They say that short term memory is the first to go. I can remember what I had for lunch on the first day of first grade (indelibly burned into my memory as a life lesson) but now, when asked what I did the previous weekend, well, that can be a complete mystery.   Even my […]

It’s a dreary day today. Not even a small patch of blue giving hope that it will clear. (Someone once told me that if you see a patch of blue sky “big enough to make a pair of overalls,” the day will eventually be bright.) But today there’s no hint of that happening. When I […]

As the days grow shorter and darkness descends earlier, it’s good to revisit the story of the Jack-o’-lantern, reposted below. Until a year and a half ago, my family had our very own brightly lit human Jack-o’-lantern. A Halloween baby, Mom was our sweetest treat every day of the year.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom. We love you and miss you. Continue reading

**Congratulations to the 150th rootedandgrowing.com follower, Laura R., from Waterford, VA!  Laura will receive a few of my favorite things!**  (written by Kathy and posted earlier on the MomsHooPray website) Bleary eyed from just waking up, I trudged to the kitchen to make my morning Darjeeling, a strong black tea. I like it black—just plain […]

I have barely slept these past 6 nights; I gave up my OTC sleep aids last week after hearing from my Physicians Assistant that the active ingredient, the same as what’s in a common allergy pill, may be linked with dementia. I’m not usually over-reactive to such news, after all, those studies are often unreliable. Then I had a very senior moment and my decision was made. Continue reading

“I like to have fun and a lot of Christians seem like duds.”

I could have written that quote.  As a high school freshman, I wanted nothing more than to have fun.  45 years ago, when I boarded the bus headed to Young Life‘s Saranac Village, I was hung over from the night before.  And like the headline, I loved beer!  But I most certainly did not love Jesus. Continue reading

It happened one chilly April morning. I found myself locked out of our new home with no spare key hidden under any fake rock. I was a total unwashed mess, underdressed in a thin T-shirt, wearing rainboots, and supposed to let my new cleaning lady into my house in just a short while. A few good […]

Do you have fond memories of 7th grade? Maybe you were one of the cool kids or you had at least one loyal friendship to see you through those tumultuous, often cringe-worthy days, so the memories evoked by The Wonder Years—or similar coming of age shows—were not too painful. But the scene pictured above hit […]

My husband appropriately calls himself “The Spotter.” Wherever we travel, he looks around, helpfully pointing out the *unusual, whimsical, interesting or sweet — then I point my camera and record it. He endures vacations and local outings which often consist of hours of wandering on foot, my camera at the ready.  I shuffle a few steps forward, then come to a sudden halt. I point, shoot and start up again; by his count, the most consecutive steps I take — before I inevitably stop again — is five.

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