Recently I came across an Instagram account that I began to follow. She is a caregiver and shares her journey. She posted this post that inspired me to write this blog post on just what it means to be a caregiver. I write a lot about Ma and Uncle R on here but I don’t…
Life at Shady Pines
Pull Up a Chair: July 10, 2026
Well friends, another Friday has rolled around, and I have reached that point in summer where I am no longer asking how hot it is outside. Instead, I simply assume the answer is “too hot” and plan my day accordingly. July has settled in fully now. The Fourth of July decorations have been packed away,…
Pull Up a Chair: July 3, 2026
Well friends, we have officially arrived at the Fourth of July weekend, which means summer is now in full swing whether we’re ready for it or not. The fireworks stands have appeared on every corner, grocery stores are packed with people buying enough food to feed a small army, and somewhere in every neighborhood there…
Pull Up a Chair: June 26, 2026
Well friends, we have officially reached that part of summer where stepping outside feels like walking directly into someone else’s bad attitude. The heat has settled in fully now, the humidity has stopped pretending to be temporary, and every person in Georgia seems united by one shared activity: complaining about the weather while refusing to…
Pull Up a Chair: June 19, 2026
Well friends, we are somehow already staring down the second half of June, and I honestly would like to know who keeps speeding the calendar up when nobody is paying attention. Summer always begins with everybody talking about all the things they plan to do, and then suddenly it is late June and half of…
Pull Up a Chair: June 12, 2026
Well friends, we are officially deep into June now, which means two things around here: the humidity has become personally offensive, and nobody can agree on the thermostat setting anymore. Summer in the South really is a special kind of experience. You walk outside at eight o’clock in the morning and immediately feel like you…
Pull Up a Chair: June 5, 2026
Well friends, we made it to June, and I do not know about y’all, but it already feels like summer showed up with absolutely no intention of easing into things gently. The heat arrived, the humidity moved in permanently, and somewhere along the way my motivation packed a small bag and disappeared until at least…
Pull Up a Chair: May 29, 2026
Well friends, we officially made it to the last Friday in May, and honestly, I feel like this month packed at least three separate years into it somehow. May always starts out feeling fresh and hopeful, and then somewhere around the middle of the month everything speeds up all at once. School activities, graduations, Memorial…
A Quiet Kind of Honor: Remembering on Memorial Day
Memorial Day has always meant something a little deeper in our family. It is not just the start of summer or a long weekend filled with cookouts and sunshine. It is a day that carries stories, memories, and a quiet kind of pride that settles in your heart and stays there. I grew up in…
Pull Up a Chair: May 22, 2026
Well friends, another Friday has rolled around and honestly, I am not entirely sure how we got here so quickly. May always seems to move at two completely different speeds. Some days drag on forever while others disappear before I have even figured out what day it actually is. One minute you are talking about…









