On Sunday, Rob and I put up our Christmas tree! As we worked, we listened to Christmas music (and the thunder and rain) and chatted about our childhood Christmas memories. “We’d always put up our tree on a Friday night,” I said. “Back then, a …
I’ve been spending these early-August evenings sewing wonky felt Halloween ornaments while listening to The Fellowship of the Ring on Audible. It’s been so much fun. I sit on the dining room floor surrounded by cats and drink hot Country Peach Passion tea and dream …
In the eighties, when I was in high school, my mom took a doll-making class and made three porcelain dolls, one for me and one for each of my sisters. During this time she was working as a night nurse at the hospital, putting in …
When I was a child, October was my favorite month. I loved Halloween and the special crispness and sparkle of the early-fall days. All month I’d live in a state of high excitement and dread going to sleep for fear I’d miss something–a visit from …
On Saturday, Fenna and Claudia Rose had a tea party in the yard, even though spring is still a far-off wish, a dream. They held bouquets of pink camellias, the stems tied with satin ribbons, to add a little cheer to the brown and wintry …
About three years ago I started collecting Wedgwood’s Wild Strawberry pattern. One day Mom was at my house, looking in my china cabinet, and she said, “You know, that was Aunt Nancy’s pattern.” “Oh, my gosh,” I said. “That’s so interesting! I have such strong …
I wanted to tell you a little bit about my mom’s yard because it’s so beautiful and because it is the setting for so many of our family events. It’s the setting for so many of our memories. Mom started …
My grandparents on my mother’s side lived on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin, in Brown County, near Green Bay. I grew up in Florida, far away, so I only got to visit the farm a few times. Yet even though my visits were infrequent, …
