Camera Shy Kid

My son is not a morning person. I wonder where he gets that… “Seriously, Mom…” (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Camera Shy Kid)  Read More

Who Can Refuse a Kitten?

My daughter finally got her long-awaited kittens: I mentioned almost a year ago that I’m not a cat person. But a couple months ago, our very nice neighbor walked over to our house and said, “These poor kittens will be given away at a fair tomorrow unless you take some of them tonight… and by the way, this kitten is my favorite ever…” And I couldn’t... Read More

Another Man's Treasure

This past Friday, my in-laws arrived from Colorado. They planned to close on their new house in Kansas at noon. Unfortunately, the bank didn’t have all the paperwork processed, and the closing was delayed until Monday… and then until Tuesday. I started to head to town for food for our weekend guests, when my husband went to the freezer and pulled out that vat of chili... Read More

Bwekfast Turtle

Once or twice a month, the kids and I try to make a trip to our county zoo. Going that often is a very different experience from the trips we used to take in grade school every May. For one thing, I don’t have to worry about where to sit on the bus. My seat is pretty much assigned these days. The biggest advantage is that we get to know the animals better. The elephants are... Read More

Catch-Up List

A quick catch-up list: 1. We had our first snow of the season Tuesday evening. (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Catch-Up List)  Read More

Shrimp with Salsa Fresca

For years, I’ve been looking for THE perfect book to teach me to cook. I’ve assembled quite a collection of cookbooks in the process. Many of them have failed to inspire, and I was ready to decide that cooking is just one of those things that I’d have to buckle down and do, with or without inspiration. This past week, though, I may have found it – THE cookbook... Read More

Infertility Post Four: Losing Control

If I had known from the beginning how long we’d deal with infertility, I might have made a conscious decision (Click here to read more or leave a comment on Infertility Post Four: Losing...)  Read More

How Wild Horses Dragged Us Together

Recently my husband and I had a bummer of a few days. We really needed an evening at home together. A night finally freed up for my husband… but then of course, I couldn’t be there. I had to take the older two kids to a class. I was just pulling out of the driveway when our horses escaped the paddock. With a fall nip in the air and some sprinkling rain, all five horses... Read More

Spinach Penne Salad

To kick off my year of focusing on cooking, I made an easy penne and spinach salad. It has a unique flavor – and a bit of a bite! This recipe comes from a Cooking from A to Zest video. My kids love watching this series of instructional cooking videos. I hope they grow up loving to cook! To make the salad, boil a pot of water, add some salt, and pour in the penne. Cook the... Read More

Smile on the Horizon

A couple days ago my hyper-responsible older daughter burst inside yelling, “MOM! There’s a cow in the yard, and the baby is trying to go outside!” I peeked out the door and saw neither hide nor hair of cow. What I did see was the most marvelous light from the sunset… the kind of light that keeps reminding me, “You’re home.” I cajoled... Read More