Look who came along on our trip!The cute shoes you met one Monday FunDay stowed away in a suitcase. They couldn't resist showing off a beach flower:And a bed of shell bits:Also, I wanted to show you the view today.Blue skies. Sun.Very nice.Our room is not exactly what one would call high-end luxury accommodations. The glass knob on the bathroom door looks very Shabby … [Read more...]
Uninterrupted Conversation? This Can Happen?
After 14 years of parenting, I'm about to find out.We parents of four are going on a little outing, just the two of us.Seven years ago was the only time we've traveled anywhere on our own since we've had kids--a short, chilly camping trip. We like camping with the kids, and we hate to complain, but we're hoping to improve on that a little bit.Since then we've tried to go … [Read more...]
Live, from Grand Rapids, it's the Festival of Faith and Writing!
Approximately 2,000 writers, readers, editors, publishers, and assorted literary types are converging at Calvin College for the biennial Festival of Faith and Writing.I'm here for the first time ever, to listen and take notes.This event pulls together a wide range of authors--novelists, poets, essayists, memoirists--to present various thoughts on writing and faith. And … [Read more...]
Time to Run
Along the path to the Gulf we admired trees that don't grow in Indiana--for Midwesterners, this is the stuff of postcards and screensavers. And yet, there we were, walking right past them, on our way to dig holes in the sand and make drip castles.Friday night we all took a long walk to what eventually became known as "Hermit Crab Cove," near the place formerly known as my … [Read more...]
Castile Soap for a Simpler Life (and blemish-free face)
One, simple idea. One bottle. One product to suggest: Castile soap, a product is made with vegetables and herbal oils. The one I use (Updated 2012: I originally used Trader Joe's Pure Peppermint Castile Soap in liquid form, but several years ago switched to Dr. Bronner's, which I love except for all the strange messaging printed on the bottle) adds a touch of Aloe Vera … [Read more...]
I'm a Midwestern Blogger: Sensible as a Wool Hat
Ever since I discovered Scott Russell Sanders a few years ago and read some of his books that extol the virtues of firmly planting oneself in a physical, geographical place, I've been thinking about my place: the Midwest.The suburban Midwest, no less.I've always wanted to try living elsewhere, to escape for a time, to see what it's like away from the mild, vanilla … [Read more...]