Skulls Are Not Roses

Xenia is coming home in less than a week!  With no time left, I made it my afternoon mission to seek out and buy phyllo dough to make baklava.  Xenia’s walnut allergies are so bad that I can’t use my kitchen to chop walnuts when she is home.  I missed the Middle Eastern store onContinue reading “Skulls Are Not Roses”

Confusion Makes Good Comedy

The two men were smiling when they said goodbye to me and walked out the front door.  I paused the Hallmark Christmas movie, put my pen down next to the stack of Christmas cards, and stood up to see them out.  Mike came in from the courtyard a few minutes later and told me howContinue reading “Confusion Makes Good Comedy”

Church Building

Adjectives can’t fully describe our new church building, but my two favorites so far are Matushka Ingrid’s “Glorious,” and LouAnne’s “Breathtaking!”  It’s the most beautiful place I have ever worshipped, and yet during our first liturgy, my thoughts drifted to the people who weren’t there. There were a lot of people missing in the crowdContinue reading “Church Building”

Basil’s Birthday and Updates

When I’m outside toasting smores with Mike and the boys, I wish for music, but when I imagine music, I imagine myself strumming easy chords on a new guitar with everyone singing happy praise music or campfire songs.  Esther took my guitar as a birthday present last May, so we have sat in companionable silenceContinue reading “Basil’s Birthday and Updates”

Xenia’s Ohio Adventure

Xenia wrote this blog in my voice and did a great job. She declared my rough draft too boring and demanded that I publish her scribble with nothing changed. Notes: Xenia has been in Ohio for four days and likes her new school and new circumstances. She mentions Kelly in the last paragraph. Kelly isContinue reading “Xenia’s Ohio Adventure”

Epic Moving Story

“I don’t know if Fort Worth doesn’t want us to leave or if it’s kicking our butt on the way out,” Mike told me as Christa and I circled the DFW metroplex. Ever since Mom died back in 2019, the words, “God has a plan,” have set me off.  I believed that the world wasn’tContinue reading “Epic Moving Story”

Wedding Pictures

The wedding pictures and videos are in! It was one of the happiest days of my life, and these pictures and videos help me relive it. I’m so glad we have them. I loved the ceremony. It was a lovely Eastern Catholic church and the ceremony was very familiar to me complete with crowns andContinue reading “Wedding Pictures”

Scarf Adventure

Sophia and her roommate parted amicably with plans of meeting up and possibly living together again in 2024.  She plans on staying in Fort Worth with a friend when I move to Albuquerque. When Sophia picked me up from the airport in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, May 27, she had her car all packed up,Continue reading “Scarf Adventure”