Favorite Reads from 2025
I read 97 books in 2025. That’s an average of 8 per month, and it’s close to the record (103 in 2023) since I started keeping track–a full 20 books more than I read the first year I set a reading goal. And now it’s time to review that year of...
What I Read in June
Toward the end of May, we went on a family vacation to Baltimore and Wildwood, New Jersey. Among its many other delights, Wildwood has a fantastic used bookstore and there was a ten-book special. So June was all about reading books from some favorite authors. Rage by...
What I Read in May
Like most folks these days, I do a lot of reading online. I keep many tabs open with stories that I like to read while eating breakfast or lunch in fron of my computer. Most of these stories are from The Atlantic, and I actually purchased a subscription because I felt...
What I Read in April
I started off April by continuing to consume my last McKay’s haul and concluded by starting my birthday haul. And in the middle I ven grabbed one off that bedroom shelf! Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult Why do I keep reading Jodi Picoult books? I really don’t...
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Very interesting article, but what strikes me most is the idea that the reason we have kids is to make us happy. I am not saying that my kids don't make me happy, but that's not what my primary motivation for having children was.To me, the opportunity to be a co-creator of unique human beings is the primary reason to have kids. What do YOU think?
Since I share a post yesterday sharing what I DON'T know, today I will tell you what I DO.I wrote this many years ago, and nothing has happened since to change my mind.My basic parenting philosophy for ALL kids, from birth to adulthood can now be boiled down to just this: Love them and make sure that they KNOW you love them.That much, I know I did right.
THINGS I KNOW: Raising Teenagers - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
In an uncertain world, there's a certain appeal in believing that there is anything we are sure about, and pride in celebrating and sharing lessons learned and wisdom gained. And I do know a lot of th...
I first wrote this when my boys were 15 and 16. Let's just say that I had no idea then just how terrfying teens could be.Having by the grace of God raised five children to legal adulthood (my baby is 21), I can tell you that I still know very little. I have regrets and things I wish I could go back and do over. But my kids survived, and they still come home.
The Terrifying Teens - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
The thing about being the mother of three preschoolers is that eventually you will be the mother of three teenagers. You hear a lot about the Terrible Twos, but what about the Terrifying Teens? With t...
This falls into the annoying category of "they grow so fast" posts (spoiler alert: I have MORE), but, y'all, they DO.The "baby" in this story was 19 when I first posted this well over ten years ago, and my actual "baby" is 21 now and spending July in Germany. I've got one grown son in Philadelphia and one in San Francisco. I have no clue where all that time went.
She'll Be Gone - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
It's late, and I haven't had time to post anything today, so I thought I'd share something I wrote a long--VERY LONG--time ago (about 15 years ago). [edit: this happened in 1993] The incident I recoun...
I wrote this a long time ago, and I stand by it today. Maybe I am not 100% sure about the secret to a happy life, but I definitely know what it isn't.
The Secret to a Happy Life - Life in Every Limb
lifeineverylimb.com
The following is a reprint of a column that appeared in The East Tennessee Catholic in 2002. When I was pregnant with my third child, friends, family, and strangers in the mall all seemed desperate to...
