Christmas Day 2022 started much like every other day in recent memory. I got up early and fed the horses, who were all dressed in toasty blankets because of the bitter cold snap pounding Florida. I sent a few texts to friends and family. I colored my hair, read my book, surfed social media, DIY’d … Continue reading 30 years of Christmases together – Facetime reminiscing
… and we’re still wearing masks. Who would have thought? I haven’t blogged in more than a year because there wasn’t much to blog about. Sure, I had an occasional fun moment or illicit getaway weekend, but my heart wasn’t in it. Still isn’t, to be honest. But I find I don’t remember my own … Continue reading Pandemic Diary – More than a year later …
Tony and I just got home from Peru, and I was sitting down to write about our trip when I realized I never finished writing about our last trip. Such a blog slacker. After our visit to Costa Rica, I ditched Tony and popped up to Florida to sign the paperwork on our new house … Continue reading Florida Family Time
Tony and I have lived abroad for 17 years, and without a doubt, the hardest part for me is the lack of contact time with my parents, siblings, and seven adorable nephews and nieces. We chose this lifestyle to see the world, immerse ourselves in different cultures, and broaden our perspectives. So when a school … Continue reading Easter Bunny brings mini family reunion to Florida
This is for Sam, who reminded me that I haven’t posted in awhile… We left South American winter for North American summer in mid-June for a stay at our lake house in Michigan. Our school calendar includes only a month’s break with a new school year kicking off July 24 (tomorrow!). That meant we had … Continue reading Summer (winter?) vacation – same same but different
After more than 16 years of living overseas, I often struggle to remember where we went or what we did for any given holiday. Fortunately, I started this blog to act as my memory (a little too late, unfortunately). Sometimes I find it useful to touch base with the Ghost of Christmas Past. In 2012, … Continue reading Christmases Past and Present
For years, we celebrated Tony’s birthday, Dec. 8, by hauling out our boxes of Christmas decorations and transforming our home into a winter wonderland. From Kansas to Turkey to China to Laos, we unpacked our huge Rubbermaid tubs to fill our hearts with festive cheer. That tradition stalled in India, where our holiday stash never … Continue reading Tony’s birthday: Unpacking Christmas
When I was in second grade, we sat at our desks and raced through pages of addition and subtraction problems. As a teacher of English learners, I’m sure my students often wish life could be so easy. However, today’s second graders learn math in an entirely different – and much better – way. They learn … Continue reading Math and English collide in cuteness
A typical summer day at the lake involves pitching the little tent for shade, kayaking around the island and through the willow tree “jungle,” possibly unmooring the paddle boat for a short outing, filling the baby pool with a few inches of fresh water, loading up the picnic table with snacks and drinks, feeding the … Continue reading Summer Flashback: Kids and kayaks
For the last week of our semester break, Tony and I flew from Korea to Thailand. We decided to splurge on a luxury resort on the island of Koh Chang, which is located southeast of the mainland. On this map, our hotel’s pin is letter A. View Larger Map If you check out our hotel’s … Continue reading Wrapping up winter break at Koh Chang