Hikes a'Plenty

Aaron and I picked a cold Saturday to grab some fancy coffee to go and drive over to the Lake Sylvia Recreation Area.

We chose the Lake Sylvia Loop that also included a small portion of the Ouachita Trail. We added the Chinquapin Mountain Spur for a little extra length and elevation. Now that I know this gem is less than an hour away, we'll be back!

A few days later, Lauren and her kids joined me for a jaunt around the Kenny Vernon Nature Trail. And she taught me about frost flowers, which the kids delighted in finding EVERYWHERE.

 

Outside

Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I committed to tracking my hours outside. The fabulous resources at 1000 Hours Outside provide so many beautiful charts to help track the precious time outside...by day, by hour, by outdoor temperature.

This year, as I'm seeking to strengthen my body, I'm trying to log my outside hours again. And I'm bringing as many people with me as I can. Especially small people.

My friend Lauren shares many of my goals and values, and her little people are some of my favorites.

Together, we created some yummy treats for the birds and the squirrels.

Another outside goal this year is to expand our garden. Lauren loaned us their tiller, and we got a little plot of ground (spread with chicken manure from a church friend) prepared to sit underneath a tarp for a few months until it's time to plant some seedlings.

My favorite farmer, Billianne, at Shaky K Farms, is a rich source of information and help, she is coaching me along the way as I seek to steward our backyard well.

Kicking Off 2026

2026 kicked off with a bang! A few things we did in the first week of the new year:

Katherine, Aaron, and I joined several other cellists for some sightreading fun at her teacher's house. Cello choirs are amazing inventions.

I got invited to speak in front a group of young ladies who were raising money to support Sarah. I grew up participating in Girls Missionary Auxiliary, so this was a kind of homecoming for me. This group focuses on missions and God's Word, and they were instrumental in my spriritual formation. 

As I continue to test my strength and stamina, Aaron and I are trying longer hikes. We visited the Luna Moth and Tarantula Hawk Loop for a lovely stroll and chat.

Turkey Trot

Even before cancer invaded my life, I had been chasing the elusive 5K. In the Solomon Islands or in America, jogging without stopping just felt impossible.

Until now. Once again, I recruited my unstoppable cello student and gym buddy, Evan. His enthusiasm is contagious.

And once again, my family somehow realized how important this race felt. Post-cancer recovery includes physical healing, but this milestone felt emotionally raw as I attempted to finally meet the goal of completing a race without stopping to walk.

My amazing daughters made signs and picked a spot where they could cheer for me both coming and going. I got high fives, too!

The different circles of my community intersected at the race. Former and current orchestra students (something about cellists and running!) braved the chilly morning. I didn't get a picture with Mr. Speedy, the former student who is now a fantastic young man who owns his own business and runs FAST, he won the entire race. And my goal is still to run twice as slowly as he does :)

I also didn't get a picture with Amy, my gym buddy. I didn't know she was running the Turkey Trot until I saw her just in front of me at the beginning of the race. I stayed within sight for the entire race, and with just a few hundred yards to go, I caught up. We chose to run across the finish line together, which seemed appropriate because she has been one of my biggest cheerleaders through cancer and my recovery. 

What a meaningful way to begin a day devoted to thankfulness. To be reminded of the encouraging people God has brought across my path. To meet a goal that I thought I would never, ever conquer. To revel in this fearfully and wonderfully made body that has carried me through so much over the last 50+ years.

Presence and Beauty

I've been reading "Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human". I love how Comer frames how we spend our time as a way to make God's presence and beauty visible. For me, that looks like strengthening my body as Katherine and I go to the gym together. It looks like savoring the one Arkansas Black apple that survived this year (unlike the bumper crop we had recently). It also looks like one of my cello student's parents getting out of her car week after week to delight in the beautiful monarchs that continue to flock to our lantana and zinnias. 

"The Anglican writer John Stott said the kind of work we're called to is 'The expenditure of energy (manual or mental or both) in the service of others, which brings fulfillment to the worker, benefit to the community, and glory to God.'

Most of us get the first part of that definition: 'Fulfilment to the worker' -- ideally, your work should be a vocation, a calling, work that you feel God made you to do and that you love. And a lot of us get the second part: 'Benefit to the community' -- it should make the world into a more Garden-like place. But what about 'glory to God'? How do we do that?

Well, if God's glory is his presence and beauty, then, as I see it, we glorify God by reshaping the raw materials of the world in such a way that, for those with eyes to see, God's presence and beauty are made visible." ~John Mark Comer

Friday Favorite Five

"Dependency means no longer being afraid of exposure, because I really do believe that there is nothing that could be known, exposed, or revealed about me that has not already been addressed by the person and work of Jesus. It means living as if I really do believe that isolated, individualized, independent Christianity never produces good fruit." ~Paul David Tripp, "Lead"

1) Social connection and its link to longevity and physical health are near and dear to my heart. Much research, particularly about dementia and inflammation and how social circles support longevity, has reinforced what I experienced during my cancer treatments and what I see at CARTI each week when I volunteer. My home church recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. What a treasure to see friends who grew up together, two Joannas and two Kristens. People filled the expo center to celebrate so many years of God's faithfulness and to rehearse His goodness.

2) Fun coffee socks. My days of the week socks were full of holes after years and years of enjoying them, so I bought a new set of socks celebrating all things coffee. These cozy and colorful socks bring me so much joy!

3) Fresh watermelon from the farmers' market. I'm learning about so many different kinds of melons! This one was a "blacktail mountain" melon. I also bought some "moon and stars" melons. The teenaged vendor, Jackson, quizzed me on the types I've been buying in the last few weeks to make sure I remembered :)

4) Puzzles. We recently finished "The World of Charles Dickens" puzzle, and now we've begun to piece together "The World of Shakespeare". So many great books represented in these puzzles!

