Witnessing nature and paying attention to its subtle shifts makes me acutely aware that life is never static. Every passing moment offers an opportunity to notice a miracle. Sometimes we simply need to wander outside. Over the last two weeks, gray skies and wet, stormy weather have kept most of us indoors. My untended gardens are currently in rebellion, begging for attention. Yesterday, during a dry spell, I wandered out to assess the situation. Apparently, while I had been a

Fall Colors - Blue Ridge Pkwy, Virginia The ol’ dance soles are tired. And honestly? So is the soul wearing them. This last season has been a busy one, with surprises at every turn. Hardly what I’d call planned, although I do try to make it look that way from the outside looking in. Not to worry. I won’t bore you with the details. Too much. I remember Barbara Gordon’s I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can from my college psychology days. That title stayed with me. Back then, I couldn’

Gibraltar, December 2011 Sometimes the things I’m reading seem to enter into conversation with one another. This week, my Bible study took me through the first two chapters of Daniel, while my book club reading, Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile, carried me into wartime Britain. Somewhere between ancient Babylon and Churchill’s England, my thoughts wandered to the Rock of Gibraltar. An unexpected gathering for a week’s reflection, perhaps. Yet one question kept bringing

Brasstown Bald, Oct 2025 We all have one...An expiration date. From the moment we enter this world, there is a date somewhere ahead of us that none of us can see. We don't know the day, the hour, or the circumstances. Yet death is one of the few certainties of life. None of us are getting out of here alive. That might sound terribly grim, but lately I've been wondering if it really is. No matter how carefully we care for ourselves, eventually we will depart this earthly life.

Joys of Friendship Human connection is very important in our daily lives. Almost like the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we choose to nourish our bodies, relationships sustain us and give our lives meaning on so many levels. Over the years, I’ve been blessed with some amazing, deep and lasting friendships. There have also been experiences I’ve simply chalked up to valuable life lessons, the kind that teach us something about others, but perhaps even more abo

Reflections Sometimes life’s heaviness has us looking into the rearview mirror, searching the memories of yesterday for sweeter times...the ones that still make us smile. A treasured moment with a dear friend. The pride of watching your child succeed at something they worked hard to achieve. A career celebration for your significant other, when you stood beside them and quietly thought, Look how far they’ve come. Or perhaps nothing monumental at all. Just your face turned tow

Fresh Ground Spelt & Oat Loaf with Rainbow Quinoa & Chia Seeds There is something deeply satisfying about making bread. Maybe it’s the transformation...the slightly unruly mound of dough that doesn’t look particularly promising, followed by that moment when you open the oven and discover a beautifully browned loaf waiting for you. And then, of course, there’s the smell. Lately, I’ve been developing new recipes that increase the protein and fiber while reducing the fat and car

The Reading Room Once upon a time, this was our formal dining room. You know the kind of room...the one set aside for special dinners and holidays, while most everyday meals somehow happen everywhere else. Eventually, we decided a room hardly used was a room waiting for a new purpose. So, we gave it one. Today, it’s The Reading Room. A quiet, comfortable place filled with books, soft chairs, and a wonderful view of the world passing by outside. It has become one of my favori

Wanamaker's One of Philadelphia's true gems. I had no idea Wanamaker's story stretched back to the pre-Civil War era or that a pivotal moment in John Wanamaker's life was the deep faith that shaped his character. His convictions influenced the way he led, using his success to bless his employees, strengthen his community, build and support churches, and give generously to others. After watching this video, it's difficult not to reflect on how much of that original vision seem

The Coffee Shoppe, Draper, VA Travel is always an adventure. Setting out with a destination in sight is exciting, but the journey often becomes the best part of reaching that target. I know it sounds cliché, but bear with me. On my recent book tour back to Pennsylvania, I traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland before finally reaching State College. Because I was making the long drive alone, I gave myself a few simple cr

