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Angels Unawares
My parents had an acrimonious divorce when I was 22. Don’t ever let anyone tell you divorce doesn’t hurt an “older child”. It. Does. And divorce reverberates down the decades and makes worries…
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Praying for an Onion
In my recent summer read, the little sister in the story prayed for an onion. Her family’s fortunes had recently been reversed and while other members prayed vigorously for a new house, this…
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One Thing at a Time
I’ve been ruminating for awhile about some repairs to my home as I think more and more about retiring from my day job in a few years. So I wrote a list –…
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The Fragrant Home
Nothing pleased me more than when my young niece opened her gift from me, inhaled deeply and proclaimed, “Auntie, it smells like your house”! I was almost as delighted when a visiting friend…
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L’Edition de Luxe
When winter finally settles in, I often think of this painting by Boston artist Lilian Westcott Hale. It’s called L’Edition de Luxe and depicts a private interior world that makes me long for…
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On the Fifth Day of a Feminine Christmas
This idyllic Christmas doorstep really stirs me. I love everything about it…the light in the upper floor windows, the beautiful evergreen wreath, the snow. It’s old-fashioned and wistful and conjures up a feeling…
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On the First Day of a Feminine Christmas
No artists thrills me more at Christmas than Tasha Tudor and her idyllic depictions of children during the holidays. They tug at heartstrings that thread through my Christmases and make me long for…
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Velvety November
All the way back to Jr. High School, I despised November. It could have been the cold hard rains that still come. Or the darkness. Or the scurried November walk we used to…
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Seasons of Home
I’ve always liked musing about the Welsh word “Hiraeth”, which means to yearn for a home one can never return to or to long for a home that never was. It can also…
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What We Have in the House
“We’ll use what we have in the house”, my grandmother told me when I asked about wrapping a small birthday present for my mother. A few hours later with her help, I had…
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Cold Comfort Charms
She made a promise to herself to keep her own well-being sacred. ~ A friend passed along that quote to me recently and I’ve been keeping it under my pillow ever since. It…
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The Scents of Fall
I switch my light summer fragrances to those with warmer accords when the air turns cool in September. More often than not, the perfume I reach for on chilly mornings is Chanel No.…
