I awakened with the sun, long shadows stretching across the dew-drenched grass. Pink azaleas opened wide to receive the morning as birdsong filled the air, almost drowning out the drone of distant traffic on the highway just over the distant rise. We have been promised suffering this week. This week of all weeks, in which … More The Grace Side
Last Spring I planted three Peony tubers, knowing it takes a few years to produce the flowers but also aware that the result would be glorious and worth the wait. Having had Peonies in our previous house, I thought I knew what to expect the first year: evidence of life, a few leaves, maybe little … More Joy in the Unexpected
It’s an intense season. I’ve been immersed in all things “end of school” and barely have time to breathe, much less write. My firstborn graduates from high school in less than two weeks, which does not seem possible since he just started Kindergarten five minutes ago. But, alas, it’s true and we are about to … More Stopping to Smell the Roses
A few short weeks ago the nights felt so very long. Bare trees reached for the sky and we zipped our jackets to ward off the nip of frigid evening breezes. We longed for spring. Before long, buds fattened on the limbs, daffodils shot green hope straight up through the faded mulch, and mist danced … More Everyday Resurrection
It was so quiet that I could hear the fluttering of the birds’ wings. Newly filled feeders had invited them near and in droves they came, red-winged blackbirds, nut-hatches, cardinals and sparrows all vying for position and dominance over the provisions that had been carefully hung from hooks and branches. The sun shone in all … More When Quiet Won
In the midst of Autumn I was on my knees for hours. Several bags were strewn haphazardly atop the fading mulch as I dug hole after hole. One hundred fifty tulips, daffodils and hyacinths were all nestled carefully, spaced just-so and put to bed for the winter in the hopes that they would reward my … More Winter’s Promise
A Life of Simple Joys 
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