Journal

The world probably doesn’t need another granola recipe.  There are certainly enough out there to choose from.  But, here goes anyway, because you never know when the next one you make might become your favorite.  And, because this is what we’re eating this week as we sit in the hospital and wait for Moe’s heart […]

We were supposed to be leaving for Vietnam tomorrow, on a luxury biking tour with Butterfield & Robinson.  Instead of packing today, I’m in Vancouver and getting ready to head back to St. Paul’s Hospital, where my father-in-law is there awaiting a procedure for a new heart valve.  We’ve actually been in the hospital with […]

Elie and I will be leaving for Vietnam in three weeks to celebrate my 40th birthday.  For most of the time we’re there, we’ll be biking with Butterfield & Robinson, with a few days by ourselves exploring Hanoi and Saigon at the beginning and end of the trip.  I feel like a kid counting down […]

I was eight when I got my first diary. A small, red leather book clasped with a gold lock, sitting under the Christmas tree. I wrote faithfully in that diary each night before bed, with the worries of a young girl’s mind. From that time on, I’ve collected dozens of journals, filled with my thoughts, […]

I knew I was falling in love with Alyssa and Rob when we were trying to decide where to go to lunch on our first full day in Perth. “I want fine dining!” Alyssa said, as she skipped past the deli and up the steps toward Print Hall. “Me too!” agreed Rob. "Uh-oh, you’re in […]

I’ve never seen anything like it. At 6:00 in the morning, the first truck rolled in, a father and son who started their pilgrimage from their home in Houston at three a.m. to drive west and be first in line at Franklin Barbecue. They didn’t anticipate someone would have beaten them to the punch, our […]

The end of this Christmas season and the beginning of a brand new year launches me into excessive self-reflection, leaving me equal parts joyful, thankful and sad.  Joyfulness for the grace that Christmas brings and the boundless possibilities a new year holds.  Thankfulness for the most amazing husband, for loving relationships, for the opportunity to […]

I almost didn’t write this post.  The topic of easy holiday entertaining sounded trite to me, and maybe even a little pompous. Because really, holiday entertaining can be stressful.  Especially if we start to compare ourselves to Pinterest boards and Instagram posts and beautiful blogs portraying perfectly set tables (or perfectly imperfectly set tables) and […]

I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about the meaning of family. There is the family we are born into, and then there is the family we choose.  Some of the family we choose might include the family we’re born with—family members who are kind, compassionate, loving, joyful, giving or interesting individuals with whom we […]

It’s such a treat to have my Mom and Granny staying with us this week.  We’ve cooked and baked, gone antiquing, window shopped, and sat around reminiscing.  These times are precious, the moments that you’d like to capture and suspend in time. I’ve always found the best conversations in life happen in the kitchen or […]