Peace Garden Mama II

A garden blend of family, faith and following the muse

Archive for July, 2009


   Jul 31

friday fun: our morning at the salon

Friday Fun Didn’t have it in me for "quick takes" this week. I typically write those Thursday night. Instead, last night I was enjoying a beautiful evening with a lovely friend out on the back patio at Monte’s Downtown Fargo. It was a supremely gorgeous night, not a mosquito in sight (they’re sparse this year, [...]

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   Jul 29

writing wednesdays: the mailbox

Writing Wednesdays Any writer serious about the craft has a love-hate relationship with the mailbox. We know well that all too often, between the bills and junk mail, lurk those pesky rejection letters. After we’ve been at it a while, though, we begin to take it all in stride. We realize that each rejection is [...]

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   Jul 29

lesson from the heart from my daughter

Today is "Writing Wednesdays," and I do promise to post on that later, but there’s something else more immediate that I want to share now. A short while ago, my 9-year-old brought me morning tea and toast in bed. I’ve been up late these days, working on a couple projects, and my girls especially know [...]

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   Jul 28

the blessing of a simple summer

This summer, our family has been in flux on the job front, and because of that, we didn’t plan a family vacation. Not knowing for sure how everything would go down, we kept it simple, choosing small outings near home instead of a wider adventure. Though I signed the kids up for a few activities, [...]

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   Jul 27

more kids’ quotes — from you!

Mama Mondays After my last kids’ quotes entry, I asked readers to share some of the quips they’ve heard from the mouths of their own babes. Thanks to all those who responded! I know my children are not the only little people to come up with these doozies and I truly loved reading these. I’d [...]

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   Jul 24

wanted: spiritual direction

Faith Fridays No, this isn’t a classified advertisement for spiritual direction, nor is it a call for reader feedback on how I might proceed in my spiritual life. Instead, I thought I would share with you a little bit about a journey I’ve recently begun; a journey that has started with the quest to find [...]

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   Jul 23

7 quick takes friday (vol. 18)

What a week! It’s been busy and fun-filled, and I’ve got a lot of photos itching to be shared. Enjoy! –1– DONUTS WITH FRIENDS: One neighborhood back, our girls had next-door friends whom they’ve sorely missed since their exit to Sunny Florida a couple years ago. But thanks to e-mail and other means, they’ve managed [...]

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   Jul 22

back to st. ben’s soon

Writing Wednesdays I can hardly believe that in less than a month, I will be strolling the grounds of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, staring at this glassy pond, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Even in merely looking at this photo in anticipation, a growing calm is beginning to take hold. Last summer was [...]

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   Jul 21

forum column (july 09): belated thanks to alma mater

Parenting Perspectives: Thanks for the fantastic Fourth memories, MSUM By: Roxane Salonen, INFORUM The colorful blasts of Independence Day ’09 may be distant echoes now, but I’ve yet to fully move on from that first week of July. Perhaps I’m stuck in stage one of the grieving process – the denial. This won’t resonate with [...]

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   Jul 20

chocolate chip cookie recipe

It was rather unfair of me to post a photo of my girls making chocolate-chip cookies and toasting to the successful end of their baking project, but failing to post the recipe. Today, Grandma Bev came through for me, and below, you’ll find her "secret" (not anymore) recipe, which she is willing to divulge to [...]

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