What I Brought Home (Besides a Full Heart)

When I told you about our recent trip south to visit our daughter Kati and her family, I told you that we returned home with full hearts, and indeed we did. But we also brought home a few physical treasures. 

I had been keeping my eye out for coral as I shopped in antique stores. This piece called my name and I had some birthday money tucked aside for a special piece. I think I surprised Ron with my choice; he didn't think it looked like my usual style, but he trusted my opinion. I plan to use it as part of my summer mantel. For now, it is atop the cabinet in my sunroom. 

We also brought home a small trove of pottery made by our son-in-law Andrew. Making pottery is one of his hobbies and he is quite good at it! They brought out a couple of boxes of pieces that they were not using and let us take whatever we wished to have. 

I bought a small potted (faux) geranium.

I picked up some beverage napkins, of course. (If you're a longtime reader, you know that I always have a stash of napkins.) I love the pomegranate ones and have tucked them away for next winter when I need a pop of color. The botanical berries will probably show up on my Bible study table soon. Life's simple pleasures. :)

(I also purchased some wool acorns and a few fall stems, but those have already been put away.)

And last, but not least, we brought home a lovely Windsor chair that Andrew had purchased shortly before he and Kati got married. When they moved to their new house three years ago, they did not have a good place for the chair so they asked us if we'd like to have it. They have been keeping it in their barn since then, but we were able to bring it home with us on this trip! 

We have a great place for it, along with something else that we purchased on Marketplace since we have been back home. 

I'll tell you about that in my next post! 

The Resurrection and the Life

 

A Trip That Did My Heart Good!

It had been a   l o n g   time since we had visited our Kati and her sweet family! 

Life has changed and responsibilities have changed and that is what is necessary in this season. It is what we do. But although Kati and Andrew and the children have visited us two or three times each year, we had not been able to visit them on their turf since 2022! We had never seen their new home (they moved in 2023), and the children were too young to have even remembered our last visit. 

So you can imagine how delighted we were to finally be able to head south and see our dear ones! Many details . . . much planning . . . and the kindness of the Lord! 

These two sweethearts greeted us as we pulled into their driveway . . . 

Ellie (4) and Caleb (5)

. . . and we spent the next days having the most wonderful time together! A kid-guided tour of their charming house, hanging out, catching up, going to Andrew's parents' home for a lovely lunch, house projects, an outdoor tour of their property, coffee, delicious meals shared around their table, coffee shops, a trip to the city, eating southern foods, antique shops, a bookstore, and, of course, being enthralled by Caleb and Ellie! 

It did my mama-heart good to see our dear ones in their own place, seeing their rhythms and how they live, experiencing their favorite coffee shops, shopping at some of their favorite stores, seeing them as an established family unit. 

It also did my mama-heart good to see my Kati living the life she had always wanted: happily married and homeschooling her children. I looked around and saw evidence of her homemaking skills, collections of beautiful children's books, and this vignette. 

Nestled among some parenting and homeschooling books was a "Morning Time" candle and a framed Charlotte Mason quote, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." 

Yes, it was a wonderful trip and I returned home with a full heart! 

House Project Goals for 2026

 
In this post, I told you about the projects we were able to complete in 2025. 

And these are the projects that we're planning for 2026. 

Goal #1: 
Wall/electrical mini projects 
If there is a large indoor project in a year's plans, we try to begin that project in January so that we can make progress while spending more time inside. This year, however, there was no large indoor project so we gathered some mini projects to take us through the winter months. 

• Remove phone jacks (two in the living room, one in the kitchen, one in a bedroom) and patch wall.
  
• Replace some light switches with white ones; replace switch plates with wooden ones.
• Replace two three-toggle switch plates with wooden ones.
• Lower an outlet in the kitchen.
• Add an outlet for charging hand-held vacuum in small closet.

Goal #2: 
Paint linen closet
You can tell that we have accomplished many of our major house goals, because our indoor projects this year seem small-ish. The linen closet has not been painted since we moved in; it remains the shade of green that was once in the living room and dining room (you can catch a peek ~ here ~). We are going to paint the inside white.  

Goal #3: 
Install exhaust fan in main/guest bathroom
I'm not sure why this has never been done, but this is the year.  

Goal #4: 
Replace the rails at back door
A few years ago, we refreshed the outside of our house. One of the things we did was replace the wrought iron rails on the front stoop with Chippendale rails. This year, Ron plans to build Chippendale rails on the back stoop. 

Goal #5: 
Put an outlet on the patio
Ron would like to have an outdoor outlet on the patio . . . for a lamp, or his electric ice cream freezer, or ?? 

Goal #6: 
Build Chippendale surround for HVAC unit
What? I thought we were doing a "top 5." Well, yes, but we tacked another one on this year's priority list. While Ron is building Chippendale rails for the back stoop, we thought it would be a good time to make a matching surround for our HVAC unit. It will create a much prettier view from the street. 

So those are our goals for the year. A few have already been completed! We'll keep moving ahead, doing what we can while remaining flexible, making our house a home. 

Do you have any house projects in mind for the coming year? I'd love to hear about them! 

Gathering the Moments | January 2026

January was a study in contrasts. 

❄️ The first part of the month was people-y and busy.

Seven-year-old grandson Judah came for a day of games, shopping, and treats!

Mom, Ron, and I went out of town for a belated birthday celebration with my sister Linda. (It wasn't Frank's birthday, but he was definitely a part of the celebration. 😻)

🎄 Lunch was Christmas. 🎄         🎂 Dessert was Birthday. 🎂

This was the year that grandchild #10, Macie, turned 10 years old!

Tenth birthdays are special! When a grandchild turns 10, she (or he)  receives 10 birthday gifts and a Papa-made box, engraved with her name, for her treasures. 

Our son-in-law Brian has a birthday just a few days after Macie's, so they shared the celebration!

After all of the festivities, we put away Christmas, but before it went up the attic, Ron cut off all of the "pre-lit" nonsense from our Christmas tree. None of the original lights were working. Next year, we can put on lights without putting them on over the non-working ones. 

A simple look in winter is fine, but I still like a little extra light to brighten dark winter evenings. Battery operated candles on a timer are just right. 

One more Bible study before life slowed down for a spell . . . 

❄️ The second part of the month was recovery, rest, and restoration. 

I had surgery and was laid low for a bit. But I was well taken care of by my primary nurses, Ron and Bekah, and  was well-loved by many. Sweet family and friends checked on me, sent cards, made meals, stepped in to cover my regular duties, and, most importantly, prayed for me. 

A few weeks of rest were most welcome. And they came during all of that snow and ice and cold. Good timing, huh? I am slowly easing into my routine, praising God for successful surgery and a good outcome! 

At the end of January, we got a FaceTime call one morning from a sweet five-year-old who had lost his first tooth! And even though Caleb is grandchild #13, it is his first tooth to come out and so we are excited right along with him!

(Similar thoughts in this post I wrote in 2011.)

I hope my grandchildren will always call me with good news, knowing that I will rejoice with them! 

January is a month for reflection and contemplation. 

As I have done both, these words from Psalm 90 have brought me comfort and fortitude: 

        Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 

        Before the mountains were brought forth, 

        Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, 

        Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.