It's amazing to realize that on this day, five years ago, I would have hesitated to say why the year had been difficult and heartbreaking. I would have stumbled over the truth behind what made it joyful, surprising and blessed because I wasn't yet, we weren't yet, ready to openly share our story. Perhaps we didn't yet trust that this new phase would last, given how relatively effortlessly the shift from utter despair to absolute joy had arrived at our doorstep. I also know that shame was still part of our lives. It might have downgraded to a baby elephant, but given that they weigh 200+ pounds at birth, that's…
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2019: My year in review
It’s always a little melancholic to get to the end of a year: time is passing so quickly, but it’s also a little liberating to see what has been done in the past 12 months, too. So in the spirit of looking back before I look forward, I have opted to assess 2019 from this series of questions I found from a friend on Facebook. We talked through a number of them at supper last night and had a great conversation; I invite you to consider doing the same, either by yourself of with some close friends or family. What makes this year unforgettable? Travel:
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A Thanksgiving to remember
This story originally appeared in the November/December 2010 issue of from house to HOME magazine. Thanksgiving 2004 found my husband and me with no plans. My son was off with his dad, and all my family were out of town. I decided to make a small Thanksgiving dinner for us. Growing up, Thanksgiving meant going to Grandma and Granddad’s house all the way across the state of North Dakota to eat Grandma’s incredible homemade buns, out-of-this-world sweet potatoes covered in cream, brown sugar, marshmallows, butter, and pecans, stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade cranberry relish, pumpkin pie, mincemeat tarts, and the list goes on and on. This was a…
