We are remarkably planted in the space of testing and reestablishing. Over and over again. I suppose some of that is brought upon ourselves. We haven't left ourselves planted for any duration. Still, part of it comes with the chapter of growing a marriage relationship and growing as parents and children. While I'm sometimes a bit of Mary Poppins, I'm equally as loud and frazzled as the Christmas Story Mom. Most often, I find that I'm tired and not doing anything as well as I'd like. In this phase of tousled curls, nursing babies, testing boundaries, and navigating through marriage, I have to trust that the Lord will keep us. There is no way that I can "fill all the spaces". As a part time homeschool mom, the season of summer isn't really all that different from our other seasons. We still soak up the world around us, seek culture and knowledge, we still study and snuggle, we still make music and art as often as possible. Our explorations require less

Growing up, my family would take long drives to southern Ohio and Appalachia to visit family. The stationwagon logged a great many miles on those country roads and I always admired the lilies adorning the side of the road. The splashes of orange were cheerful and bright, welcoming visitors, so it seemed. Last year, when we moved to the cottage, I swooned over the orange lilies up along the road. While some view them as ordinary or plain, to me they have always been something I'd like to add to the front of the property, until now. The cottage came ready to bloom! This afternoon, as we pulled from the drive, intent on a trip to take our small tribe to visit cousins, I noticed that the very first lilly had blossomed! I smiled and quietly made note, as the car was filled with the chatted and rustle that begets a family road trip. I'm sure that when we return home, the sun will have beckoned forth lilies innumerable. I can't wait to see their smiling orange hues, laced with y

I was just listening to a podcast about women in business featuring CoCo Chanel. I'm fascinated by fashion. I can't afford high fashion right now and I cannot maintain high fashion right now, but the allure and the fluidity of high fashion intrigue me. In the interest of dusting off my business brain, I thought the podcast may inspire. A familiar voice casually led my mind as I set to scrubbing the kitchen sink, responding to emails and wiping the baseboards. All glamorous stuff, I assure you. To hear of the humble beginnings of Coco Chanel and the manner in which she navigated the early financial hurdles of starting a business, the personal branding tips offered, the growth perspective, it was some what predictable, but worth hearing. The narrative meandered through the chronological sequence of Coco's life and business choices until it reached war time Europe. The narrator's tone was a bit more reserved, as I would expect from was time discussion. I come from a g

Have you heard the inspiring speakers? The ones who talk about waking up and making your bed straight away. The speakers who claim that this pattern is the key to fulfillment and success, these folks are so well organized, I'm impressed. My reality is a little different these days. There was a time when the first action of the day was to take care of business. Make my bed, get a workout in, down a healthy breakfast, and get to work. I liked my routine and I excelled at it. Winning felt good. These days, my first action is often one more closely associated with disaster response. A child has wet the bed, a dog has vomited in the hallway, the house alarm was accidently triggered by a well intended husband upon departure, or a tribe of Little Ones are accidentally kicking my ribs and nose in unison (because they all crawled into our bed during the last night's thunderstorm). These days, my "not so twenty-something" body often hits the floor running after FAR too littl

S chool just let out for the summer and my kids are in decompression mode. Report cards have been received. Tests have been taken. Awards distributed. Field days celebrated. It is time to find a comfy lawn chair and kick back anbit as the kids fall into the hazy rhythm of playing under shade trees and running through sprinklers. My mind wanders as I watch. How many times this year did I encourage my child to try something new? How many times did my child have to navigate uncharted waters? This week I've set upon preparation for the local art show. My new book will be released at the show and the crafty elements from our farm days will be featured. I'm excited to dip my toe into the art world once more. Prior to 9/11 I was an art student with high ideals. Amazing how a surge of patriotism can alter one's path. I digress. In preparing for the art show, I'm encouraged by the processes and preparations that turn the unknown into a series of items to mark off my list.

Somewhere between Martha Stewart and Pinterest, this generation of Mothers inherited the notion that our homes need to be spotless and we need to be REALLY good at... everything. In this particular instance, I'm going to assert that feminism has not been an entirely healthy concept. Stay with me. Feminism tells us that we, as women, can do ANYTHING! We can run a business and have a "Better Homes" household, we can cousel our children and fill up their cup, and we can be the lovers that once dazzled the pages of paperbacks. We.can.do.it.all. ...but do we really want to it all? I don't. I want to be a teammate with my spouse. I want to be a sister to my friend. I want to support a local business. I'd rather not label and canister my baking supplies, in coordinated fashion. There's a mom, a parent on my kid's tball team. I dubbed her "supermom". She clearly logs some healthy time at the gym. She is always smiling. Her toes are recently polished