Solstice Approaches

December 15, 2016 • 2016, catch-up posts, Christmas, daily photos, day trips, december, family, glencairn, myreddoordays

I have been noticing the short days lately. Darkening afternoons turn to twilight by 4:30, with night closing in just a few minutes later. The shortest day here in the Northern Hemisphere will be next Wednesday. The moment of the solstice, the "standing...

November 8, 2016 • 2016, friends, nashville, November, travel, Weekend fun

The title of this post could be "A Mormon, a Jew, a Quaker, a Lapsed Catholic, and an Indian with a Southern Accent Walked into a Bar..." ...

October 26, 2016 • 2016, home, my red door days, october, ordinary days, thinking out loud

It's finally feeling like fall around here. This morning I walked with my neighbors to school and had to wear a beanie and some gloves! How exciting!...

October 23, 2016 • 2016, book reviews, kelreads

Spare Parts Genre: Non Fiction Joshua Davis You might like this book if you want a different perspective on issues and problems facing immigrants, if you like underdog stories, and inspiring stories about not giving up when the odds are long. I...

September 30, 2016 • 2016, catch-up posts, life, Lisa and Sons, thinking out loud, writing

Since I last wrote, I've traveled far, both in miles and situation. Everything has changed, and it's time to update the record. For part of the last couple of months I was so much on the move that I simply didn't have time or internets to write, and...

July 19, 2016 • 2016, family, friends, idaho, Jann, July, minnesota, my kids, south dakota, travel, wisconsin, wyoming

I've probably said it a hundred times, but as long as my people are all in the west, I'm going to travel there, a lot. This trip has been especially fun because I'm sharing it not only with family, but with some of my favorite friends....

July 14, 2016 • catch-up posts, friends, photos, tnna, travel, washington dc, work

I've had some lovely times in the 6 weeks or so since I got back from my last trip. This and the next couple of posts will attempt to catch up on all the things. I usually only feel the urge to write when I need to process stuff, so a lot of these...

July 6, 2016 • home, Lisa and Sons, lord of the rings, my red door days, thinking out loud

Ah, Samwise Gamgee. He is my perfect literary alter-ego. By far my favorite character in The Lord of the Rings, he lifts my spirits and reminds me regularly about being brave....

July 1, 2016 • daily photos, friends, home, instagram, my little house, my red door days, thinking out loud

People have asked about my Instagram hashtag #myreddoordays. Some folks thought it had something to do with Elizabeth Arden's iconic fragrance and spa. Some thought it was a movement or had some larger context. Nothing so exciting, folks. They're...

June 26, 2016 • 2016, 49, bicycles, bike travel, iceland, kelukiceland2016, travel

Finally. The last installment. When I was making these plane reservations months and months ago, I happened to read that Icelandair allows you to extend your stopover in Reykjavik for up to a week without changing the price of your airline ticket. I...

June 8, 2016 • 2016, cornwall, england, hiking, kelukiceland2016, travel

Thursday, May 26, we drove west and north across the Severn River, which becomes the Bristol Channel. We overshot Bristol on purpose so we could keep an appointment there later in the day and it would be on our way home. First was a lovely couple...

May 31, 2016 • 2016, chatsworth, england, garden, kelukiceland2016, kiera knightley, salisbury cathedral, travel

The view from our Sunday walk in the Peak District. I left off at our perfect B&B in Ashford in the Water. Erin found out that the name of that charming little town comes from the fact that it often floods. Thus in the water, rather than...

May 21, 2016 • 2016, england, friends, jane austen, kelukiceland2016, May, travel

A view from the window of Chawton House This year, in August, I turn 50. It seemed a good time to finally get to England, so here I am! This past Monday, May 16, I got on an evening flight and flew right into the sunrise to Keflavik, Iceland. I...

May 4, 2016 • 2016, birthdays, Sara

Twenty-two years ago today, I became the mother of a daughter. After 3 sons, it was not a sure bet in my mind, and back then, when they looked at the blurry sonogram and told me I was having a girl, I didn't actually believe it 100% until she arrive...

May 1, 2016 • 2016, graduation, home, Jeff and Ashlyn, Mom and Pop, mom's cancer, Sam and Madison, travel, Utah

I have a developing cold today, so I used it as a convenient excuse to opt out of the day. Have you ever done that? In the name of public health, of course? Anyway, I caught up on sleep, mostly, and got some waiting church assignments done. I'm in the...

