Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
If you think Jesus would have come into your home that day and not issued a strong rebuke to the head of household, you are mistaken. These words of condemnation have been haunting me for days now. They aren’t all that different than the soundtrack I play in my head on an almost-daily basis. It’s…
I am nesting. On Saturday I emptied the refrigerator. Last summer’s homemade pickles in their jars. The bread ends that seem to multiply on every shelf. The eggs. The milk. The fruit and veggies. All of it sat on the floor or the counter as I carefully removed the shelves and wiped them down with…
I’ve heard that life is like a highway. And it definitely seems like that sometimes. The pace of life swirls around me at dizzying speeds. We’re all so busy. In such a hurry. Always somewhere to be, something else to do. I’m a get-to-the-point, get-there-quick kind of girl. I don’t like to waste time on…
I’m writing this at the beginning of May and it’s finally starting to feel a little more like spring. The weather has fluctuated as much as my feelings these past weeks. As I’ve looked back on the month, I can hardly believe some of the things that were part of it (and that’s why I write these posts, so I remember the good things). You know the drill: what we did, what we ate, what we watched, what we read.
Track meets; lacrosse matches. Sports parent life. The month started off with cold, windy weather. Not a fun sports environment but we do love watching our kids participate. The month also ended with cold, windy weather. Spring sports season has been brutal thus far.
An afternoon out with book club friends. We wandered through Building Character searching for odd/quirky gifts around $5 to exchange later, then stopped at The Lancaster Pickle Company to sample some pickles (a pickle on a stick!) before heading to Maize, a Mexican restaurant for margaritas and appetizers.
Our daughter attended the high school musical with her middle school play castmates, so Phil and I had some time with our son, who opted to play video games with us: Jackbox 8 Party Pack. Admittedly, these games were mostly fun and not too thought-provoking for a Saturday night.
Game night with our small group from church. We played some new and familiar games. Bohnanza, which is a bean-planting game; Dominion, which is a deck-building game; Code Names and Apples to Apples. It was a fun night of hanging out.
Spring break! For the first time in recent memory, we had a full 5-day break for Easter weekend. It was busy with the best kinds of things: a massage for me, a writing presentation to my online writing group, and delivering and distributing the lacrosse fundraiser stickies to those who ordered. We had a video call with our Illinois family on Easter Sunday as well.
The Franklin Institute and Philadelphia. We gifted our daughter with tickets to The Harry Potter Exhibition at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
It was our first outing to a city since 2019, so we were a little out of our usual travel element. After finally finding some parking, we ate our lunch near a fountain in Logan Square across from the Franklin Institute.
Then we wandered through the science museum for a couple of hours before our tickets to the exhibition took effect.
Our kids loved the immersive experience of the exhibition. It was super crowded. I loved some of the historical exhibits in the other parts of the Franklin Institute.
We ended our day at H Mart in Upper Darby where we ate dinner at the food court and then perused the grocery store for the snacks and ramen we’ve been craving since my last trip to H Mart with the book club friends. Overall, it was a fun day that makes me want to get back to day trips to cities.
More video games with our son. Our daughter went out with some friends to the roller rink, so while the three of us were home, we played more video games together.
Writers brunch. A couple of very dear writer friends open their home every once in a while to host a bunch for local-ish writers, and I got to attend for the first time this month. It. Was. Amazing. I keep forgetting how life-giving it is to be in a room with people who write, to talk with them about writing and just share our collective struggles and joys. I already can’t wait for the next one.
Indie Bookstore Day! I visited a new bookstore in Lancaster. Pocket Books is in a house with a porch and has tall shelves full of beautiful reads in a variety of genres.
So charming. I can’t wait to go back.
Chick-fil-a. We needed to eat out after a full day that ended with a lacrosse match.
H Mart food court food: pork fried rice, soup, sushi, Korean chicken.
Grilled stickies. After all the ordering/delivering, I was pleased to learn that they lived up to the hype.
Easter dinner: Grilled ham steaks, cheesy potatoes made with goat milk gouda, green beans with fig vinaigrette, crescent rolls. Dessert: Cheesecake bites and mini-eclairs.
Our daughter’s cooking inspiration is back so one night a week, she’s choosing and making the meal. Her first offering was crispy rice topped with imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, green onion and jalapeño. Then she made meatloaf from a TikTok video and it was spicy and delicious. A week later, she fed us a five-cheese baked mac and cheese. She either loves us or is trying to kill us.
Thai. Phil and I went out for lunch while the kids had a youth group hangout at church. We added Thai iced tea to our meal and it was worth it! A non-alcoholic drink with an umbrella that was sweet and refreshing–what’s not to love?
Moon Knight. I have no idea where this is going but I’m along for the ride. And what a ride it is.
