Grateful

Sharing Mom’s Memories

A few days ago I sent out Christmas cards and notes to everyone on my mom’s list. Honestly, I couldn’t remember exactly who I talked to after she died. So, I had to break the news to those who we only heard from once or twice a year now. Today I received a text from […]

Hot Cocoa Bombs

In the past, my daughter in law has made amazingly beautiful and delicious hot cocoa bombs. She wasn’t going to do it this year, so I thought I would give it a try. I did enlist her help, however. She came over this morning and showed me all her tricks. A few hours later, we […]

The Clock is Back

Almost 2 years ago, I was winding the wall clock that my parents purchased in Germany, and the spring broke. I felt terrible. My parents had taken the clock to the local repair shop in the past, so that is what I planned on doing too. When I called them, I was told there was […]

Cleansing

Today my parish made the Sacrament of Confession available almost all day. So I went. It’s always a bittersweet experience, but feels cleansing. Afterwards I went to Mass with my priest friend. I was happy to catch up with him a bit. Then I had my appointment with my counselor. She does a great job […]

Great Food Wonderful Friend

Today a friend took me to lunch as a birthday present. We went to a favorite German restaurant. The place was very busy and we were seated in a cozy booth in the lower level. I didn’t even know there was a lower level as I had always been there with my mom who wasn’t […]

She’s Driving

My daughter in law has been recovering from her ankle surgery 8 weeks ago. It’s hard to believe it has been that long. Over the Thanksgiving school break, my daughter in law was very active and determined to try to get back to normalcy. She practiced driving and felt confident enough to pick up the […]

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

We all knew Thanksgiving would be different this year and honestly I was a little emotional going into it. My son and his wife hosted the meal as it would be easier on them both. I made the pumpkin pie and apple crisp, my sister put together the charcuterie board, and my brother provided the […]

The Pie

It was my task to make the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year. It is not something I have done on a regular basis. Today was the day to prepare it. I looked up recipes in a couple of books and found that my mom had made notes in her old Better Homes and Gardens […]

Breath and Beauty

My brother arrived last night and will stay all week to celebrate Thanksgiving. Today we decided to take a trip up to the cabin. He has not been up there for several years. It was a beautiful day for a drive. While we were there, we just enjoyed the peace, serenity, and beauty of the […]

Extreme Courage

Yesterday I was blessed to go to my granddaughter’s voice lesson and listen to her sing. She has been taking lessons for about a year now as singing is truly her passion. It became evident when she was a toddler that God had given her this talent. Her perfect pitch and musicality is truly amazing. […]