Happiness and Taking Chances

I start every morning at my computer with a familiar ritual.  I enter a contest to win a house. Any house. Sometimes it’s the HGTV Dream Home, or Green Home.  Right now it’s the Southern Living Choose Your Home Giveaway.  I envision myself living in Sonoma, California, or Habersham, South Carolina, or any number of fabulous places.  I furnish the…

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The Way it Should Be–the Joys of Parenthood

I have the greatest admiration for any single mom or dad.  Raising children with two parents is difficult.  Raising children alone?  Anyone doing this deserves all our support.                                       Take Mama Bird, for instance. Remember those babies in the boot from my photo last weekend?  Unformed little critters who barely resembled birds?  Now look.  One…

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Small Blessings–the joys of spring and motherhood

Wondering about the eggs in the boot from a couple of blogs ago?  Wondering what kind of bird fits inside a boot  to lay so many perfect tiny eggs?  Wonder no more. Mama Bird’s a Carolina wren, and very conscientious.  The babies are alive and well, although we hope they eventually begin to look more…

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Who Does Emilie Read? Diane Chamberlain For One

Inevitably during every interview I’m asked the names of authors I enjoy.  Inevitably Diane Chamberlain is at the top of my list. Diane and I became more than mutual admirers when I moved to Northern Virginia a decade ago and found she lived here, too.  We began to get together to chat, then to brainstorm,…

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Unexpected Reminders–the Other Side of Memorial Day

Sometimes little miracles are easy to miss.  Luckily my son saw these and warned us before we pulled on our boots for a hike into Central Virginia woods this holiday weekend.  Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have passed from our lives.  These tiny eggs were a reminder of new lives about to be…

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Live Long and Prosper

I am a Trekkie.  I don’t go to conventions, and I don’t dress in costume–although I once made a complicated Star Fleet uniform for one of my sons.  Now that he’s well into his twenties, I’m sure he would prefer I not discuss how cute he looked as Captain Kirk.

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Wish You Were Here

Right now I need a slice of Wanda’s Key lime pie. You haven’t yet had the pleasure of Wanda’s company.  She’s one of the women of Happiness Key.  Wanda bakes pies when she’s stressed.  She bakes pies when she’s happy, too.  In fact Wanda bakes so many pies, she’s always on the lookout for friends to give…

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