Our Last Dance

Our Last Dance

It is early October and my little family embarks on our last rendezvous with Poppy. She has served us well this summer. She taught me how to be brave and strong, she helped us form rock solid memories, she helped me gather up some of my pieces and found just the right spot for them […]

The Friends You Choose Together

The Friends You Choose Together

I’m overcome with appreciation of true friendship. Never in my life have I seen it in as great detail or soaked in its beauty, quite as I have in this leg of my journey. I’ve always valued the variety of friends I’ve had in my life. They have taught me so much about the world […]

Maiden Voyage – Roll On, Poppy Wagon

Maiden Voyage – Roll On, Poppy Wagon

It was the eve of our first official pulling-out-of-the-driveway-and-hauling-it-to-a-different-location camping trip. We researched, we planned, we made lists, we dreamed, we packed, and together as a little team we learned how to outfit our truck and hook up our little camper, Poppy. Poppy Wagon, to be exact. I catch myself explaining my way through most […]

Backyard Magic – Summer Staycation

Backyard Magic – Summer Staycation

It’s a bit of an after-post, but an experience worth recording. Our very first night in our little camper was spent at home and shared with cousins – a child’s first friend, as they say. After a long afternoon drenched in sun and sand at the beach we went home for an adventurous little Staycation. […]

I Spy Three…Brave & Strong

I Spy Three…Brave & Strong

I’m lying here in bed pressed tightly against a cuddly little girl, much longer than I ever remember her to be, in a tiny cottage bedroom with a delicate curtain for a door. My little man’s lanky and rapidly stretching body is sprawled out on a bed right beside us. The warm glow of the light […]

A Long and Winding Road

A Long and Winding Road

Running on a long and winding road through the north woods, one that I’ve run many times over the past half of my life, brings great exhale following a pivotal life experience. I ran like I was headed for the finish line after a long and challenging race, but also like I was headed for […]

Adventure Sticks

Adventure Sticks

A little something to bring along with you on your quest…no matter how far a distance it may be. A simple stroll down the road can become a magical expedition when you pack imagination. Kids teach us this. They remind us of the simple pleasures that get squeezed out of our cluttered adult brains. They […]