birds singing - Squirrels scurrying up and down trees - New growth dotting our hillside - Butterflies fluttering by - Bees buzzing amongst the flowers   “The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing." S. Brown Keeping the scent of springtime joy indoors I tend to transition to lighter fragrances once the weather begins to warm in these ... View Post

What’s currently getting me through the winter season~ Hello there. I hope this finds you somewhere staying cozy and warm as you endure the last month of winter. While I don’t live anywhere that experiences severe seasons and crazy snow storms, my region received unusually heavy rainfall and wild winds. Some people thoroughly enjoy the cold and rain, but I am not one of those persons! Give me all the sunshine and warm days, please. I don’t mind an occasional rainy day, but what seems like endless weeks of precipitation- no thank you. I think it has felt especially trying because the weather is preventing the completion of our remodeling project. Some spectacular events occurred so far, this season: we moved into a lovely home on a picturesque piece of land, my older two children got ... View Post

Do you have days when you are extra hard on yourself? You know those times where you are heavy handed with self-criticism or self-loathing? You feel unhappy with the way you look, something you said or didn’t say, or a goal you didn’t accomplish. Well, you are in good company because I have those days, too. THE SWIMSUIT BLUES This past summer, as my husband and I searched the crowded San Sebastían beach for an open spot to stretch out our towels, I felt self-conscious in my swimsuit. I hadn’t lost all the weight I had hoped to before our trip and felt flabby. We settled in for the day near the water, and as I was applying sunscreen, I noticed something interesting. The majority of the women were wearing bikinis no matter their shape or size. Many were even topless, and no one was ... View Post