January has a way of stripping things down. The noise of the holidays fades, the calendar turns, and what’s left is truth—sometimes uncomfortable truth—about people, relationships, and expectations. When I was a kid, we couldn't wait to break off the long, icicles hanging from trees to have sword fights. Since I was the youngest, I had to learn quickly when to quit the fight, and go inside. This month, I’ve been reflecting on failed friendships, fractured families, and the qu

December’s Here… Finally December rolled in like, “Alright, everyone calm down.” After a year of chaos, appointments, extreme heat for months on end--not to mention knee battles, and one extremely rude rattlesnake (Birdie's snake bite healed thank God but she still has an intermittent limp) I’m grateful for a month finally that feels softer and a little more peaceful. Mostly because the rattlesnakes are hibernating! Next year, I have two knee replacement surgeries to look for

November: Gratitude, Grit, and a Good Book It’s November, and while the world around me starts whispering about pie, family plans, and falling leaves, I find myself leaning into two things that always help me through the year: gratitude  and grit . Life doesn’t slow down just because we wish it would. The past few months brought challenges—some expected, some out of nowhere. But somehow, we keep going, don't we? We wake up, make coffee, water the trees, feed the chickens, ten

Let’s be honest—September hit hard. In September, we lost people we love. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake while playing ball in the...

Hello September!

Phoenix, Pickles, and the Perks of a Late Start Hey friends~ After a fun, roasting hot weekend in Phoenix with my oldest daughter, her...

📚 Pinky Pickle and the Pirate Peas is NOW on Amazon—with fun activity pages included!

The heat has officially settled in here in southern Arizona—and it's not kidding around. My water bill is groaning, but the trees and...

June: Laying Stones, Digging Deep, and Doing the Work That Matters   Yesterday, a friend came by, and we got to work... The kind that...

May always makes me think of my mom. It was her favorite month, and May 8th is her birthday. She loved everything green and her...