Simplifying… me

Recently (as in the past six years) I have rediscovered a whole new genre of literary masterpieces.  I’ve enjoyed many-a-book throughout my life:  Great big picture books as a child, the works of Emily Bronte, Jeanette Oke and Charles Dickens as a teenager, and in adulthood it has become more and more about paperback volumes [...]

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One of the many things “motherhood” has taught me is that you have to have a strong enough stomach to deal with all of the ‘goo’ that these little bodies produce.  Whether it be the leaky poopie diaper or the nose that perpetually runs like Niagara Falls, mom has to be prepared to deal with [...]

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M.K.’s (Missionary Kids – of which I am one), have a simple motto that allows them to cope with the not-so-glamorous moments of missionary life. It’s called: The M.K. Way!
Here is how it works: I’m in Africa. I’m sitting in a pastor’s home with something completely unidentifiable on my plate, from an animal my dad [...]

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I reached into my “mom bag” yesterday searching for a pen.  I knew that, somewhere in the deep recesses of my gianormous purse, there was a pen to be found.  In my search, I discovered a collection, of sorts, that has been accumulating in my bag:  One strawberry ponytail holder, a Lightning McQueen matchbox car, [...]

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The other morning I sat around a table drinking coffee and solving the world’s problems – like Clairol versus L’Oreal – with fellow stay-at-home moms.  We shared candidly about our various hair coloring nightmares:  One woman experimented with an alternative brand only to end up with green hair – she was a blonde originally.  Another [...]

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Ms. Shaffer was notorious for driving poor, unsuspecting seventh grade students to tears with her ruthless grading scale and sharp-witted tongue. She was a legend at Rosslyn Academy, who we truly believed coined the phrases: “empty vessels make the most noise,” “little things amuse little minds,” and – probably my favorite – “open mouth, insert [...]

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I love a good outfit. I enjoy coordinating and pulling pieces of clothes together to come up with a cute ensemble. A pretty blouse and a great pair shoes – combined with good hair – are all I need to make for a spectacular day.
 
I’m not really a true expert on fashion. I just take [...]

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Writing yesterday’s blog post was fun for me. I smiled as I recalled the awkward airport bathroom moment I shared with my son…and the two women occupying the stalls next to us. (My kids have gifted me with more material for writing than just about any personal experience I have gone through in my life [...]

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Two years ago today my grandmother passed away. She was 81 years old. Nanny had shared sixty beautiful years with my grandfather, left behind a son, two granddaughters and three great-grandchildren. Her legacy was one of strength, self-sacrifice and trust in God. She had weathered the Great Depression as a child, went to work during [...]

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I was out and about this morning, taking Brooklyn to ballet class, running a few errands, and I could not believe how many times the weather changed in a few short hours! One minute it was raining, the next minute the sun popped out…then the wind…back to the rain…and then the sky turned blue [...]

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