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 still" of the sun before it turns toward summer, will be at 10:44 am GMT. That's 5:44 am EST. We have about 9 hours of daylight these days to get all the things done.

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 listened to the audiobook, narrated by Will Damron.

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 for part of the time, I've just been tired, worried, or really, really busy using my computer and photos for work. But here I am, with an empty house and a head full of stuff.

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 kinds of just fun drafts about life at home languish in limbo. Tonight I'm on an adrenaline high from a two-workout day and I'm going to take advantage of it.

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 just my real life posts. The daily stuff. The stuff that happens here, at home.

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 had always heard that Iceland is just amazing, so I decided to go for it.

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 of hours in Wales at Tintern Abbey.

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 on the water, as so many other towns are named. We loved that little bit of insight.

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 then got on an early morning flight and flew to London, England. My dear friend Erin was waiting for me at the International Arrivals gate and my adventure began.

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 arrived.

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 middle of a few weeks at home, with my next trip commencing 2 weeks from today. This one is for the sheer adventure of it. I'm finally going to England! In honor of my half-century mark. I'll be visiting a friend and her family, and that will definitely be part of the treat.

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, and I suspect, will so go for quite a while. We're all doing okay, and that is enough for now.

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 items of clothing and heading out.

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 you, that they have expectations of you, and want you to be happy.

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 and today as I type this, she is outside spraying down her patio with a hose. She's been up and around, helping with chores like laundry and dishes, and has been in good spirits. Actually, when I think about her during this week, I'm astonished at her strength and resilience.

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 healing and fighting and making progress. By all the markers known to doctors, she is where she should be.

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 ready to love this book from the get-go. I'd never read anything by Fannie Flagg, and have only seen the film version of one of her other books once, a long time ago. I was starting with a blank slate.

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 is really popular in her world, and you may have heard of her book Seven, in which she experimented with extreme limits on consumption. You also may have seen her series on HGTV about renovating her house.

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, this post is not a whine. It's processing. Better out than in.

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 of them. Two boys, 4 and 2 years old. I'm caring for them full time at the least until my friend figures out daycare, and at the most till next month when I travel again.

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 me off at the train station in Salt Lake City and I got ready for my first overnight train experience in 40 years. I had booked a sleeper compartment on the California Zephyr and I was excited!

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 in Utah.

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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