The Gift of Today
My heart swells when I hear the excitement in my elated daughter’s voice, saying, “Oh, Mommy! Mommy!” She can also cause my heart to ache, while crying out those same words when she is...
The TABLE
I just made this comment to a friend: “The Dinner Table really is an exceptional place, isn’t it?” Not only does healthy, beautiful goodness from our garden appear on our plates, but also delicious...
Kids Hosting Kids
Our kids are comfortable in our kitchen. They are self-sufficient and they know how to whip up a quick snack or lunch for them and their friends. After swimming for hours, they are especially...
Thursday Night Dinners
Our whole family looks forward to Thursday nights, starting at 5 pm. What is so special about Thursday nights, you might ask? Is it a TV show? Do we get to eat out? Does...
Homemade Ice Cream & 4th Celebration!
As a little girl, I would relish the moment of licking the paddle pulled out of the ice cream freezer, as my parents would make homemade ice cream on a hot summer evening. I...
Catch the Passion
Have you ever noticed that some people have the uncanny ability to inspire those around them? My mind goes back to about ten years ago to mouth-watering meals and magical evenings spent with friends....
Sow and Reap (Yummy Strawberry Pie)
I think of these gifts that I have been handed: Eyesight, a good mind, an incredible family, leadership abilities, a home, means of providing a good meal, and a connectedness to friends around me....
New Summer Goal
Almost daily I feel divided or distracted. I’ve often told friends that there are seasons in life where some things are more important than others. There is a time and a place, or even...
Nothing to Prove
Paul and I have a yearly tradition in our home where we entertain the same 2 couples. We started this about 7 years ago. These 2 couples have been married a lot longer than...
Goodness Grows
“Goodness is easier to recognize than to define.” (W.H. Auden, 1939) Several times now, we have pulled up to our house in our Suburban with plants hanging out the back. Our friend Jeannie, who...
My Dad, Milt
I think of my Dad as a Hospitality King. I’ve spoken about how my Mom has given my sisters and me the gift of hospitality, but I’d be wrong to say it all came...
"Mom, what’s to eat?" and "I won a car today!"
What a great feeling, having my cupboards stocked with food … good food! Especially when I have hungry kids in the home, and also their friends, who come and go all summer long. But...
