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The king and the wise guys, 2021 edition.

2021 Reads

2021 top reads:

more 2021 reads:

of the favorites:

most beautiful: Just Mercy

most gripping: Educated

most fascinating: Lady in Waiting

most sad (and also very well done): The Zookeeper's Wife

most notable during a pandemic: Pale Rider

Christmas

Christmas with littles is best.

 

seed paper packages tied up with string...

(Christmas gifts from Lauren Mae)

Birthday Special

There's a new bakery down the road... and I took the opportunity to make a little visit 

recently in honor of my birthday.

I can't wait to go back for a picnic with friends.

the middle of a story

"When you are in the middle of a story it isn't a story at all, but only a confusion; a dark roaring, a blindness, a wreckage of shattered glass and splintered wood; like a house in a whirlwind, or else a boat crushed by the icebergs or swept over the rapids, and all aboard powerless to stop it. It's only afterwards that it becomes anything like a story at all. When you are telling it, to yourself or to someone else."

-Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace        

 

Festive

 

Friend Becky spruced up our office space with a little Christmas deskoration :)

Working Remotely

I enjoyed working from Joel's remote office one day last week.

His setup is pretty swell.

before and after

a clean desk always feels better

story time with aunties

The world of picture books is vast and wonderful.

adventure buddy

Libby and I spent a few days last week adventuring together in northwest Michigan.

As you can tell, she's a pretty swell adventure buddy :).

 

peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

~Jesus   (John 14:27)                    

Hilton Head weekend

Kristen and I spent a weekend together on Hilton Head at the end of September.

Time in a lovely, peaceful setting surrounded by beauty and good company was good for the soul.

breakfast on the patio each morning :)

Porch Delivery

I was overly delighted to receive a porch delivery from Crimson Clover Flower Farm this week.

If one doesn't have one's own flower garden brimming with flowers ready for harvest, 

a fresh and local bouquet wrapped in brown paper is the next best thing.

that sounds like home to me

Listening to this Case International mow last week on my evening walk sounded like home.

It smelled a bit like home too, even though it was just a grassy hill.

#hay

#brothers

don't try this at home

...what might happen if you drop a sweating jar of jam on the kitchen floor as you're carrying it to the fridge...

 

Hiking at Boyd Big Tree Preserve

This past weekend's outdoor exploration was to Boyd Big Tree Preserve just north of Harrisburg.

I was too busy swatting flies to take pictures along our 4 mile loop hike.

We did, however, manage to kill a handful of invasive Spotted Lanternfly insects. 

It was fun to explore a new area with varied trails.

Cumberland Valley Overlook

 

I spent a couple hours on the trail again last weekend. It had been too long since my hikers took me to this portion of the Appalachian Trail (around 5.5 miles out and back just south of Darlington Shelter). 

A good view-- like the Cumberland Valley Overlook-- is always rewarding after a rigorous climb.

the Cumberland Valley

Projects

I spent some time with my sewing machine recently, and was pleased with the tea towel I embellished.

I also recently tried my hand at baking crusty French baguettes, and was not pleased with the plain 'ol French bread I managed to create instead...