Category: Ethos
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Easiest Christmas Treats in the History of Ever
My much older sister is the undisputed baker of the family… people pay her actual money to bake cakes! Me? Not so much. To our mother’s chagrin, I’ve never once made a pie crust. I’m a cook, not a baker. Though the kids and I did recently bake Great Grandma Schafer’s famous Green Tree Cookies, the process was merely a means…
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Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World – a book review
Following on the heels of the season of thanks, and with a generous helping of conviction, I’m reviewing a book about instilling an attitude of gratitude in our children… Speaking of Thanksgiving, we had a lovely holiday; celebrating, simply, with dear friends/former neighbors who’ve become our surrogate extended family here in Montana. We have much to be thankful for. Kristen…
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Halls: Decked
We spent the extended Thanksgiving weekend fighting an angry head-cold and decking the halls. Lacking boughs of holly, we opted instead for a single, stout Douglas Fir. Hoping to avoid further provocation of Husband’s man-cold, he shirked lumberjack duty and shamefully reluctantly purchased our conifer from a parking lot. To be frank, the ones grown here in Montana…
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Novemberists
Snow! Yesterday, the first flakes of the season arrived to the greater Bozeman area. By this time, most years, snow is old news. We are delighted it has finally arrived. Ask me how I feel about it come March. The kiddos romped with neighbor-friends until after dark while I watched from the window, stirring a big pot…
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Fry Night: A Cautionary Tale
Consider this post a warning to my Oregon friends who also know my (much older) sister, Bethany… Should she and her husband invite you over for “fry night”, my advice is to bow out gracefully. Actually, run– escape while you still can, lest they ensnare you in their web of deep-fried goodness. Once your eyes have been…
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Fall Bucket List
Fall is my frrravorite… “the sun may warm the grass to life, the dew the drooping flower; and eyes grow bright and watch the light of autumn’s opening hour…”* Sadly, my favored season lasts mere weeks here in the greater Bozeman area. To effectively carpe autumnal diem, before the snow arrives, one must dive in with proactive gusto…
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Mother Nature
“At three o’clock the entire family turned out to walk, for all the active young bodies must have exercise; and in these walks the active young minds were taught to see and love the providence of God in the beautiful miracles which nature was working before their eyes.” -Louisa May Alcott
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Halloween On The Cheap
Because we are nerdy homeschoolers who love any excuse to dress up and socialize with the neighbors, we spend a lot of time —but not a lot of money— hand crafting our kids’ Halloween costumes, each year. In fact, it is not at all uncommon for the girls to start conspiring for the next Halloween first thing each November 1st.…
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Rainy Day
I love the rain. I love the way it feels on my skin and in my hair. The way the dampness freshens the air, the scent and sound of it hitting the pavement. Rain is life-giving, makes all things new. True to my Oregon roots, I balk at umbrellas and galoshes– instead welcoming drops on my sandaled feet. In Oregon…
