HomeLife
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. - Annie Dillard
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good.
If life has taught me anything, it is this . . . Good days are not a guarantee. Therefore I make it a priority to recognize one when I see it. To hold it in my hands and tell myself, “This is a good one. Slow down. And be.” I took a long shower. Kevin fixed breakfast for the kids. Berg asked for the return of his mohawk. In red. Hannah and I picked four gallons of strawberries with all the Little Ones. Shelby instructed the girls in math so that I did not have to. I might have just purchased my last dozen grocery-store eggs. Hannah is building a…
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follow.
I had not even been in the car for ten minutes. The kids and I were traveling a back road with our destination being one of Riley’s soccer games. The directions to the game were already typed into the phone. The phone was resting within arm’s reach on my knee. I noticed, however, that my friends Greg and Leanne were in their car behind mine. Their destination was the same because their daughter plays on the same team. I dialed Leanne’s number and said, “Will you guys pass me so I can just drive where you are driving? I mean, I have the directions in my hand, but I don’t…
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What King Solomon Sees
Sometimes I use King Solomon more as a camera than a phone. It’s so much tinier and more portable than my regular camera and its multiple lenses. And sometimes King Solomon sees so much more than I ever have opportunity to share on this blog. So I decided to change that. By stealing an idea from my friend Tyler. Who knows, maybe he stole his idea from someone else too. There’s nothing new under the sun. And now you too shall see what King Solomon has seen over the past several days. A mini eagle has joined the flock. (What do you call a group of eagles? Do eagles ever…
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and the winner is . . .
Last week I posted this cute photo taken by Emma. And you guys came up with cutlines. There were some pretty funny ones. (You can see them all listed on the post. Plus a few more were added on my facebook page.) It didn’t seem fair to let Kevin win and Raegan’s dad made a threatening comment or two toward my son, but all in all, I think I have chosen the one that made me laugh the most. The winning caption is . . . What does ‘arranged marriage’ mean? Thank you guys all for throwing your captions in. Congratulations Marion – I always knew you were funny. (Now…
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strawberry memories
Not a single spring has passed for the last fifteen years that has not found me creating strawberry jam just like I saw my mother make. Always in the same too-large bowl in which my mother used to make her strawberry jam. And this year, as well as the past three years, I cannot help but be reminded of my mother. It’s inevitable. First, there’s the bowl. And the act of jam-making by itself. The jam may taste sugary sweet sweet sweet but the experience is always more of the bittersweet variety. I don’t know how to live it any other way. When I stir in that powdery sure-jell from…
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cheers.
I met Beth through church. I forget how exactly. But I think it’s pretty possible that I started reading her blog before I actually met her face to face. Because that happens sometimes. Even when you live in the same town. And attend the same church. What I like about Beth in real life is what I like about Beth in blog-life. She’s funny. She’s regular. She’s real. She cares deeply about her family. She is passionate about seeking God in all things. And she knows what it’s like to home school one kid with a couple more under foot. Now we’re pretty new at our friendship – just a…
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to next week. may it be fuller. and may I be as well.
This week I have fallen asleep on the sofa twice. That seldom happens to me. I prefer my bed. And I’ve overslept basically every morning this entire week. Except Tuesday. (But we had friends over, so my motivation was a bit stronger.) We’ve done our school work. Mostly. But I haven’t folded a single bit of laundry. I have been dressing children from the rumpled tower of clean clothes by the dryer. I have re-washed the same load in the washer four times because I keep forgetting about day after day. And I’ve been wondering why I am dragging myself around so much this week. As far as weeks go,…
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the state of things
I know it’s not summer yet. I know it isn’t. But around here – it sort of feels like it is already. And we are all finding it pretty hard to concentrate. What with all the bright sunny days. And the introduction to the world of fishing with Daddy. And discovering that all of the kids are pretty great fisher people. (Since they can’t all be fishermen. You know, due to their gender and all.) And birthday celebrations that include baby dragon hunting and carrying maces around the lake trail and cake consuming and present opening. And visits from friends. And trips to the zoo. And picnics in the…
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Beauty Secrets 101
I think it’s okay. I think this is a safe place. Today, for one day only, I want to share with you something very special. Something you won’t find on other blogs. That’s right. Beauty secrets of busy people. That’s what we’re talking about today. Can you dig it? I’ll break down a few for you and then you can join the conversation in the comments sections today. I think that’s only fair. Secret Number One. It is perfectly acceptable to use the iPhone on its reverse setting as a mirror before entering any establishment. Secret Number Two. There is no shame in wiping the sticky residue that inevitably results…
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Tuck In Time
Last night I tucked in a five-year-old. This morning I woke up a six-year-old. Happy Birthday Bergen Hawkeye Norton. You know, I love tucking this kid in. I love it about as much as I love the fact that he calls his back teeth his “boulders” and I just cannot bring myself to correct him yet. Last night he asked me to cuddle with him. (Like he requests every night of his young life thus far.) And I know and I know and I know that he won’t keep asking me for long. So I climb the ladder to his loft bed and I place my head beside his on…
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What I Was Trying To Say
Last weekend The Avett Brothers played after the Atlanta Braves game. And I was there. Maybe you don’t know who these brothers are. I don’t really know who they are either, of course. But I want to introduce you to what I do know. I know that I love their music. It’s folksy and rock and lyric-driven and they play guitars and banjos and other stringed instruments that sound first-rate together. I know that I love their lyrics. I’m pretty much tone-deaf. (I think that makes Kevin more sad than it makes me.) So when I like a song, when I really like a song, it’s probably because I really…
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something borrowed
For more than eight years now only one magazine subscription has faithfully been renewed year after year at our house. Family Fun. Because the ideas are good. They are practical. And because I sometimes imagine acquiring a paid, regular writing gig for them. They have a section of their magazine called “My Great Idea”. Or at least – it used to be called that. I think now it’s called “Creative Solutions” but me and Family Fun go way back so sometimes I get a little Old School with the names of their departments. And on one recent month one of the reader-submitted “Creative Solutions” was a winner for our house.…
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weekend options.
I cannot believe that I didn’t get a post up Monday. But then again, I can. I was pretty sleepy. It was a big weekend. And ain’t nobody paying me to type on this here blog so sometimes I am just forced to make grown-up choices between caring for my many children or ignoring them to write a blog post. Every event this weekend deserves its own post. (And maybe I will indulge myself and do that later this week.) I could write about London and Mosely’s big Friday night. Their first play. Followed by their first violin recital. Or I could write about this kid’s big Friday night. And…
