Word Quilt ~ Word Quilt

I don’t sew, but I write — patching together pieces of my life.

Grandma Joy

Last Monday, January 13, while driving from northern NY to Connecticut, I passed the Amsterdam exit and realized it’s been way too long since I had visited my grandma. That evening we got an email from my aunt telling us Grandma wasn’t doing so well. Since we were heading back to NY on Tuesday, it […]

A Calm Thought

The other day I went for a walk and listened to a meditation on the Calm app. In a little ten-minute session the narrator was focusing on thoughts and had some advice that has been resonating with me for over a week now. Shen mentioned that our minds were like radio stations that are constantly […]

Impromptu anniversary date with Taco Bell

Our 28th Wedding Anniversary

On Saturday Chris and I celebrated 28 years together. We were sitting in our living room having our morning coffee and reminiscing when we suddenly decided to have an impromptu date. Off to the mall we went for some cologne for Chris and a bit of lunch before work later in the day. (And unbeknownst […]

Christmas Letter 2019

Our 2019 Christmas letter.

Beer and Carols 2019

Now that sounds like fun! One of my favorite finds here in Massachusetts is the monthly Jazz Vespers service at Zion Lutheran in Pittsfield. I should blog about it sometime. When I can’t make it live, I love watching along on their Facebook page. The church has lots of events I’m never around long enough […]

A Birthday to Remember

Two funny things happened the week of my birthday. Not funny like ha ha, but funny in ironic timing. My birthday was the lucky Friday, December 13.

Sanbakkels

This is the recipe my friend Betsy shared with me. I like it better than other ones I have tried.

Krumkake Recipe

Baking Cookies – A Christmas Tradition

Of course I have cardamom. I’m Swedish. Mark Quotes like that are quotes from moments when you realize you have made the right choice in friends to share holiday traditions.

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My Aunt Anne’s Wonderful Posts

Logan Entertains Sadie

Neighbor Logan (9) stayed with us while his parents went to the movies. Never has time flown so fast! Logan was disappointed that David was working but thrilled that Rose’s dog Sadie was here. Sadie was delighted to have someone her size to play with. The two of them rolled on the floor with abandon. […]

Downton Abbey Exhibition

John and I have not seen the Downton Abbey Exhibition at the Biltmore Estate yet, but blogger Carole (FromMyCarolinaHome.com) wrote a fabulous post about her visit. She included many photos, giving a wonderful peek at the displays. See Carole’s Downton Abbey here.

Posing Balloons

I love helium balloons. This is not a part of my second childhood, because I never had them in my first childhood. We began buying balloons for the grandchildren, but I’m sure I took more delight in them than they did. This past season I had two for my birthday on December 22nd, and they […]

The Roomba Dance

Roomba and rumba are two different things. Rumba is a dance, but Roomba is a robotic vacuum cleaner that I have drooled over since it was first produced. Being able to flip a switch to make a robot clean the floor is intoxicating to me (my idea of living HIGH). The price was astronomical and […]

Decline Documented

I privately lamented the loss of my brain due to a bad cold. I searched for words and hit a blank wall. Mixed up dates were the new norm. I failed to put necessary items on the shopping list. I knew you by face/name, but I couldn’t remember when I last talked to you. Like […]

Amusement While Walking (AWW)

Neighbor Beth wished us a Happy New Year from the open window of her car. It was unusually warm for a winter’s day. Five degrees warmer, and we would have eaten on the porch! The next person to pass said a pleasant good morning through his open window. We responded in kind. John, ever attentive […]

When to Declare Yourself Cured

I discovered that declaring yourself free of a bad cold is not as easy as it sounds. What do you do with the lingering cough and constant need of tissues? Craving extra sleep at night AND a nap in the afternoon are not indicators that all is well. I couldn’t answer the question, “Why am […]

Well Enough to Write about It

Due to one horrendous head cold, the new year did not start for me until Epiphany (January 6). It all began with a bit of chest congestion, resulting in discrete coughs at the New Year’s Eve party. It fooled nobody. My head filled up with fluid, which I do not have to describe. You’ve all […]

Sweet Moment of 2019

Our dear neighbors came to see in the new year with us. We enjoy the easy conversation and teasing when this group gets together. I laughed when I looked at the quick snaps. Although the photographic quality was poor, I could mentally draw a line through the room separating the men and women. Everyone joined […]

A Christmas Thought

I’ve heard the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus all my life. Amazingly, almost every year something shines out of the story to catch my attention. This year I thought of how God called two groups to see his son. The rich and the poor had special invitations for a birthday shower. The poor […]