Spring is in the air, and jessamine’s in the pine tree’s hair. My second-story bedroom window looks out into a nearby stand of pine trees, and a flash of yellow caught my eye a few days ago as I opened my window shade. Grabbing a piece of paper, I dashed off a few exploratory lines …
I invented this recipe as a Christmas treat for family and friends, and it was such a hit, I decided to write the instructions down and share it for other peanut butter chocolate fans. This recipe offers a lighter alternative to Muddy Buddy mix recipes, but with a similar flavor profile and significantly less mess. …
Continue reading White Chocolate Peanut Butter Chex Mix (with Gluten-Free Option)
"Second Glance" Not a tire in the road, but a turtle striking out on adventure. If you've ever dodged a turtle on the highway, I think you'll recognize this scene. Normally, I can distinguish turtles' distinct profile from a distance with the curve of their shell and the little neck arched out. This particular time, though, …
The cold darkness outside the house seemed to increase the warmth and brightness inside as the ladies laid out their dishes and serving spoons in the dining room and chatted in the kitchen. The appetizers were already disappearing and undergoing discussion as the women exchanged recipes and tips, dabbing crackers into warm cream cheese dips …
Ten years and 59 books later, my Christmas blogging tradition that began in 2013 continues with another literary December tribute, bringing my Christmas book review total up to 65. I hope you find some new gems for your Christmas library in the reviews below. The Legend of the Poinsettia / retold and illustrated by Tomie …
Continue reading A Decade of Decembers: Christmas Legends & More To Enjoy This Season
“One of the first things I noticed was how much they loved to laugh.” Kallie had once heard someone comment that about his first impression of his coworkers who lived in the South. Kallie had noticed the same trend in her own workplaces. In fact, laughter had made every job better and brighter for her. …
"New Seed" A pressed tree leafs out, painted veins distilling light— a seed sprouts within. "Tree Speak" Rustle, groan, and creak, paper pierced with ink. Silent? No, they ever speak. Both of these haiku explore how trees can be more than merely trees. They can create new worlds and have voices of their own when …
“Guess how old I be?” It felt like a dare, a test, and a trap all at once. Anyone with half an ounce of sense knows never to talk about a woman’s age, even if she asks, especially if she asks. But this woman was insisting with a somewhat gap-toothed grin, bent on pulling us …
For me at least, every poetry journey starts in an unexpected way. If you’re reading this after watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo on Netflix, then your journey to this spot had the same origin as mine a few months ago: the brief quote from the poem “Charcoal” by Ahn Do-Hyun that appears in Episode 12 of …
Continue reading Poems for the Autumn: A Collection of Korean Poetry by Ahn Do-Hyun
This story has been waiting for words for a while, building up pressure and momentum, weighing on my heart as I gather it in bits and pieces. The stuff of life put under pressure, I hear, is what produces diamonds. But to put it in such blunt words as carbon and pressure feels uncouth, not …