SNL Clips. Angelo clips crack me up. And Bowen is my current favorite cast member, although there are a lot of contenders to choose from. We showed our kids the Angelo clips and for a couple of days our son said, “Tonight” in a high-pitched voice repeatedly.
Outlander. Season 6 is brutal and also contains some unforgettable scenes and lines from the book. I’m itching to re-read the series now.
Bridgerton. Anthony’s story is one of my favorites. I know everyone is missing the Duke from season 1 but I love the electricity between Anthony and Kate. I enjoyed the way this played out, but I think I might need to re-read the book this one was based on.
Show Dogs. This was a ridiculous, sort of dumb movie but it was good for some laughs.
Around the World in 80 Days. We finished it. It was fabulous. I want to watch it more times.
Sanditon. Season 2 is growing on me.
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. I enjoyed the book. The movie was so-so. Like Willy Wonka, but in a library.
Books I finished:
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Mixed feelings about this one. It’s written by a white man who apparently researched by talking with a former geisha but it still left me feeling confused and unsettled (and not in a good way).
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon. Writing a story set during westward expansion and pioneer days is no easy task. So many of these kinds of stories make the white man out to be the victim and the native people the aggressors. This book paints both cultures as complicated and culpable when it came to conflict between them. It was so well-written I had disturbing dreams one night after reading a couple of chapters because I was so immersed in the story. Amy Harmon is one of my new favorites when it comes to historical fiction.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. I took time on my lunch break to read a little bit of this book each day, and while I’ve always been inspired by Malala, reading her story and the background of where she grew up in Pakistan added to my admiration of her. She is more than just the girl who got shot by the Taliban.
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny. The last couple of Inspector Gamache books were a struggle, but this one is back to what I love about the series: the suspense of not knowing who committed the crime with some underlying backstory that is unsettling and may continue to play in future books.
When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson. This is a second read-through for me but my book club at work is reading it this month, so I’m re-reading. It was just as or more impactful the second time through.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. I was off to a slow start with this one because I didn’t understand that it was a historical fantasy (I guess?) with lady pirates and flying houses in Victorian England. But it didn’t take long for me to be thoroughly engrossed and entertained. It was a fresh twist on some of the usual genres I read.
Books in progress:
The Eternal Current by Aaron Niequist. Aaron spoke at our church this month and I was curious about his book. I’ve only just started it.
Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs. Each one gets better than the last one.
Subpar Parks by Amber Share. While we were waiting for a digital version of Spy School Goes South to hit my email, we read a few selections from this funny and informative book.
These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. Our next book club read, and after one essay and the introduction, I have decided I love Patchett’s writing.
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman. This is some powerful poetry. I wasn’t prepared to process my all my pandemic feelings, but Gorman gives words to all those things I’ve sort of avoided for the past two years.
Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. My next lunch read at work about a girl with dyslexia who has fooled her teachers and parents for years about her disability.
March and January both have 31 days, so I’m not sure why March feels so much longer. Maybe it’s because I know spring is approaching and the back-and-forth winter-to-spring weather of March makes the month drag on. Whatever the reason, I felt ALL 31 days of March. Here’s our monthly roundup of What We Did (birthday!), What We Ate (cake!), What We Watched (Murderville, anyone?) and What We Read (so many books!).
At the very start of the month, our son had a basketball playoff game to close out the season. The loss was tough on the boys but we celebrated a great season. They were such a fun bunch of kids to watch.
The end of basketball season rolled right into lacrosse practices, which led right into the team’s first scrimmage and first game. Outdoor spring sports are a whole mood in March. The scrimmage was 70 degrees. The first game was 40 degrees with a wind chill.
One afternoon after work, I stopped by the local police station and filed a police report about my stolen social security number. They fingerprinted me, which is more concerning when you’re standing in the place where they book people accused of crimes. But at least my identity theft is officially on the record now.
Our daughter turned 14 during a bomb cyclone snow event, which is basically par for the course for her birthday. It’s either snowing or the world is shutting down for COVID when her birthday rolls around. We had a small celebration at home, then the following week, she took a friend out to dinner, then a week later, we celebrated with my parents.
Middle school play. FINALLY, after months of rehearsals, it was showtime for Hurricane Smith and the Garden of the Golden Monkey.
I’ll be honest: I was expecting an awkward, cringey middle school play, but this performance was stellar from the entire cast.
Our daughter went to the cast party afterward and our son slept over at the hotel with his grandparents so Phil and I hung out at a pub and ate some food while we waited for the cast party to be done. The life of teen/tween parents is not so different from toddlers: late nights, little sleep, lots of worry, epic meltdowns.
I asked my parents to stay an extra day so I could take the day off and spend it with them. We bummed around a few shops in Lancaster and Lititz and bought a few things at Costco. We ate lunch out, too. It was an enjoyable day.
