Why You Should Let Go of Your Dream
I’ve spent the past five years wondering, “Where will I be this time next year? What will I be doing? Where will I be living?” I’ve been like a neglected houseplant, my leaves slowly curling. I had no roots. Here at Maplehurst, we are in the freeze/thaw ugliness of midwinter, but I am fixated on the particular beauty of golden, late-afternoon...
These Farmhouse Bookshelves (Downton Abbey Edition!)
Another Saturday, another peak at my bookshelves ... this time with a little Downton Abbey inspiration. Now, Sybil, dear, this sort of thing is all very well in novels, but in reality, it can prove very uncomfortable. (Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham) I'm a lucky lady. Not only will my husband happily watch hour after hour...
This Cloak of Invisibility: A Guest Post
Are you visiting from Deidra’s place today? You are welcome here. I’m an English PhD who recently traded the university classroom for an old farmhouse and a writing desk. I write about motherhood, I write about Jesus, I write about books. I write to remember that life is magical. // // We all have questions. We each have stories to share. We...
These Farmhouse Bookshelves
I began this Saturday series, this weekly glimpse of my over-stuffed bookshelves, because it seemed like fun. Just fun. But now I've read House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer's Journey Home by Mark Richard, and the word fun doesn't come close. To share a book like this is something far beyond fun. It is serious. It is sacred. It almost feels...
This is Now
One of my favorite comedians has a bit about life with four young children. “Bedtime is a crisis!” he says. I can relate. In our house breakfast is a crisis (the three-year-old is NOT a morning person), homework after school is a crisis (I’ve forgotten 9 times 7, and I can’t find a calculator), dinner is a crisis (food allergies + general...
These Farmhouse Bookshelves
This week I've been knee-deep in gardening books and seed catalogs. I love winter gardening. It's all about dreaming. This is one of my new favorites. Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard is practical and inspirational. The photography is lovely, and the ideas are especially well-suited for small,...