Dad’s Big Move
A month ago, I spoke to Dad’s doctor about some concerning health issues. When the doctor shared that Dad has diastolic heart failure on top of other medical issues, I knew things were going to have to change, especially after the doctor said the safest place for Dad to be is in assisted living. So, […]
Host an Ice Cream Social
If it is hot and miserable in your corner of the world, and you just want to sit like a lazy slug in front of a cool breeze, you are not alone! But, think about inviting over friends and family over for a wonderful afternoon or evening for an ice cream extravaganza. You can make […]
Letter Organizer
When I gave my office a makeover, one thing I searched for but couldn’t find was a nice letter organizer. I’d been using a pretty flower pot for years, but it was time for an upgrade. I didn’t want something huge or metal, or that hung on the wall. Just a simple organizer for mail […]
Sharing the Spirit of America
At 6 p.m. today (EDT), every state in America, along with 20 countries, will join in a simultaneous reading of the Declaration of Independence to celebrate the 250th anniversary of when the words were read in public for the first time on July 8, ,1776 in Philadelphia. I wish I could travel back in time […]
Happy Flag Day!
Happy Flag Day! Today we celebrate the Stars and Stripes and the ideals of freedom, courage, and unity they represent. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, declaring that the flag of the United States would feature thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field, […]
French Memo Board
Year ago, when I gave my office a makeover, I reupholstered the little rocking chair I had at the time, and made a French memo board to match. Then, when Captain Cavedweller got me a new chair and we recently had it reupholstered, the memo board no longer matched. Since I was giving the office […]
Office Makeover 2026
The evening of Christmas, Captain Cavedweller told me he wanted to show me something in my office, so I followed him down the hall and into the room I’ve used as my office ever since we moved into our house 20+ years ago. He had tucked a wad of cash into one of the overhead […]
The Office Chair
In December 2024, as my Christmas gift from Captain Cavedweller, he gifted me with an antique chair for my office. The old chair I had (which started out in plush orange upholstery, picked up at a yard sale by his mom a long, long time ago, and I recovered in a sage rose print) was […]
The Troll House
When we were in Portland for my October book signing, one of the fun things we did with my awesome cousins was visit the Nordic Northwest Cultural Center. There’s Nordia House that opened its doors in June 2015. The center contains an exhibit hall, which hosts traveling Nordic art exhibition, a Great Hall for events, […]
A Year to Grow
I always choose a one-word theme for my year. Past words have included Blessed, Believe, Joy, One, Grace, Faith, Brave, and Love. This year, I chose the word Grow. There are so many ways we can grow. In patience. In kindness. In hope. In faith. In love. In understanding. In empathy. In tenderness. In strength. […]
Dad’s 95th Birthday Party
This week, my dad turns 95. When COVID derailed an in-person party for his 90th birthday, I told him we’d have a huge party to celebrate his 100th birthday. Then a little voice whispered to me back in the midst of a summer heat wave that we really should have a party to honor Dad’s […]
A Lamp, A Bowl, and a Bell
Years ago, not long after school ended for the summer and I left behind the seventh grade, a Sears sale catalog arrived. I flipped through the pages and came to a sudden and abrupt halt. There, in all its glorious splendor, was a beautiful lamp, and I wanted it. I really, really wanted it. I […]