Holding the address book I'd found in Mom's things, I dialed her number. As I listened to the ringing, I couldn't decide if I hoped she'd answer or if it would be a relief to just leave a message. A tinny voice told me I'd reached a certain number and kindly asked me to leave... Continue Reading →
I'd been there since Saturday and it was now the following Thursday. My sister and her husband left Monday to return to their jobs. My husband and children left Tuesday - jobs and virtual school couldn't wait any longer. The day before, Wednesday, it was just her and me as she got to see Jesus... Continue Reading →
I ran to find my phone as the ringing continued. Turning it over, I saw her name and number. Answering it would cost an hour of something else getting done, but I quickly shoved the irritation aside and slipped a smile into my voice... "Hey Mom! How are you?" She'd been calling less randomly and... Continue Reading →
From the Back Cover Once held captive and tortured on a mysterious mountain, Dan was lucky to have made it out alive. But freedom comes at a cost. Left with little memory of the horrific ordeal, Dan can recall one thing - his escape meant leaving his brother behind. With each day that passes, Dan... Continue Reading →
From the Back Cover Betty Sweet never expected to be a widow at forty. With so much life still in front of her, she tries to figure out what’s next, never imagining what God had in mind. When her estranged sister returns to town, Betty finds herself taking on the care of a five-year-old nephew... Continue Reading →
It's been 84 days since I had a haircut, ate in a restaurant, grocery shopped without concern of wearing a mask or obsessively sanitizing my hands, or (and here's the doozy) my children have been in school. I'm over screens - and thankfully school is done now. But let's be honest, I'm just over it... Continue Reading →
From the Back Cover: Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanagh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show, To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of hte Culinary Channel’s other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making... Continue Reading →
It's Day Whatever over here at the Nerd Factory. Somewhere in my planner world, it's supposed to be what's usually known as "spring break" but that is not the case this year. Recently, I've read of friends who are so excited for the change of pace, they are seriously considering unenrolling their children from their... Continue Reading →
As you can see, this post was going to be about Lent. But it seems today has been hijacked by COVID-19 aka the Coronavirus. My son's 5th grade orientation was abruptly cancelled just hours before it started. Kids were full out crying in his class, they were so disappointed. In the space of one day,... Continue Reading →
Artificial romance is in the air. Tomorrow, of course, is Valentine's Day. I've spoken my thoughts about Hallmark's arm-twisting of our men while they raise our fragile expectations higher than the Sears Tower (and no, it will never ever be the Willis Tower. Thank you very much). I like a little bit of romance like any... Continue Reading →
Yes, you read that title right. 20/20 vision pun and reading. Yes, I'm that much of a nerd. (Also, I know it's actually Friday, not Thursday. Life happened yesterday so we get to pretend it's still Thursday today.) But seriously, I noticed something last year with my Goodreads book tracking. I jumped from book to book... Continue Reading →
Stuck on gifts for the kid readers in your life? Check out my 2019 Kids Book Gift List!
You might not believe me but if you want to test your ability to teach the Bible, I highly recommend teaching Kindergarteners. You will either "have" them or lose them. They have no filter and will say what they think. But the best part? When they get it, they've really GOT it! They will interact... Continue Reading →
It was my middle son who told me that I HAD to read The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. His older sister, rather than her usual contrarianism, actually joined him in his attempt to convince me. That's how I knew it must be really good. But I confess, it took finding out that the... Continue Reading →
It's been awhile! But I'm back after a crazy busy summer with a great review for you! My friend Kate Motaung (moe-ta-oong) the brains behind Five Minute Friday has launched a new paper journal for the annual October writing challenge: 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes. As you know, I've participated for the last... Continue Reading →
From the Back Cover: When Cohen Marah steps over his father’s body in the basement embalming room of the family’s funeral home, he has no idea that he is stepping into a labyrinth of memory. Over the next week, Cohen’s childhood comes back in living color. The dramatic events that led to his parents’ separation.... Continue Reading →
From taps... "all is well, safely rest, God is nigh" to the flag slowly folded and presented... "on behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation" to my veteran father-in-law... I was barely controlling my emotion.
From the Back Cover: After Annie Jacobson’s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he mails her the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike’s absense, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding... Continue Reading →
Does keeping track of goals feel like a prison cell? Read on to find out how planners are like underwear. 🙂
Mother's Day weekend 2017 we physically moved in, but January 2019 this house finally feels like our home. The books have their esteemed place on the wall once again.
If you're thinking, "why in the world does anyone need more than one book at a time. You read it and then you're done. What's the big deal?!" You might have happened on the wrong website. Your perfect blog might be "Minimalists in all things - including books". This blog could've been accurately titled "Book Hoarders Anonymous" - which is taken. (I just checked.)
If you're thinking, "The smell and feel and excitement of finding the best edition for the best price?? Yes!! Bring it on!! Oh and reading it? Love that too!!" You are definitely in the right place. Read on, good reader.
Happy InCoWriMo 2019!!! In case you didn't know, I'm taking part in a challenge to write a handwritten card each day for the month of February to celebrate the International Correspondence Writing Month. Oh and also... did you know it's really difficult to write a blog post about writing snail-mail each day?? I've been wracking... Continue Reading →
"Once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." Skin Horse (Velveteen Rabbit)
When negative temps confine you to the house, survival looks a lot like creativity.
Welcome back for the final post of our Mean Girls series! Here's the first installment if you'd like to catch up. This post will focus on some practical ways to navigate the mean girls in our lives as well as some questions to ask ourselves to make sure we're not joining them. After you read... Continue Reading →
It started in third grade. Her two "BFFs" from the neighborhood (sisters) demanded that she give back the necklace proclaiming their friendship because they didn't all end up in the same class together. She was devastated, so hurt that the friendship she thought was special didn't have the same value to the other girls. Her... Continue Reading →
I can’t believe it’s done, but summer officially is over. Yesterday, the busses came and all three of my backpack-laden creative people got on and left. For the first time, I wasn’t ready. Oh, I had all the school supplies collected and labeled, but I still had more stuff I wanted to do with them. I... Continue Reading →
Each of them, whether they see it yet or not, is created to create. Numbers, paper, pencil, marker, paint, doodles, words, sentences, ingredients, balsa wood, Legos... we cannot help it. Our Creator is worshiped when we reflect Him. I want them to see this.
(This is your weekly Theological Thursday post but - on a FRIDAY!) What is the Enneagram?? It's one of a vast number of personality systems and ways of seeing ourselves. Ann Bogel has a great book called Reading People with a chapter on the biggest of the tests and how each is beneficial and complements the... Continue Reading →
Our texts flew back and forth. "I've got seats saved!" "Can't wait to see you!" with lots of smiley emojis. As we both finally took our seats in the auditorium of Community Reformed, our sigh of relief was in unison. We made it - physically, emotionally and spiritually. We so needed this time to remember... Continue Reading →
She said, "The doctor saw a questionable spot on your mammogram yesterday and wants to see you again. Can you come in today?" Her words made my heart stop and my thoughts fly. Why did they want to see me so soon?? I have no pain! Are they just being overly cautious?? Is this the... Continue Reading →
It's the end of September. This means there have been several weeks for the kids to adjust to their new schools and today I got to volunteer for the first time. After somehow misreading the volunteer email, I signed up for the 1st grade time slot instead of the 2nd grade - which turned out... Continue Reading →
