This is photographic evidence of my final attempt at making gingerbread cookies this season. Each time I’ve obtained wildly different results while trying to recreate a childhood favorite. Yesterday’s batch came closest to the taste and texture I had aimed for but still somehow missed the mark. I eat healthier now than I did in … Continue reading Gingerbread Cookies →

Who else is taking down their holiday decor today? A quick aside - in my mind the word Holiday is a contraction of the words holy and day so it does not bother me at all to hear or to use this word when referencing Christmas. Down came the twinkling colored lights, the row of … Continue reading Take it Down →

The sun was out in fits and spurts yesterday. I captured photos of my fourteen foot tall roses as the sky changed from sunny blue to coldest gray. The various birds that regularly habitate my garden were definitely not bathing and drinking from the fountain as casually as they normally would be. Instead they darted … Continue reading Peace →

Most Boomers will remember the old-school submarine voyage at the original Disneyland in Anaheim. Back in the day there were live mermaids sunbathing in the lagoon who gave a friendly wave as the Magic Kingdom’s entranced visitors strolled by. I remember being with my stern but caring grandfather and my two sisters the first time … Continue reading Find the Gold →

Some of the best moments of 2020 (yes, there’s been some!) have been uninvited and unexpected. Like the beautiful young hawk that paid me a visit yesterday. His arrival caught me by surprise as I wasn’t looking for him ~ wasn’t looking for anything or anyone ~ yet he flew into a nearby tree to … Continue reading Uninvited →

All I planned to do this morning was post a pretty picture of my Christmas morning shortbread. But a striking difference between two of my photos got me thinking before I’ve even finished my morning coffee. In addition to the usual butter, sugar, and flour in my basic recipe, this batch included freshly picked garden … Continue reading The Right Stuff →

At 4:30 am on December 26, the only sounds I hear are the ticking of the living room clock and my own beating heart. There’s something purely magical about waking before the sun or before anyone else rises. I lit a cedar scented candle and was immediately transported to the previous years of searching for … Continue reading Not A Creature →

This time last year I was at John Wayne Airport heading to East Texas. I had arrived there in time to freshen up then join my newly transplanted family for their Christmas Eve church service. The three of them were all volunteering so we went early. I found a seat at the end of one … Continue reading Cuppa Cocoa →

I could tell that the 2020 Christmas cards I chose were special when I first laid eyes on them. They were unique and had a perfectly simple message. Though it’s difficult to tell from the photo they’re really quite unique. They’re box-like, bordered in deep metallic red, containing sparkly sequins that dance and float around … Continue reading Pure Joy →

Come rain or shine the month of November always shifts to December. Just like that and we’ve gone from fall into winter and from giving thanks to giving gifts. One November we’d been given not just one big turkey but two from our employers. It made perfect sense for our young family of four to … Continue reading Thankful Giving →