January is winding down, and I feel like I should be standing at the finish line waving a small flag, proud of having made it through the longest month known to mankind. January always feels like it has ninety-seven days, and this one came with its own special brand of tension, exhaustion, and adjustment. Still,…
At Home
Letters with Rita: An Introduction
Letters have a way of meeting us where we are. They don’t interrupt. They don’t demand an immediate response or flash across a screen while we’re in the middle of something else. They wait patiently—until we’re ready to speak, and just as patiently, until we’re ready to listen. That simple truth is the heart of…
Pull Up a Chair: January 9, 2026
Welcome to Pull Up a Chair 2026! If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that Fridays have always been reserved for a certain kind of post. The kind where we sit down together, talk about life, laugh a little, vent a little, and remind ourselves that none of us are doing this…
Update on Life and Stuff
2025 ended and to be honest I could not have been happier to see the back end of it. We had to move and the entire process was less than pretty. The entire reason behind us having to move, in my opinion, was just petty and wrong but there you have it. I won’t go…
Resetting for the New Year
There’s something about January that feels like a deep, cleansing breath. Not the kind you take when you’re bracing for something difficult, but the kind that fills your lungs and reminds you that you’re still here, still moving forward, still writing your story one ordinary day at a time. After the blur of the holidays—the…
Merry Christmas 2025
Merry Christmas, y’all! 🎄✨ I hope your day is filled with the warmth of family, the joy of traditions, and maybe a few new surprises under the tree. Whether you’re up at the crack of dawn opening gifts or taking it slow with a cozy cup of cocoa, may your heart be filled with peace…
What Do You Tell Your Kids About Santa Claus?
What do you tell your children about Santa Claus? I grew up believing in him and my dad always made a point of ensuring he was alive and well in our home. We would leave out cookies and my father would eat them leaving us a note afterwards. Then one Christmas morning I realized that…
Home For the Holidays: A Tradition
One of the things that we do every single year since this particular movie came out is watch it. It takes place on Thanksgiving rather than Christmas which makes it the best movie to watch on Thanksgiving in my opinion. This movie is how families really are during the holidays,let me be honest. While we…
Happy Thanksgiving 2025
Hey y’all, and Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍂 Today is all about gratitude, family, and—let’s be real—eating until we swear we’ll never eat again. (Only to go back for “just a little piece” of pie an hour later.) I hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and good food. Whether you’re gathered around a big family…
Friday Conversations: The Unexpected Guests at Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and as usual, things around Shady Pines have gotten a little more… lively than expected. I had this year’s holiday all planned out—menu finalized, grocery list printed, and roles assigned. Ma was on dessert duty, Uncle R had turkey honors, and I was prepared to glide gracefully through the…
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