I’m always excited to begin a new year with a new devotional. Years ago my mom read Streams in the Desert which may be my 2023 companion. I’m sad to say goodbye to New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp though happy to pass it on to my husband. Here are a few on my reading radar in this image. It would be wonderful to use them all!

Happy New Year!

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Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.

~Craig Claiborne

I had high hopes of bringing you an epic road trip post but alas, all that seems like ancient history now that I’m back in my Washington kitchen! We zoomed through 10 scenic states in 5 incredible days. Please peek at my Instagram account for details!

Returning to a big kitchen after the small quarters of the Kentucky cabin is such a refreshing change. One of the joys of my life has always been gardening and canning and creating an Amish pantry of sorts, even though I’m not Amish. There’s something so restful and fulfilling about having room to make and bake bread, hearing those lids pop & seal when they land on the kitchen counter after canning, and even weeding the garden. It’s quite Lael-like! (The Frontiersman’s Daughter).

So far our garden has given us a bumper crop of radishes, spinach, and chard. I’m about to dig potatoes, another favorite task. I’ve canned salsa and corn relish but green beans, beets, vegetable soup and many other things await.

I can honestly say the most fulfilling task of my life has been keeping house. We’re also in the middle of a major remodel after 25 years. Now that our nest is newly empty and Paul is at basic training in South Carolina and Wyatt continues as a firefighter in the Seattle area, it’s very quiet even with contractors working. I love quiet! I also enjoy opening the fridge and finding food inside!

Taking the summer off social media is a very refreshing thing. I’ve committed to posting on the Journal page as I can. Lest you think I’ve forgotten about writing, I’m about to get galleys for A Bound Heart on my desk then continue editing that frontier story in West Virginia that’s due November 1st. Am loving my new hero and all that 1770 wilderness history!

Please stay tuned for a post on the new historical fiction I’m most excited to add to my shelf. The covers just appeared online and I have to share. Till then…

Happy start of summer to you!

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