• Heritage

    Our Daily Dessert

    On our way to church we pass another church that has one of those changeable signs. They usually have some thought-provoking quote on it. Earlier this summer Lyle had remarked that their sign-changer must be on vacation because it had been awhile since the quote had changed. The very next Sunday as we were driving past I noticed it was…

  • Heritage

    To Stand

    I’m discouraged and weary. Bordering on depression. Honestly, our second year in Colorado so far has been worse than the first, at least for me. I struggle with wondering why are we here? As I try to work through these thoughts it occurs to me that no matter where we are or what our circumstances there will be conflict and…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Quiet Times

    During the summer months I look forward to having my morning quiet times on the deck just outside the kitchen. It is shady and cool there early in the morning. The breeze rustles the aspen and fir trees along the fence. The chickens cluck contentedly. The dog sniffs around the yard to see if anything has changed overnight. The cat…

  • Heritage

    Give Thanks

    1. List three (little) things you wouldn’t want to live without: contact lenses books coffee 2. Name something you had to do without recently: a car 3. What are you most thankful for that you consider a luxury? my “new” car 4. Name an item you use the most throughout your day: a computer 5. What would life be like…

  • Adventures

    Not Complainin’

    It’s a blizzardy morning in my neighborhood today. The view out my kitchen window is rather bleak. It’s cold and blustery. We haven’t really had much snow to speak of since Christmas time, and the ground has been mostly bare for at least a month, so I had hoped perhaps we would get an early spring. I should have known…

  • Heritage

    Things I Think About on the Night Shift…

       [Written in the wee hours after tending to my sick husband:] When my sisters and I were in high school we thought we’d like to become nurses. We were avid fans of nurse novels. Our favorites were the Cherry Ames books and Avalon romances with nurse heroines. The stories made nursing seem so noble and glamorous. As it turns…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Purity and Holiness

    The girls and I have been reading When God Writes Your Love Story together. It is an excellent book on preparing for marriage. I especially appreciated this insight: “Several generations back, Christianity in this country began to swing in an unhealthy direction, focusing on the holiness and righteous standard of God while excluding the crucial elements of love and grace.…

  • Adventures

    Burdens

    Last weekend on our hike I took along a tote bag with “necessities” in it, such as snacks, water bottles, and the camera. Lyle offered to carry it for me, but he teased me about having to carry a “purse.” I tried to argue that it was a tote bag, not a purse, and that there is a difference– but…

  • Adventures

    It’s all good!

    The other evening as we were driving across Montana (which is a very large state in case you haven’t taken that drive lately) a storm gathered and the rains began to come. We were concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get to our trailer if the back-roads turned to mud. The sun broke through the western sky and a…

  • Heritage

    Not Complainin’

    I had a miserable Easter weekend…. thanks for asking! With a rip-roaring spring cold plus an abscessed wisdom tooth I wasn’t up for much in the way of celebration. I mostly sat in my recliner, going through tissues by the boxful, reading books, napping, and trying very hard not to complain about how miserable I was! I’m pretty sure I…