July and I have a complicated relationship. I’m not sure when that happened exactly. I almost want to say that my adult self is paying penance for carefree Julys of my childhood. But that wouldn’t be accurate either. Not entirely.

Sharing…a poem for you today in honor of Earth Day. Not a pretty picture but a reality we see daily.

Sharing…a poem today. Still on this winter theme…the snow is gone now and the sun is trying to shine.

Cozy sweaters, wood burning fires, art projects, blankets, red wine, books, afternoon tea…

I’ve been thinking lately about how January gets a bad rep. When it comes to the twelve months of the year, this one tends to be the least favorite of all. The post-holiday season let-down. The failed resolutions. The introspection on our flaws and efforts to correct them…these are at the forefront.

Welcome to a new decade, my friends. This whole new year thing kind of snuck up on me. I know I say that every year but when it hit me upside the head that a whole new decade was starting…well, I began to question my goals here at the blog.

“And what does January hold? Clean account books. Bare diaries. Three hundred and sixty-five new days, neatly parceled into weeks, months, seasons. A chunk of time, of life…those first few notes like an orchestra tuning up before the play begins.” ~ Phyllis Nicholson from Country Bouquet (1947)

Merry Christmas, Escapees. Here we are facing the last week of the decade. Hope it was a good one for you. Today, I announce the winners of my new book giveaway! But first (or you can scroll down to see now) I’ve rounded up the best of the blog for the decade.

My Autumn

No more laissez-faire

Sway of the hips

We’re in full swing summer season now. Do you have a summer bucket list? What have you checked off?

I’m not one to make bucket lists. I keep my to do’s in a journal and in my brain. Every summer though, there are certain things I know I want to do. Like, take a dip in the ocean. Full-head-in-kind of dip. It’s colder than heck but it feels amazing. Picking the berries right off the bush, is also a must-do for me.

It’s easy to let summer’s fleeting season pass us by. It comes and goes so quickly but luckily I have a summer fun recipe you’ll love…guaranteed to make your summer joy happen. This post has been updated from the archives.

Drew Coffman

Just my musings on my 54th Christmas and how it works as a divorced mother of three. With three adult children (one step), our family continues to grow as our children marry and bring more life into our blended family.

If you’re home alone for the holidays, no need to despair. There are several inspirational lessons we can learn from young Kevin in the iconic Christmas classic movie—“Home Alone”.

I must apologize (or must I?) for two movie inspired blog posts in a row. First, The War of The Roses and now, “Home Alone”. It’s not that I’m out of ideas, it’s simply that I often come up with a blog idea while watching a favorite television show or movie. Here we have it;