letters from the wilderness
As I work on my strategies for living and growing in my current environment, I decided to do an Annual Review, an activity I haven't done since 2015. Since I'll be writing more about my personal Annual Review within the next day or so, I will simply say here that one of my goals for... Continue Reading →
It’s decorating week in my home. It’s our second Christmas in a bigger home. I’m getting used to having more space to decorate and space that is structured in a different way than I’m used to. Last year, I decided to embrace having multiple artificial trees. I can do themes with each tree, using all... Continue Reading →
This is about fitness and healthy eating. But, in reality, it's about how I'm approaching life. Or, how I think I'm going to approach different areas of my new life here in Virginia. To back up a few steps, moving to Virginia changed a lot of things in my life. I lost my parish community,... Continue Reading →
I would call it a lazy, rainy Saturday, but it's not. Tomorrow is the second Sunday of Advent, my season of preparation for Christmas. While I "think" I'm done decorating inside, there's still the outside to do. There's gift shopping to do. There's cookies to make. There's planning for next year to plan. No time... Continue Reading →
Dog. Yellow. Soft. Speckles edging triangular ears. Snoozing. Saturday night.
A few trees still have their leaves today. The brilliant red of the Japanese maple outside my kitchen window never fails to catch my eye when I'm in the kitchen area of our house. Today is a Thanksgiving Day I could not have imagined or anticipated. March 5, 2020 will always be the day that... Continue Reading →
Before I start Advent/Christmas decorating after Christ the King on November 20th, I'm sharing some of my fall and Halloween decorations. Most of the items were purchased on sale, on clearance, or at a thrift store. I find sticking to this habit of buying keeps me focused on buying what I'll truly need or use,... Continue Reading →
Welcome to my new tradition for my children - the Christmas box. Two of my sons are away at college and grad school. It will be the second year they aren't with us during Advent. I decided to send them some Christmas cheer to have in their rooms until they're home with us at Christmastime.... Continue Reading →
As a Roman Catholic surrounded by a vast sea of various Protestant churches here in South West/Central Virginia, I have found myself embracing my faith at a deeper level. I had begun to dig into my faith before losing our middle son John. But, having a Catholic Church on every corner is vastly different from... Continue Reading →
I’m struggling with gardening here in Virginia. The previous owner of our home did little to improve the red clay soil. While the soil has nutrients, they are not easily accessible for new plants. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same access to free leaf mulch we had in Pennsylvania to help the soil. After trying... Continue Reading →
2 dogs and a house 