Little Green Earth Library - Wayne, Pennsylvania Every now and then, a destination surprises you in the most wonderful way. At the conclusion of my recent Pennsylvania book tour, I experienced just such a place. Visiting the Little Green Earth Library in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and touring the adjoining all-native landscape was truly the icing on the cake. Ironically, this visit began not in a garden, but on social media. While promoting my book tour, I came across photographs p

While away at book festivals and signings, the most frequently asked question was: “What do you like to read when you’re not writing?” I suppose the proper response should’ve been… "how much time do you have?" The honest answer is… "almost everything." I’m an eclectic reader at heart. My shelves hold poetry beside spy novels, classics beside current bestsellers, children’s literature beside historical biographies, devotionals beside cookbooks. I’ve never believed books should

There are some places in life that never really leave you. No matter how many years pass or how far the road carries you, they remain tucked quietly inside your heart, waiting patiently for your return. For me, Baldwin’s Book Barn in West Chester, Pennsylvania has always been one of those places. This coming Sunday, July 12, I’ll have the privilege of holding a signing there for The Matriarch’s Legacy, Book Two of The Matriarch Series. Yet somehow, calling it simply a “book s

Some places never truly leave us. No matter where life takes me, Pennsylvania continues to call me home in ways both quiet and profound. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, but my roots stretch far beyond the Main Line — reaching into Lancaster County, State College, and the beautiful rolling countryside surrounding Port Royal. Those landscapes, histories, and family ties have shaped not only who I am, but the stories I write. The Matriarch Series began rath

Baldwin's Book Barn has been part of my life for as long as I can remember — long before I could read, and certainly long before I understood what a rare and wonderful place it truly was. Growing up in Pennsylvania, my mother often took us on long country drives through the rolling hills of Chester County. We would visit Westtown Lake, wander through Longwood Gardens, and somewhere along the route, we always stopped at Baldwin’s Book Barn. It was simply what we did for a love

Grateful hardly feels like a big enough word after the fabulous launch of The Matriarch’s Legacy last week. This special day would not have been possible without the generosity and support of Holy Grounds Coffee House and its owners, Suellen & Chromer— people who continually pour love back into this community. Thank you again for opening your doors to me, my readers, friends, and family. Your kindness created the perfect place for stories and connection to flourish. Seeing fa

Tomorrow, The Matriarch’s Legacy officially enters the world. After years of research, early mornings, rewrites, edits, revisions, proof copies, planning, and promotion, we are almost to the finish line. Or perhaps, more accurately, the starting line. People often imagine the writing itself to be the hardest part of publishing a novel. Strangely enough, writing the book is often the easiest — or perhaps the most joyful — portion of the process. There is freedom in those quiet

The Bellevue, Philadelphia, PA - December 2025 There are certain places in Philadelphia that seem to exist outside the ordinary passage of time. The Bellevue Hotel is one of them. Rising above Broad Street with quiet elegance and old-world grandeur, it has welcomed generations through its doors since opening in 1904. Beneath its high ceilings and gilded details, presidents, performers, socialites, dreamers, and ordinary couples celebrating extraordinary moments have all passe

Sweet Gathering! Selling a home is never simply about packing boxes or signing papers. Somewhere along the way, walls become witnesses to a life. A driveway becomes familiar beneath your tires. Windows hold years of changing seasons. And if you are especially fortunate, the people surrounding you become part of the story too. As we prepare to downsize and move to a nearby community for the next chapter of our lives, I find myself unexpectedly emotional about saying goodbye to

Knox Covered Bridge Replica that Jack made for Florence There are some gifts that go beyond the giving. They hold memory. They carry love. They become part of a family’s story. My father built one of those. In The Matriarch’s Legacy, there is a scene where Jack brings Florence into the garden. She doesn’t yet know what he has made for her—only that he has been quietly working, measuring, shaping, disappearing into the kind of focus that signals something meaningful is underwa