MommyCoddle

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I'm writing this post from my "office". Which, isn't much of an office really, because well…my office just happens to be my bed most days. It's where I write most of my posts, it's where I have a good plug to juice up my laptop's ailing battery, and it's the softest place to sit in the evenings while I wait for the girls to finally quiet down for sleep. Dan and I keep saying to each other, "We've got to start going back downstairs after we put the girls to bed and enjoy the rest of our house!" But he usually cracks open a book and settles down in the chair in the corner of our room, I gather all the pillows from the bed and prop them up behind me as I sit and write and read. Maybe when the wood stove is firing downstairs, we'll find ourselves trickling back down to the living room.

Tonight, I'm once again writing from my bed, though an ailing stomach has brought me to this place a little earlier than usual. In an attempt to keep my mind off the rumbling, I decided to write. And as I was flipping through some recent photos from my camera I noticed several series of photographs of my bed.

It's funny how it has become such a gathering place. I remember my mother's bed always feeling softer and warmer and more relaxing than my own. And I often wonder if the girls feel the same way about my bed now, because they sure do enjoy spending time here.

Making my bed in the mornings is usually preceded by me shooing Mary from the tangle of quilts and pillows. She wraps herself up and tangles her arms and legs in the covers so many times I have to roll her round and over to get her out. She feigns sleep, hoping I'll let her snuggle in the covers just a few minutes more. And usually, I do.

The other day, my bed was an important place for my two oldest girls. It had been a morning of constant bickering, from the moment they woke up. Not my favorite way to start the day. I was absolutely losing my mind with how the girls were setting such a horrible mood in the house. Finally, I sent them their separate ways, banning interaction and play together until things settled down. Awhile later, I found them here. Emma reading Mary a story, both tangled under the blankets, knees bent, feet dangling in the air. I snapped a picture, smiled and walked away.

happy monday, all.
good night.

+++++++++

if you have a moment, please visit my friend and neighbor, Sarah in her Race for the Cure.

happy monday, all.
good night.

+++++++++

if you have a moment, please visit my friend and neighbor, Sarah in her Race for the Cure.

7 Comments

book reviews

Saturday Morning Book Talk

When Trish Collins from TLC Book Tours approached me about being a stop along a book tour for Kathryn Maughan's Did I Expect Angels, I was excited for the chance to be a part. I love the idea of a book winding its way through the blogosphere, being read, reviewed, commented upon. Just another way this blogging world is unique and full of wonderful opportunities.

I think I read this book in under a week–which is saying a lot considering the fact that my only reading opportunities come when I climb into bed each night. Usually, I spend the first two minutes figuring out where I left off in a story and the next two minutes struggling to keep my eyes open until I realize I'm completely asleep with a book balanced on my chest.

Did I Expect Angels, is the story of a wife and mother dealing with grief and depression. One evening, as she travels through her local store to buy pills to end her life, her plans are interrupted by Henry, an elderly Costa Rican who works at the store and somehow senses her situation and need. Though she tries to put up a fight, he takes her to coffee at a local diner and tells her his amazing story that in some ways, parallels her own.

The book flawlessly flashes back and forth between their two stories as you are carried deep into the emotional journey both characters have traveled. The book is hard to put down and Maughan manages to write about the characters as if she has lived and breathed their lives.

I found myself wincing at some of the moments in the story, especially those as the main character deals with her grief, and her need to be mother to her only daughter. Her half-hearted efforts to pull herself together are excruciating but understandable. You feel frustrated with her. You find you're rooting for her.

Though this review sounds like the book is a depressing ride through grief and life struggles, there is redemption at the end. But it is by no means a light and cheerful read, throughout. However, I think that Maughan's amazing character development is a thrill to read and even offers insight into the hearts of those dealing with grief and depression.

Thank you, Trish, for giving me the chance to experience some of Kathryn Maughan's work. It was a pleasure. And it is a pleasure to pass on this good story to all of you, as well.

You can find the book here.
And read a little bit about Kathryn Maughan and how the book came to be here.

Thank you, Trish, for giving me the chance to experience some of Kathryn Maughan's work. It was a pleasure. And it is a pleasure to pass on this good story to all of you, as well.

You can find the book here.
And read a little bit about Kathryn Maughan and how the book came to be here.

7 Comments

IN MY KITCHEN

It had to be done…

…because I've been waking up in the mornings and putting on a sweatshirt.

…because the corn is turning brown and the combines are being tuned up

…because dry leaves are starting to blow and gather in the lane

…because things in the garden are going to seed

…because the fields are tinged with yellow-green foxtails

…because I'm hearing geese every morning

…because Fall certainly can't arrive if I haven't started making pumpkin bread. I do it every year.

Recipe edits: It usually doesn't take a full 60 minutes. Use the toothpick method for best results. I line my pans with parchment paper so they come out neatly. The loaves can be wrapped and frozen for later.