After Thanksgiving

I bumped into one of my orchestra students at the gym the day after Thanksgiving. We did pushups together :-)

Olivia and Connor joined us after they shared Thanksgiving with his family in Oklahoma. We discovered Spotify's shared jam and laughed ourselves silly while decorating for Christmas.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I got a text from my favorite berry farmer, David. He said they were about to harvest the sugar cane before the impending freeze and invited us to come over and get some. My tropical kids were super excited about the prospect of sucking on a piece of sugar cane.

Some of our favorite little people came over to visit. We sure do love the Davis family.

The Playmobile nativity set and the Christmas book basket experienced small hands to kick off Advent 2025.

My cousin, Luke, had a birthday during Thanksgiving break, so he joined us for lunch and a birthday cake after church. The first Thanksgiving after we were married, Aaron and I went to the hospital for the waiting room party that is traditional for my side of the family. We stayed up most of the night waiting for Luke to be born and partying with my grandmother.

Sarah wanted Olivia's baby to know her voice, even though Aunt Sarah will be living on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. So she made sure to talk and sing to the baby as much as possible.

Sweet Sabbath

"Sabbath is a way to say yes to YHWH. To silence Pharaoh's voice and break free from Egypt's pull and to tune our life to YHWH, the rest-God. It's a way to remember and never forget that what we're craving, and even coveting, isn't found in the world of space, but in the world of time - in God himself....The world and all the stuff in it are gifts to enjoy, not gods to worship."

~John Mark Comer, "Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human"

 This recipe for Sausage and Egg Cottage Cheese Breakfast Casserole is certainly a gift to be enjoyed. The combination of sitting on the porch with a cup of tea and eating off these autumn dishes that belonged to my great-grandmother? That adds up to slowing down and saying "yes to YHWH".

Thanksgiving Day

Katherine got my fingernails ready for Thanksgiving with her incredibly detailed art.

We had only a small crowd this year, just eight of us.

But that didn't stop us from enjoying each other's company,

reading lots of books,

and eating delicious and beautiful food.

At one point, I did think, "Who is going to make all of the beautiful pies next year when Sarah is in the Solomon Islands?"

But I forced myself to soak up every joyful minute with her.

Grandma made our day extra special with her sweet presence.

And when all of the hubbub died down, Sarah, Aaron, and I took a walk at Cadron Settlement Park to enjoy golden hour together.

We finished the day by passing around a family favorite: Louisa May Alcott's "An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving". Reading aloud the familiar and beloved story, we felt cozy and snug together.

 

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.

First Half of Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a full week of Thanksgiving. None of our young adults' schedules overlapped to be at our house all at the same time, so we enjoyed a rotating door of extras.

Hannah celebrated a birthday just before they arrived at our home, so we walked to a lovely coffee shop downtown as a belated birthday treat.

For Hannah's birthday "cake", Katherine made creme brulee in her lovely pottery dishes. Katherine's creativity never quits flowing!

Aaron's side of the family was leaving the state for Thanksgiving Day, so we enjoyed some time with the grandparents and Aaron's niece on Tuesday before they hit the road.

Hannah's parents stopped overnight in our hometown in between visiting their grandkids in different states, so we enjoyed brunch together at our house on Wednesday morning. It's so nice to like the parents of the people your own kids married.

My favorite farmer makes candied jalapenos, and I finally bought some to put into my cornbread. I will never go back to regular cornbread again. The local red cornmeal plus the spicy sweet of the jalapenos makes a combination that can't be beat.

Sweet Sarah joined me at the gym early one morning, even though the rest of the house was still asleep. She is a treasure.

Middle of November

With great delight and a little bit of fear and trepidation, I accompanied the junior high all-region orchestra on piano. What joy to make music with this great bunch of students!

We found the perfect dress for Katherine! She is playing her cello more and more, and this dress is exactly right.

Preparing for a bigger garden next year feels a little bit scary. But I have a patient community (thanks for the loan of the tarp, Mama!) and an eager assistant (you can see her soaking up the sun on the tarp), and I'm excited about the possibilities to steward our little plot of land well.

November is for...

Backyard Greek lessons

Brilliant Ginkgo leaves

Harvesting produce from the garden before it freezes.

Even the beautiful baby beans.

Going on walks with Grandma during golden hour.

Marriage Monday - Days 21 & 22

So we obviously didn't hit our "Forty Dates for Forty Years" goal this year. But we DID have a lot of fun trying new adventures together. 

In November, we snuck away to explore some trails at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. We had never been to this part of Arkansas before, and its beauty astounded me.

The slow mornings at the Air BnB were exactly what we needed to promote conversations and sharing our hearts.

The autumn colors and cooler temperatures rejeuvenated our souls.

We've recently discovered "The Art of Spousing" podcast, and we're enjoying perusing the resources they offer for our marriage toolbox.

Hiking along the Ouachita Trail for the first time, we decided that we need to come back more often.

The Friends of the Ouachita Trail do a phenomenal job of maintaining the trail in addition to offering shelters and information for hikers. 10/10 would recommend!

 

Sweet Sabbath

Sabbath isn't just a day to not work, it's a day to delight in what one Hebrew poet called "the work of our hands" To delight in the life you've carved out in partnership with God, to delight in the world around you, and to delight in God himself. Sabbath is a day to pull up a chair, sink into it, look back over the last six days, and just enjoy. 

~John Mark Comer, "Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human"

I tell my cello students often that if they want to be, they are stuck with me for the rest of their lives. I'm so grateful for the people the Lord has brought across my path through music. Aaron and I helped a former student move recently. A forty-something-year-old mom. Because moving is hard, and we all need community. She was getting rid of her solid oak, childhood table. So, now it sits in my bedroom in a cozy corner. Which is a perfect place to nestle into my great-grandmother's rocking chair and enjoy some Sabbath rest.

 

Heart Dissection

Katherine continues to work her way through Advanced Biology. The dissections are by far the most fun part of the curriculum!

 

Kickin' off November

Once November began, the days and weeks flew by. The month started with a sweet bonfire/potluck/worship session with some of our favorite people.

As the weather turned colder, I realized I needed to find some wool clothes, especially skirts. America Jane Vintage to the rescue! The owner, Tina, is a sweet friend who shares many of the same experiences.

With Halloween behind us, nobody wants pumpkins and winter squash anymore. So the prices are dropping, and local bounty is easy to find. To save time, we'll take a monster pumpkin, peel and dice it, then measure it out and label it for specific recipes throughout the week. 

In addition to my old standby Chicken and Pumpkin Goulash, we're often making Butternut Squash Hash with Apples, Sausage, and Kale for breakfast.