April 18, 2016 • 2016, family, family you choose, home, Jeff and Ashlyn, Lisa and Sons, my red door days

After arriving home on April 4, I got to jump back into life with little people and their mom. I'm tired of belaboring all my thoughts about that here, so I won't. I'm boiling it down to the phrase, "complicated, but functioning." That's how it's going,...

March 29, 2016 • arizona, family, mom's cancer, mountains, travel

Mom is now 3 weeks post-op. Her recovery from the surgery has continued to be really, really good. Miraculous-seeming to us who know her and were so concerned about how small and frail she is....

March 21, 2016 • family, grandmothering, Temple times, travel, Utah

Last week, I celebrated being gone from home for one month by changing my locale again. Just for 4 nights. I tried out Allegiant Air from Mesa to Provo (two small, regional airports), doing my best imitation of a minimalist, taking my camera and a few...

March 14, 2016 • 2016, book reviews, I'm a Mormon, inspiration, scriptures, spirituality, study, what I believe, why i believe

The Book of Mormon Genre: Scripture, Religious Text, Anthology, Abridgement Compiled and Edited by Mormon You might like this book if you enjoy studying scripture, are curious about religion, or want to consider idea that God and Jesus Christ love...

March 12, 2016 • 2016, arizona, everything is all right, family, family you choose, friends, thinking out loud, travel

Keeping vigil while mom was in surgery. 5 of the 8 kids were there with my dad, which felt good. On Tuesday, Mom had a double mastectomy. From my perspective, she has done really, really well recovering from it. She hasn't had too much pain...

March 7, 2016 • 2016, arizona, balance, family, mom's cancer, travel

When people ask how Mom is doing, it's automatically a two-pronged question for me. Rather than just saying "she's fine," or "she's awful," I've started using terms like "cancer goggles" to explain that from one perspective, she is doing great. She is...

February 28, 2016 • 2016, adult, book reviews, fannie flagg, fiction

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven Fannie Flagg Fiction You might like this book if you like small town stories that frame up simple truths and the value of relationships. This book was recommended to me by a friend whose literary tastes I trust, so I was...

February 26, 2016 • books, I might be crazy, literature, reading, thinking out loud

I was going to get on and write a book review, then I realized that my last post was a book review, with no news or musings or anything else in between. So here I am with some of that, but the book is why I'm here. So look for the next post as well....

February 10, 2016 • 2016, audiobook, book reviews, books, faith, inspiration, Jen Hatmaker, reading, religious books

For the Love: by Jen Hatmaker Christian, Inspirational I listened to the audiobook read by the author. You might like this book if you enjoy Mommy Blogs; inspirational, non-denominational faith-based writing; or need some encouragement. This author/blogger...

February 8, 2016

This has been a hard time for me, I'm just going to be honest. Reality sometimes overtakes my determination to make this blog about the good stuff on the other side. I'm still looking for the other side right now. While it may come dangerously close,...

January 27, 2016 • everyday stuff, family, family you choose, my red door days, thinking out loud

So here I am. Back in the thick of toddler times. Remember my friend I told you about? The one living with us? While I was gone for my month of western sojourning, she brought her boys home to live at our place. Now she's back to work and I'm in charge...

January 26, 2016 • 2015, 2016, California, family, friends, photography, tnna, trains, travel

After having dinner with the in-town kids, then seeing Sara off on Sunday afternoon January 3, I went over and spent a pleasant evening with Sam and Madison at their cute apartment. Late that evening, after some adventures in navigation, Sam dropped...

January 16, 2016 • 2015, arizona, family, grand canyon, road trips, star gazing, travel, Utah

After our lovely white Christmas in Utah, we all went our separate ways, with Eric heading home, Jeff and Ashlyn and Johnathan and Kristen heading to California to see family there, and Sara and I departing for Arizona on the 26th. Sam and Madison stayed...

January 7, 2016 • 2016, death, family, gospel truth, grief, russell m. nelson, testimony

My posts haven't had much rhyme or reason lately, and I suppose I'm still getting back in the habit of blogging here more regularly, but tonight I feel like writing. ...

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