I walked down the street yesterday to check on my neighbors and bring them a plate of cookies. They’re a young Muslim family with three small children, and the mom (who asked me not to use her name so I’m calling her A) has told me the stories of how her family was treated in the months following 9/11. Ever since the terror attacks in Paris, I’ve been worried about how this lovely woman would be treated when people saw... Read more

Thanksgiving is one week from today. I can’t wait for the turkey, the pies, the awkward family conversations… Let’s be honest here, the Awkward Family  Conversations (AFCs) are the unsung heroes holiday get-togethers. We anticipate them, plan them, and then savor the memories with tales that will be retold to future generations. Who can forget the time that Aunt Martha gave the unasked for details of her dating life, or the Thanksgiving dinner when Grandpa called you a Pinko Communist Pig... Read more

Two and a half years ago, my book had just come out and I was beginning to do some speaking to women’s and homeschool groups, and was lining up more talks for the future. I felt like my life had a clear direction that it was headed in, and I was excited to get there. And then Ella got sick. Within weeks, it was clear that she wasn’t getting immediately better and I began to cancel all of the dates... Read more

  Our priest was clearly confused at the Sunday morning Mass. He said the Sign of the Cross twice, sat when he should have stood, got lost during the Consecration, abruptly stopped preaching in the middle of a bewildering homily, and walked past long-time parishioners as if he’d never seen them before in his life. After Mass, the confused congregation speculated that he was under a lot of stress, he’d been drinking, or that it was something more serious. Because... Read more

There’s a woman from Oklahoma who I know, but not as well as I’d like. We knew each other peripherally when we lived there, and there are many days that I wish I’d had the time and the opportunity to know her better. The more that I see of her family and the way that she lives (through the magic of social media), the more I’d like to spend a day in her kitchen drinking tea and soaking up her wisdom.... Read more

I hurt my back last week. It was so sore and painful that I could hardly get out of bed – just a constant ache. My husband kept asking what I had done, and I kept shrugging in reply. I had no idea. I blamed the gym. I blamed our mattress. (We really do need a new one.) I blamed the three-year-old who always wants to be carried or held. That afternoon, I shuffle-staggered into the gym. One of my... Read more

When we lived in Oklahoma, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. I’d grown up in a military family that rarely had relatives nearby, and once Dad retired, the family we had left was splintered and fractured. Then I got married. My husband’s family was and is very close. Holidays are spent with family, reminiscing about the past and teasing about the future. There are long running inside jokes, and always more love to be passed around. I loved it! Then we... Read more

“So…are you a part of the Blue Man Group?” Ella was asked over and over again last night. “Nope,” she chirped back, “I’m the Handicapped Parking symbol guy.” A few laughed and complimented her, but most of the time she was met with an uncomfortable confusion. Not because they didn’t get it, but because they were unsure of whether or not it was offensive to laugh. We’ve made it a taboo in this country to laugh at the differences of... Read more

The remnants of Hurricane Patricia passed over our house last week. We got almost six inches of rain in a 48 hour period, knocking out the power to our neighborhood for a couple of hours. It was awfully dark for 2 o’clock in the afternoon, so we lit candles and dragged out board games and puzzles. The little boys chased each other around the house, up and down the stairs, and tried to scare each other by popping around the... Read more

This post from last year remains one of the most popular I’ve ever written and one of the most commonly asked about. Today is one year since I hit “publish” on it, and not much has changed. (Look for the full update at the bottom.) Our new church building is  beautiful. It’s also huge, easily seating 1,000+ for every Mass, and the wealth of the community is apparent everywhere you look. Custom artwork adorns the walls, and beautiful doors welcome... Read more