Social distancing: week seven (April 26-May 2)
I'm writing this weeks after the fact, but I'm determined to document eight weeks of our stay-at-home life. I promised myself I'd write eight weeks worth of posts so I could look back on this later, and I always finish what I start. It's a curse. About five weeks after I set it up, I took down … [Read More...]
You should go camping…
By Mary 22 Comments
We camp because we want to. We camp because we have to. “You like to camp because it’s good for your mental health,” my counselor said this winter as we discussed my weather-related sadness in full effect. Huh, I thought. I never made that connection before. This is why I pay for … [Read More...]
Mark your calendars, please and thank you.…
By Mary 10 Comments
Get out your old school paper planner. If you use an app on your phone, I guess get that out too, but please notice my mild annoyance in this decision. Paper planners are the best way to go in this situation. It's just a fact. Okay, now I need you to write some important things … [Read More...]
I’m still into cookbooks…
By Mary 6 Comments
Are cookbooks still a thing? Answer: YES. I don't care what the internet or Pinterest or all the end-of-traditional-publishing alarmist say, I'm still in love with cookbooks and use them regularly. There's just something that feels really good about cracking open a well-worn cookbook, … [Read More...]
Visit St. Louis…
Sometimes it's nice to be told what to do, so I'm going to come right out and say it: plan a trip to St. Louis, Missouri sooner rather than later. When the girls were still in school, we skipped town for a few days and headed to St. Louis. I love that it's within four hours of Indianapolis; close … [Read More...]
He is gracious even in our suffering.…
By Mary 2 Comments
It’s just more layers, I said as I stood against the wall watching the kids play. The more I learn and heal, the more things I see to address. Yep, my friend agreed. We just keep finding more junk the longer we pay attention. At some point, I stopped thinking one day I’d just get to healthy; … [Read More...]
I’m tired of talking about the Enneagram.…
By Mary 3 Comments
I’m tired of talking about the Enneagram. In 2017, I read The Road Back to You and suddenly I had language to communicate with my husband and understanding to see why so often we missed each other even though we were living in the same house. The Enneagram began a lot of healing and growing … [Read More...]
Cemetery dirt…
By Mary 2 Comments
We live across from a cemetery. Less than two acres with a sloping hill, it is nestled between trees and a busy road. The gravel driveway takes you on a half-circle loop before depositing you across from the boundary line that separates our house from my aunt's. For decades, my grandpa was the … [Read More...]
Visit Fort Wayne, Indiana…
By Mary 4 Comments
Traveling to Fort Wayne, Indiana, wasn't on my summer travel plans, but I've learned the error of my ways and now I'm here to save you from the same mistake. I've lived in or around Indianapolis my whole life. Why did I need to visit other parts of the state? Indianapolis and its suburbs have … [Read More...]
time & money…
Seven years ago after Chris completed out-patient treatment for drug addiction, I thought we were done. He had done the group counseling. He had stopped using drugs. He had done everything on the rehab checklist. So we went back to normal life. Chris was clean, and he was back home. No more … [Read More...]
Slime Recipes + Party…
Finding easy, fool-proof slime recipes is no joke. The internet is full of things that look magical but don't work in real life so when Ellie said she wanted a slime birthday party to celebrate turning ten, I took the request very serious and called in the big guns: my science teacher/friend, … [Read More...]
