cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
“Did you see Tos’s FB post? So sad.” I looked down at my phone on the kitchen counter, my hands covered in marinating sauce for tonight’s dinner. We were hosting friends from out of town and in deep conversation, catching up while cooking together. I wouldn’t look at the Facebook post until well after midnight when I crawled into bed. My…
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One recent Thursday, after wrapping up my work sessions for the week, I checked my phone. A thoughtful message from a friend pierced a pain that had been simmering inside, prompting instant tears that melted me into the ground. My head had been hurting for days. I was exhausted, and I knew there were emotions…
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Hope makes itself every day Springs up from the tiniest places No one gives it to us We just notice it Quiet in the small moment– Naomi Shihab Nye Most winters my husband and I travel south to capture some sunshine and warmth. We go to rejuvenate, to restore faith that the darkness of our…
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“You never know what may cause them…But of this you can be sure. Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them…
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We set off in June from the only home our children knew. We left an international concrete jungle and arrived at a Pacific Northwest house we rented off Craigslist, sight unseen, but for the large pine trees and lime-green grass in the photos. Without knowing a soul, we enjoyed the space of a new city,…
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I keep a small cylinder of colorful confetti within a hand’s reach of my desk for the moments that declare celebration. I borrowed this idea from one of my favorite authors who keeps a confetti popper in her purse for similar occasions. When I am on a Zoom call and I hear of a moment…
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For the month of May the women of Red Tent Living will be considering the theme, “Ending Well”. We invite you to join us by reading the essays and poems featured, and more so by inviting a few women to your own table to share stories provoked by this theme. Sign up to receive the…
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“I left something for you in the fridge.” My daughter’s text was no surprise and made me smile as I scrolled. For the past several years, I’ve known what I’ll find when I open our carport refrigerator where snacks await our active grandchildren. This tradition comes with a story that left both of us forever…
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As I snuggle into my favorite chair in our living room, a soft blanket wrapped around my shoulders, the flickering flames in the fireplace take the edge off the chill of the previous night’s unexpected spring snowstorm. The house is quiet–too quiet. This quiet allows the sadness inside me to announce its presence with more…
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I take a tight sip of my Eagle Rare before setting it back on the bar to turn and face my mother. With her hand gently grasping her own pour, we share a knowing glance. I am allowing myself to feel the full range of emotions that marriage can carry, and I am breathing in the…
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