Why I Never Said, “This hurts me more than it hurts you!” to my Kids
I only remember one time when my mother said to me, prior to a spanking, “This hurts me more than it hurts you.” Even though there were tears in her eyes, it made me angry. I just didn’t get it that day. I understand that the emotional pain a parent experiences when a child disobeys […]
Cream Cheese Fruit Snack with Graham Crackers
Cream cheese fruit snack. It’s a cracker. It’s a cheese. It’s a fruit. It’s a snack! When I’ve got some leftover pie filling or a few extra graham crackers, this snack is my go-to, especially when there are kiddos in the house. It’s so simple and easy. You let the kids choose their favorite fruit flavor, […]
Things About Life From a Blackberry Patch
Every summer, the blackberry bushes in our pasture produce gallons of blackberries. Seriously. We’re talking 40 gallons when we’ve kept track. There are some things about picking blackberries that are a lot like our journey in life. Here are a few brambles for the road: The small berries are usually sweeter, even though […]
The Part I Played in the Thailand Cave Rescue
The cave rescue in Thailand this past week did things to me. It’s been thirty-five years since I’ve been inside a cave. It’s called spelunking. ‘Not one of my favorite things to do, but something I’m happy to claim on my bucket list of things I have accomplished. I remember the darkness and the quietness. […]
Squash Casserole
Squash casserole. That’s what you make when squash season is here! You can add squash to garden salad, serve it raw on a vegetable tray, or saute it with onions or snow peas. Then you can make a squash casserole. What I like about this recipe is that you can do it up to a […]
Tears – What Not to Do When Somebody’s Kid is Crying Buckets
The photo of my great niece with crocodile tears on her face sparked a discussion on Facebook. Mom posted a photo of her two-year-old crying because she was told to take her red boots off before church. The parents allow her to wear her boots anywhere, except to church. She can wear them in the […]
Freedom in Liberty
July 4th. The day our country celebrates its liberation from England. The day we celebrate liberty. There’s another kind of liberty, and it’s the kind we don’t hear much about these days. Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but the power to do what we ought. That’s liberty. Certainly, I can make choices […]
Jacket Potatoes
I remember the day my ninth grade English teacher told us that when company came to their house, her mom served jacket potatoes. Their guests had never heard of jacket potatoes, and thought it must be a gourmet dish. This potato dish is about as un-gourmet as you can get, but it’s simple, easy, practical, […]
When the Canary’s Song is Silent
When the canary’s song was gone, it meant death. In the darkest of places, the canary sang. Until, that is, he lost his song, until the gases he inhaled caused his death. Canaries were used in coal mines to detect danger. When toxic gases became too strong, the canary died. When the canary’s song was […]
#4 What I’d Do Differently in Raising Kids – Family Night
My idea for a family night was not a total failure. It just didn’t happen the way I envisioned it could have been done. I didn’t consider calling what we did “family night,” even though we had nights for our family that could have been considered family nights. While the idea was great and […]
