I love our community. We’ve got great neighbors, many who have become friends and keep any thoughts of moving at bay. But the best feature of our neighborhood during the summer is the community pool. We spend a lot of time there when the weather cooperates. And the kids and I have the tans to show it — don’t worry, …

This week I am participating in a blog tour on Mary DeMuth’s new book Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. Tomorrow, I’ll post my thoughts on the book — in a nutshell: very thought-provoking. But today, you get to hear from Mary. Enjoy! Why did you write this book? Aren’t there already a bazillion parenting books out there?Yes, I do …

Ever have those moments where life seems to conspire against you? A host of demands intersect and leave your head spinning as you try to keep all the balls in the air? I’m there. Boy, am I ever. I’ve got three book deadlines in August. Yikes! I know I am incredibly blessed to even have a contract, let alone four…but …

My friend Crystal Miller tagged me over at her blog. Sometimes I avoid tags, but this one is all about books and writing, so right up my alley. Here goes: 1. What’s the one book or writing project you haven’t yet written but still hope to? I have to think about this one. So far, I’ve gotten to write everything …

The other day, I recieved the Rockin’ Girl Blogger from a friend… Frankly, I tried to back my way into who it was, but I should have written this post then. Sigh. It’s always fun to know someone — in this case a really elusive someone — thinks my blog is nice. So I’m passing the award on to some …

My editor JoAnne Simmons in a recent post on the Barbour Editors blog, Edit Cafe, talked about music and asked about the songs that would form a soundtrack to our books. (BTW, if you haven’t checked out their blog, you should!) For Sandhill Dreams, I bought a CD called Songs that Got Us Through WWII on Amazon. It’s filled with …

The other night my husband started teaching our puppy to use the treadmill. She’s not sold on the idea, but more curious than I would have thought. She walked on it while he held her there for about a minute. Then she circled it a couple times slipping onto the front edge of it. Tonight she started pawing at the …

My kids are precocious. I’m not the only one who says that. Most people who spend anytime with them will use that word or a similar one to describe them. They are best friends. I love that. I know a time will come when they aren’t so willing to play with each other, but at 6 and 3 they really …

Over Her Head is a book that haunted me as I read it. Something about the conflict and the characters grabbed a hold of me and wouldn’t let me stop thinking about them in between reading it. Laurie Hale as the perfect life – and the perfect family. Her husband has a great job, she’s active in leadership at her …

First, Happy Fourth of July. I hope you take a bit of time today to thank God for this country and the fact that you live here. I am constantly humbled to think of everything we have and the freedoms we often take for granted. ———— I love mail. To the point that I usually have one eye peeled toward …