Archives

I walk around my neighborhood later in the evening these days, mostly so I can see the lights.... more

Yesterday I bought a Christmas tree at the hardware store. I thought it was a good day to do it both because I'd heard the rumors of Christmas tree shortages and because it would keep me away from my ... more

"It's not about luck," my friend Andrew insists, "it's about gratitude."... more

My husband, Peter, is a man of few colors: black and gray, to be exact.... more

My mother sent a photo of a huge female turkey sitting on her bird feeder.... more

I used to have a friend who lived in Paris.... more

I have been studying up on frightening holiday rumors and found some surprises.... more

I spent yesterday with old friends.... more

When I was 8 or 9, I played a game that I invented with my friends.... more

There are few things as daunting as buying jeans.... more

I am a person of generally good habits, which is why it is puzzling when I acquire a bad one.... more

“We are cleaning up our stuff,” Meschack, the tile layer who now more or less permanently resides in our home, informed me. “We are giving you more space.”... more

We were supposed to get the tile backsplash installed in our kitchen yesterday, but my husband, Peter, said he needed to use the kitchen so he could bake ginger cookies.... more

My husband, Peter, and I are at my parents' cabin in the woods. The weather was perfect for a bike ride so we took a long one. We had not all been riding together in almost two years and I am not an e... more

To me, “the farm” has always meant the farm where my mother grew up, one of 11 children. Every book I ever read that was set on a farm, and many other books as well, all took place in my imagination a... more

We are reaching that point in remodeling where we seriously question whether we will ever be done.... more

I met my former mother-in-law, “Mama Lou,” and my former father-in-law, “Poppo,” when I was not yet 20 years old. I hitched a ride to meet them, terrified because I’d spoken to my future mother-in-law... more

My husband, Peter, and I have matching folding chairs.... more

“I’m tired of living in exile!” my husband, Peter, exclaimed as, for the second day in a row, we packed up everything we would need to be out of our home long enough for the floor to dry.... more

The renovations to our new home continue.... more

I have never been a gardener.... more

The dogs are missing me.... more

Years ago, I had trouble with my septic system. If you’ve ever had that kind of trouble, you know what kind of trouble it can be.... more

I’m not sure when a house becomes a home, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.... more

It was a good party.... more

My husband, Peter, is looking around our empty living room.... more

Tanner wasn’t waiting for me at the fence yesterday.... more

"Do you have time for this?" my husband, Peter, asked.... more