For those of you who know about my mild addiction to office supplies, it won’t come as a surprise that a new year isn’t only about goals and resolutions. It means I get to buy a new journal😊 Choosing one can be difficult, though. What kind of cover? Whimsical? Contemplative? When I peek inside, are there inspirational quotes or scripture …
What are you waiting for? A promotion? That much-needed vacation? Your baby to sleep through the night. . .or to come home for Christmas? Test results from the doctor? Whatever it is, waiting can be rough. This is our fifth winter on the lake now and the silence falls as heavy as the snow outside my window. The autumn colors …
I’ve been hearing a chainsaw all week. Where I live, trees outnumber people a million to one (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration) and because they tend to shed large branches, randomly topple over, or grow too close together, the roar of a Stihl in full gear isn’t an unusual sound. But then my husband received a text from a neighbor …
Written in. . .Pencil My name is Kathryn and I’m a planner. I sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and a spiral-bound calendar divided into months, weeks and days and interspersed with beautiful blank pages for making lists. Because, yes, I’m a list-maker, too. On my desk are stacks of Post-It notes, highlighters in …
Years ago, I had an epiphany while talking to my friend Robbie. I can’t remember the context, but during our conversation she stated, very matter-of-factly, that there are gardeners and then there are people who like gardens. I knew which category she fell into. She had the vision and courage to till up a gigantic section of backyard that …
What’s your most memorable meal? This is one of my favorite questions to ask people when we gather around the table. The answers always surprise me. Sometimes it will be a funny story about a mishap in the kitchen or a recipe gone wrong. But most of the time, there’s something else behind the memory. In fact, most of the …
YOU TEND TO FILL THE SPACE YOU HAVE. I don’t know who said this, but it’s true! I know it’s true because when we decided to downsize our empty nest (a large house in the country) and move to a smaller, more practical (i.e. two less bathrooms!) home on the lake, I had three weeks to pack up 15-plus years …
The sun is starting to rise as I shuffle past the window. I glance outside. . .and end up not moving for another hour. While I was sleeping, the ice released its grip on the shoreline, creating a stage for an opening act I would have missed if the smell of coffee hadn’t lured me into the kitchen. In a …
Last weekend, I watched three episodes of The Lost Kitchen. In a row. Ordinarily, I don’t watch Tv during the day, but the past few weeks haven’t been what I’d call “ordinary.” In the Northwoods, we’ve been caught in a deep-freeze that has kept everyone but the snowmobilers (hearty folk who know how to layer) huddled up by the fireplace. …
If you’re reading this, I’m going to make a few assumptions. First, I’m going to assume that you love to read. You are my people, then, because I do, too. Signs. Cereal boxes. Brochures. Recipes. Where sugar falls in a list of ingredients (unless it’s a day I really don’t want to know!) And, of course, books. Lots of books. …