That same day, Phil’s truck broke down on the way to work, so on the plus side, we’re only using gas from one vehicle right now and I know where he works because I’ve had to drive him there several mornings.
It is still soup season until the weather says it isn’t, and even then, I could eat soup. This month we had Coconut Curry Lentil Soup and Chunky Vegan Potato Soup. (If I were ever to become a full-fledge vegan, I think I’d call myself the Chunky Vegan).
For the impromptu birthday celebration, we grabbed some food from Central Market including soups from Isabelle Cuisine, empanadas from Empanada Gourmet, and cake from The Goodie Shop.
As per usual, we ate corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
Our meal out for the birthday celebration was Mexican food from Cocina Mexicana. I had chilaquiles verdes. Other food consumed included burritos, tacos, queso, chips and salsa.
We also had ice cream cupcakes for dessert from Good Life Ice Cream. A week later we had a mixed berry cake and two kinds of ice cream for the birthday treat with the grandparents.
As we waited for the cast party to wrap up, Phil and I hung out at Quip’s Pub and ate a Scotch egg and whiskey-butter parmesan fries.
We also tried a new-to-us pizza place near our church: UnCommon Pizza. They have a breakfast pizza which intrigued me: it has a garlic butter sauce with scrambled eggs and two cheeses. We added bacon. We also ate salads and garlic bread.
SNL clips. When I need to laugh at the state of the world and other random stuff, this is where I go.
State of the Union address. Gosh, this seems like so long ago. I know I didn’t stay up for all of it.
Murderville. Laugh-out-loud funny. Netflix. Will Arnett is a goofball but the guest stars are the ones that really get me.
Bake Squad. The girl and I were on our own for dinner one night because of schedules, so we watched an episode of this baking competition for a good cause on Netflix. Enjoyable.
Welcome to Earth. The Will Smith documentary on Disney Plus. An episode about scent. Pretty much always blows my mind.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. This revamp of the classic with The Rock, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillen is HILARIOUS. We laughed so hard we missed dialogue. I loved this one. So much better than the original.
Outlander. It’s back! Finally. Episode 1 was epic and sets up this very dramatic season. I am both thrilled and terrified about what’s to come.
Turning Red. What an amazing movie. Don’t believe all the negativity you might read about it.
Mulan. The live-action one. Also so much better than the animated “original.”
The World According to Jeff Goldblum. An episode about barbecue that also featured cricket farming!
Around the World in 80 Days. We finally got back to it. Our schedules have been busy and TV has not been a priority.
College basketball. I filled out a bracket this year so I had some more-than-usual interest. Also, Illinois was in the tournament. For a bit. My interest waned after the first weekend.
Supermarket Sweep. Leslie Jones for life.
Sanditon. The second season. I had feelings two minutes into the first episode. I’m going to watch more because I can’t quit a Jane Austen inspired show. But I’m still mad about season 1.
Bridgerton. Everything returns! I’m balancing three shows in my limited free time.
Books I Finished:
Chirp by Kate Messner. Two reasons: It’s on the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Awards List for this year and it takes place at a cricket farm in the Northeast. I’m intrigued by this kind of farming. This story surprisingly tackled a serious issue in the midst of a minor mystery. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It’s on the younger side of what I normally read for YA/middle grade, but still important and valuable.
What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon. A friend who knows I like Outlander recommended this time-crossing novel, and I’m so glad she did. While Outlander is in a class of its own, this story kept me turning pages and wanting/not wanting to find out what happens. The historical part is set in 1920s Ireland during the Irish Civil War. It was fascinating to read about this time in history and I loved following Anne and Thomas’ love story.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi . This is a Pride and Prejudice remix I picked up at a school book fair, and it is so well done.
One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London. Plus-size fashion blogger Bea Schumacher agrees to go on a reality TV dating show to find love and bust stereotypes about who is worthy of love. One of my favorite recent reads. I’ve never seen an episode of The Bachelor or any other shows like that, but this book almost made me want to get in on the drama.
Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen. An unforgettable, magical book that I will love for all time. This goes on my list of all-time favorites.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I’m hooked. I realized there are about a bazillion books by Agatha Christie, so at least I know I’ll have books to read for the foreseeable future.
Reading with the kids:
Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs. Another in our series.
Other reading:
The Bible. If you’ve been around here for a while, maybe this doesn’t sound like it should be noteworthy, but over the past few years, I’ve struggled to read the Bible because of my own personal struggles with my faith. So, the fact that I’ve picked it up again (not a lot, mind you) is significant. I’m still working out my relationship with the Bible.
Books in progress:
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. A friend who read Redeeming Love after I talked about it recommended this one. I’m about halfway through it and I’m not sure what to think. I can’t wait to talk with her about it.
I Am Malala. Still working on this one during my lunch breaks at work.