Hello Friend!

February 9, 2026 Hello Friend! Anyone who has ever lived in a northern state all winter can tell you that by February, you are so done with snow and cold. Way back in November when those first flakes start to fall it's kind of wonderful, giving you the perfect excuse to pull out all your favorite cozy sweaters and stock up on hot chocolate. But after weeks and weeks of relentless cold, pulling out the shovel for the umpteenth time, and shivering in your car for those long minutes it takes for the engine to (finally) warm up, you're definitely...

February 2, 2026 Hello Friend! So last week was very busy. And then it wasn't. From Monday through Thursday I had much to do - long lists of important items that required lots of attention. I managed to get most of it done, but by the end of the week I was definitely worn out. And then on Friday morning Jon and I threw overnight bags, the cooler and the dog into the car and headed up north for a weekend of much needed rest. But here's the thing. I realized all over again that when you're used to going...

January 26, 2026 Hello Friend! My daughter Amanda knows how much I enjoy feeding my birds, so she gifted me with a really beautiful stained glass feeder. I love it! I hung it just outside my office window away from my other feeders so the wrens and bluebirds could find it without having to compete. And I was excited about being able to peek over my computer screen and see the birds up close! Sure enough, a few days later I heard a wren calling me. Wrens are tiny little things with big voices, and a real attitude. Although they...

January 19, 2026 Hello Friend! I love books. Bookstores and libraries are two of my favorite places, and even just the way a new book smells makes me happy. My love of fantasy stories, filled to the brim with heroes and monsters and magic, comes from my dad. He had study shelves filled with books of fantasy and science fiction and I loved browsing his paperbacks when I was a kid. The problem with my favorite genre is that it's often written in series. The good news is, characters that you grow to know and love are sure to be...

January 12, 2026 Hello Friend! This week's note is about those wonderful/awful year end letters we sometimes receive in holiday cards from friends. You know the ones, a page full of news and notes about the family and all their accomplishments and travels over the past year, some with a photo or two. In general I enjoy hearing what everyone's been up to, but after reading most of them I feel what I call "Facebook depressed". Those updates are always written in picture perfect - kids are succeeding wildly, vacations have been amazing, lives are moving along without a hitch....

January 5, 2026 Hello Friend! I hope you all had a fabulous time celebrating with those you love. And yes, now it's time to roll those calendars to a brand new year. Honestly, this is one of my favorite times of the holiday season. I always look forward to that lovely in-between week, when I'm done with all my crazy Christmas busyness, but it's not quite time to jump into January. I typically spend several days sitting and staring out the window more often, drinking lots of coffee, and catching up on little projects around the house that I've neglected...