5) Accountability. I agree with Paul David Tripp that "isolated, individualized, independent Christianity never produces good fruit", but I think we need people in every area of our lives. Including how we steward our bodies. I'm so grateful for the teenagers who accompany and encourage me. They keep me smiling even when we are working hard.

Rest and Work

"Sabbath sustained me as torpor sustains the hummingbird. Further, daily rhythms of rest equipped me to faithfully carry out the work God called me to do without overextending myself. Beginning my day in His Word rather than my email inbox, enjoying walks around my neighborhood between tasks, and pausing to pray and invite his restful presence into my day reminded me He is the one carrying out this work at his pace and for his glory. I can rest and work in vital harmony."

~Eryn Lynum, "The Nature of Rest"

Daily rhythms of rest around here look like walking out to my little garden to check for ripe veggies in between cello students or as I'm hanging out clothes to dry. Growing food always reminds me that "He is the one carrying out this work at his pace and for his glory"!

Making time to sit down and eat lunch together on the patio also helps us slow down and reconnect in the midst of days filled with summer school, advisor checking, Zoom meetings, and cello students.

Maintaining a rhythm of moving our bodies each morning helps keep us strong and healthy, equipped to fulfill each task the Lord gives us throughout the day.

Days 13 and 14 of 40

We are way behind on our 40 days of dates for 40 years of friendship, but that's okay. Our friendship and our marriage are still going strong! For our anniversary, we decided to go back to one of our favorite cabins in the middle of nowhere: Beit Shalom.

On the way to the cabin Friday afternoon, we stopped at one of my favorite roadside stands and bought several watermelons. They often have cantaloupe and corn and tomatoes and allllll of the local delicious summer produce. I read "The Sabbath Way" out loud and we discussed as Aaron chauffeured. 

Saturday morning began with anniversary sourdough discard blueberry muffins gifted by my favorite farmer. I watched the mist slowly move down the valley. A slow, peaceful start to the day was exactly what we needed.

Due to some family generosity, we made a last minute decision to float the middle Buffalo River. We had never floated this section before.

The river was full of people and music, and I enjoyed my husband using his incredible skills he has honed from paddling a dugout canoe around the Pacific Ocean. I hardly had to pick up a paddle!

I just soaked up the view and the love flowing behind me as Aaron deftly steered and navigated the busy river. 

"Delight is both a trailhead for and a signpost along the Sabbath way. If a Sabbath practice is whittled down to its irreducible core, what remains is largely a commitment to making room in one's life to recover a sense of delight." ~Travis West

We pulled into this shallow cave for lunch and chatted while we pulled out veggies and hummus to go along with our cold brats from Shaky K Farm. I lost all sense of time and didn't even check my watch. One of the concepts in "The Sabbath Way" is that time slows down or even ceases to exist when we are truly resting. I haven't experienced that in a very long time. My brain naturally runs to the next thing on my to-do list. This day was full of delight and joy and connection, truly a much needed day of rest and play.

On my Bookshelf

When I drive to Grandma's house or to pick up raw milk, I like to listen to a book. I just finished Brene Brown's "The Gifts of Imperfection", and now I want to buy a hard copy so I can go back, take notes, and ponder what she wrote.

When I sit in waiting rooms or in my lymphedema machine, that's my time for reading. I'm slowly working my way through the very thick, "Outlive" by Peter Attia. His website and podcasts cover a wealth of health topics.

Happy New Year, 2024!

"In a world largely defined by rush, hygge welcomes rest. It invites you to enjoy the simple pleasures of slow living, savored moments, and fostered friendships."

~Jamie Erickson, "Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow"

Last year, we spent the first day of 2024 hiking Hawksbill Crag with Olivia and Connor. The first day of 2023 we hiked at Longpool Falls.

This year we kicked 2025 off by hiking at Hawksbill Crag again, but this time with one of our adopted young adults, Sunny. She was one of Olivia's bridesmaids and has become dear to us.

To faciliate "savored moments, and fostered friendships" we brought sugar cookies and a thermos of hot chocolate.

The day was sunny and cool and absolutely perfect for a hike.

As I begin to regain my strength and stamina this year, my two biggest goals are 1) extend hospitality more often and 2) be outside more. I haven't set any measureable guideposts yet, because I'm not sure what my energy will facilicate, but beginning 2025 by kickstarting both of those goals felt like a big win!

On the way home, we pulled over on the narrow dirt road to let an oncoming truck pass. Unfortunately, our minivan got mired in a ditch full of leaves and mud. The driver of the truck offered to get his grandfather who lived nearby, and soon we were towed out of the muck and giving away a container of sugar cookies with a hearty thanks!

Christmas Day

As our family grows, we have to plan farther and farther ahead for the times when we all gather. We knew that the #meatcheato "Christmas Day" wouldn't be on the 25th of December this year. As long as we can find time for all of us to be together, it doesn't matter to us which day it is!

On the morning of December 25th, Sarah was the only one of our young adults at our house, so she joined me at the gym. Spending time with her is always a joy! I'm still trying to regain my strength, and I'll take all the accountability I can get.

A former orchestra student has a food truck, and she was making tamales on Christmas Day, so I ordered two dozen to be picked up for lunch. I think we have begun a new tradition!

Our wreath keeps adding candles all the way to Epiphany. I love the end of the day when we all gather round, often in our pajamas, and listen while Aaron reads and the candles flicker.

Hannah and Benjamin arrived in time to play Catan History - Settlers of America, one of our family's favorite games. I still can't stay up as late as the rest of the family, but I sure do enjoy them being in our home.