Working Mom - 8/30/10

Back to School! "Shut the door! The air is on!" Tired of saying that yet this summer, mom? That phrase seems to get lost in the breeze as it makes its way from my mouth to my son's ears. So much so, apparently, that he created a sign all on his own from a napkin and taped to our front door to help him remember to "close the door." Friday, August 27, 2010

A View from the Woods- Doing Nothing

A slow stroll through the garden, a nap in the hammock, or a quiet conversation as the dusk turns to dark... These are the blissful times of summer that I dream of all year long. Yet the truth is that doing nothing takes work. First I must do some yoga and write all day in my home office, then weed the garden, pick and freeze the broccoli, sweep the deck, and make supper. Friday, August 20, 2010

Food for Life - Pasta Salad

It's inevitable that I would end up writing about salad in the summer time. One of the great things about summer is the endless family get-togethers that require us to "bring a dish to pass." I always spend a ton of time researching and planning what I am going to bring. I may spend hours online looking for something new that I have never made before. Friday, August 13, 2010

More notes from a country kitchen - 8/9/10

I was trying to remember the last time I had a nickel cherry coke or a "tooty fruity." Tooty fruity was a soda drink where they put one squirt of every flavor into the glass. Never knew what color it would be, but it always tasted good!! Friday, August 06, 2010

Food For Life - Gazpacho

I will admit that I never thought I would enjoy a soup that is served cold. For years the whole idea of it kind of grossed me out. But last summer I came across a recipe for the Spanish summer soup known as gazpacho, and it was really delicious and refreshing. It was also easy to make and hard to screw up. Two very good things. Friday, July 23, 2010

A View From the Woods - Summer Snooping

Farmers and gardeners love to go on tours of other people's farms and gardens. We are each engaged in a very personal act of creating our own expression of nature on our own land. It is simply fascinating to see what others have come up with. Friday, July 16, 2010

More Notes From A Country Kitchen - 7/12/10

With summer here and all the churches having Vacation Bible School I got to remembering when I went to VBS. We could hardly wait for the week of Bible School at Big Spring Church! We went Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday, July 09, 2010

Working Mom - 7/5/10

Beer and Bikinis Ha! Thought that headline might draw you in! These are two of the things I saw the most of on our recent trip to CountryFest. Yes, this working mom put on my email Out-of-Office notice, packed the camper, and traveled a couple of hours with friends to relax and enjoy some good music. Friday, July 02, 2010

Food for life - Frozen Fruit Fun

Fruit is probably my favorite food, which is one reason that summer is my favorite time of year. Right now, fresh strawberries are in season, and I am in heaven. Last week, I purchased four quarts of fresh strawberries from a local farmer. Friday, June 18, 2010

Journal Writing Project - The Good Life?

By Jon Hanson Last weekend I spent my time in Sioux City, Iowa, not camping or any of that: I attended orientation at Briar Cliff University. I have never been to an orientation before, so I had no idea what they had in store for me. Friday, June 11, 2010