Art Keeps Us Alive

Art Keeps Us Alive

In my morning email I received an invite from the Little Traveler shoppe in Geneva, IL to come on out for this weekend’s Christmas Walk. This is one of my favorite holiday events because it takes place in the town where I grew up, you can buy chestnuts roasting on an...
Of Babies, Boxwood and Bamboo

Of Babies, Boxwood and Bamboo

Three weeks ago our first grandchild surprised us by coming into the world a month early, welcome Asher Scott! Countless friends have told us, “Being a grandparent is the most treasured time in life.” So many in fact, that we began to doubt this itty bitty...
Our Own Expiration Date

Our Own Expiration Date

I think there are two kinds of people, those who watch expiration dates and throw out the ketchup and mustard as soon as the date arrives and those who don’t look at expiration dates or think about them. My dad died on January 24th, 2023 and he did not look at...
Grandma’s Painting is Finished!

Grandma’s Painting is Finished!

Like Emma Toft before her, my Grandma Lehwald was one of Door County, Wisconsin’s early women entrepreneurs. In the 1960’s she told her husband she wanted to open a “hot dog stand” as a small hobby. We all know how “small hobbies” go. Today, almost...
Leftover Lace

Leftover Lace

The Wedding is Over, Now What? It was beautiful, but it wasn’t perfect. As I shared the post-wedding download chat over the phone with my dear friend we both concluded that life is “tainted.” Even in the moments of our greatest joy, something icky tries to steal...
God’s Secret Trousseau

God’s Secret Trousseau

For my flower obsessed friends, you probably already know this, but I’m just catching on. When it comes to all things beautiful God holds some pretty cool secrets that he waits for us to discover. For our part, we have to slow down and savor the details to find them....
Faith Deconstruction and Reconstruction

Faith Deconstruction and Reconstruction

This article from The Redbud Post speaks to all of us engaged in a walk of faith who find ourselves tearing things down and rebuilding or sitting with friends who are paving this path, but aren’t we all to some degree? The Reconstruction Choice by Margaret...
Orchard Memories

Orchard Memories

This piece of short fiction pays homage to a simpler time when life in summer was spent playing tag in orchards and never once thinking about the time. Special thanks to Julie Lockard whose experiences growing up on a Michigan orchard informed this piece as well as...
Saying Goodbye to Snuggles

Saying Goodbye to Snuggles

We tried to keep her going as indicated in my February post. When we left her for Spring Break in the capable hands of our caregiver she seemed stable, but texts and calls with this gal confirmed that she declined quickly while we were away. In true, valiant Snuggles...