Fog hovered over the tops of the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Clouds covered the sun, providing relief from the July heat. Life had been hard in the weeks leading up to that trip, and that very night (unbeknownst to us), we would come down with violent stomach bugs. But on that misty morning at […]
June has brought warm breezes and refreshing rains. Ah, sweet summertime— a deep breath, a peaceful dream, unhurried gatherings with family and friends . . . the stuff children’s books are made of! The pace of life slowed for me to savor the following “blooms” in my garden and in my life this month: Summer […]
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 To a tiny town, snug within the Bible belt, I drove to meet my friend beneath a funeral tent. Her younger sister, who had been sick since we were little, had gone home to heaven. When I reached the town, raindrops greeted me, thumping upon my […]
The early days of each season are happy with anticipation. The beginning of summer unfolds like pages from my favorite children’s books. My eight-year-old has been out of school for almost one week now, and the less hurried pace has been welcome. I’ve had a little time to daydream this week . . . time to […]
May was a glorious bouquet. Stroll with me through my May garden, admiring God’s palette and glimpsing his smile in the petals. The peonies bloomed . . . soft, billowy pillows my eyes like to rest upon! I once met a woman in Alabama who claimed to have a garden full of peonies. “My garden,” she said, […]
My husband is fond of saying, “We don’t do what we know we need to do to be happy.” I know I need to live gratefully. This week I didn’t. I know I need to keep up with the laundry. This week I didn’t. I know I need to read books, plan meals, spend time […]
As a little girl, I had to fight back tears when I found a note in my lunchbox from Mama. The elementary school I attended—which in hindsight was quite nurturing—felt cold in comparison to the warmth of her love, felt unsafe in comparison to the haven of home. Glimpses of heaven still make me cry: […]
I do not live near the mountains. I do not live near the sea. But I planted a little garden and brought beauty here to me. 🙂 Isn’t planting a garden magical? It’s like lifting your house up and moving it to a scenic place . . . especially in springtime! Come inside my April garden. It struck […]
The earth laughs in flowers. – Ralph Waldo Emerson At the end of a long day, after I tuck my littlest son into his bed, he begins to laugh. At first, it is funny “pretend” laughter because he is self-aware of how irresistible his toddler charms are at prolonging bedtime. Looking at his squinched […]
I first saw this poem in its entirety when I was surrounded by beautiful blooms at Bellingrath Gardens in Alabama. The last stanza will probably be familiar to you, as it timelessly echoes the reveries of every gardener. God’s Garden THE Lord God planted a garden In the first white days of the world, And […]
A Children's Book World 