Oklahoma, Here She Comes
A few days ago we loaded a mix of things passed down from family, found along the curb, or purchased for just this day into a moving van and headed into the new adventure that awaits our daughter as...
View ArticleThe Picnic
My daughter and son have birthdays one day apart. They have always celebrated together until this year. This year he will be at college, and she will be in Paris when their birthdays roll around....
View ArticleAbsurd Bird
The holidays are upon us and the rush has begun. We put pressure on ourselves to make everything single item on a list that is not humanly possible in the first place, perfect to the last detail....
View ArticleA Mother’s Dreams
Mama Kat asks, “What are you thankful for?” My grown children, this is for you. circa 2004 You possess abiding faith. You honor your mother and father. You value family. You treat others with kindness...
View ArticleLast Thanksgiving
Last Thanksgiving my daughter was not in Paris. She was in my kitchen… “dressing” the turkey in a non-traditional way, with an aluminum foil bikini that when removed revealed “tan lines”, treating us...
View ArticleThe Christmas Tree
During some downtime this weekend I thumbed through the Christmas edition of some home magazines. Each one was filled with images of lovely themed trees: all gold trees, poinsettia-only trees, trees...
View ArticleChristmas Must-Haves
Mama Kat asks us to list our Christmas Must-Haves… If I close my eyes and imagine the perfect Christmas, a million “should-haves” come to mind. It’s a Wonderful Life, The Nutcracker, A Christmas...
View ArticleFavorite Christmas Songs
The Official Count-down of Favorite Christmas Songs From a Girl Who Starts Listening to Christmas Albums in late August Every Year When you listen to Christmas music for the final quarter of the year,...
View ArticleCity Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks
I was already starting to dream of Christmas last October when we were in Paris…especially walking along the sidewalks jam-packed with shops filled with enticing things to buy and to eat. Christmas...
View ArticlePont Des Arts, Paris
Paris is the city of love and the Pont des Arts is the place in the city where people gather to profess their love.As bridges in Paris go, Pont des Arts is hardly the prettiest. Its railings are metal...
View ArticleOur Lock and Key
Each of our kids came home from their high school French trips with a story of visiting the Pont des Arts, so we knew the tradition of the locks and keys before going to Paris last fall. As we...
View ArticleStained Glass Easter Eggs
I saw an ad for McCormick food coloring that suggested coloring Easter eggs in shaving cream and food dye. Details were sketchy, but they had my attention so I made it up as I went along. Boil your...
View ArticleNotre Dame
Our visit to Paris last fall corresponded with the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Notre Dame. I was still trying to wrap my brain around that fact when the church facade came into view. The...
View ArticleTToT: Thanksgiving
#854-868 of my One Thousand Gifts Normally by Thanksgiving the trees are bare and the lawn is littered in color. This year the trees are still covered in leaves of varying colors. A local...
View ArticleIdeal Christmas
Mama Kat question of the week: How would you spend your dream Christmas if money was no issue? The leg lamp from A Christmas Story has resurfaced in Georgetown, TX. With or without money I wouldn’t...
View ArticleSanta Claus is Coming to Town
We have seen many lighted trees outside homes in Germany, but not any lights on the houses themselves. The towns and cities are draped in strings of lights, but homes are very simply decorated with...
View ArticleTToT: Holy Week
#973-991 of my One Thousand Gifts Holy Week for me began in Georgetown, TX. We attended Palm Sunday service at the First United Methodist Church and were warmly received. Palms were waved, favorite...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....