It's Been a Minute

Hey all.

I'm just gonna say it.

I'm terrible at written multi-tasking. Either I'm writing a book or I'm writing blogs, or maybe I'm not even writing at all at which point I'm just bad at the doing of writing, and this has turned into a long sentence.

You may notice that, in fact, the last blog posted was very nearly six months ago. And...I never meant it to be that long. But the thing with blogging is that the longer you're away the harder it is to go back.

Also, things were busy. We experienced our first holiday season in the south, and we spent time with friends and I got sick (again) and I made all of our Christmas gifts and we spent more time with friends. Everyone asks why we moved here, what we were thinking, and you know what? The Mid-south is America's best kept secret. We've moved around a lot over the years, and I feel more settled and at home here than I ever did in the Portland area. Also, I can find parking places. It's a win-win.

After the holidays, life was a blur of visiting family, another round of viruses, and becoming members of our church. Things were settling out a little bit, and I was looking forward to catching up on the writing and blogging and newslettering.

And then Danny's father passed away unexpectedly, and that threw everything, all of us, for a loop. We traveled back to Oregon and spent two weeks there, and since our return Danny's had work trips to Alabama, I got to see Darlingside with my dear friend Ginny in Nashville, and then Danny and I drove to North Carolina and back to attend a sweet cousin's wedding reception.

That was...weekend before last? To complete that whirlwind, I got to speak at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, which was great but also kinda prepared at the last minute (see previous paragraph). The notes for that will be in the following post, if you're interested.

Also, there will be a newsletter forthcoming I KNOW, BUT I MEAN IT THIS TIME. So if you'd like that in your inbox and haven't subscribed, make sure to do that!

What else? I am still working on a new book. Yes, it is going very slowly. Yes, I hope to pick up the pace. Yes, I like it very much and if you liked Jane of Austin, I think you'll like it too.

I've been reading A Lady in the Smoke and have been enjoying that very much. I also reread The Peach Keeper (which I have to say I enjoyed better as a reread) and have The Music Shop in my TBR pile with Robin Gunn's Woodlands as well for peak nostalgia.

What's kept you busy? What's in your book pile? Share in the comments below!

Needtobreath Interview with Seth Bolt: The Extras

Needtobreathe at the Mud Island Amphitheater in Memphis, TN

Back in August, I had a chance to interview Needtobreathe bassist and vocalist Seth Bolt about the band's history and current tour. You can read the official interview - "Needtobreathe finds success in the space between mainstream and gospel"
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It's a tight piece and well-edited, but that editing for the magazine meant a lot of streamlining, and there's material from the interview I knew a lot of you would want. So here's a bit more. Call it the special features edition!

Together at the Table Sale!

Laying in extra reading for the upcoming holiday weekend? You're in luck! Together at the Table is on sale for a limited time, for only $1.99! Pick up your copy at Amazon, Nook, or Kobo.

Southern Autumn Butternut Squash Soup

Funny thing - it only just began to feel at all like fall, here in northern Mississippi. Until a couple weeks ago, it was just Summer 2.0 - still some heat and humidity, but not as much heat. Springtime weather.

Two weeks ago, I was recovering from a long week and declared, on the way home from church, that I absolutely was not cooking for the rest of the day. But then...the rain and drizzle got to me, and all I could think about was butternut squash soup and chocolate chip cookies. So we stopped at the grocery store on the way home from church, and I zipped through the store for butter and brown sugar (for the cookies) and a squash and apples for the soup. In the end, I wound up spending the afternoon and early evening in the kitchen - but we had good food to enjoy because of it!

Great British Bake Off Series 8 Review

Welcome, Bakers! 

Or, at least baking watchers. If you're like me, you love the Great British Bake Off (or, in the US, the Great British Baking Show, a title so charmingly on-the-nose that it mainly works because it's said with a British accent). 

There was a massive shake-up since the filming of Series 7 (they're called "series" rather than "seasons" across the pond), in which the BBC lost the Bake Off to rival Channel 4 when Channel 4 threw down a giant pile of money. Presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins opted to stay with the BBC and leave the show, and days later beloved octogenarian Mary Berry left the show as well.  Paul Hollywood (yes, that's his real name) stayed, and the internet deemed him a heartless money grabber because dude wanted to keep his job.

New Etsy Shop & Graphic Giveaway!

Guess what - I’ve opened an Etsy shop! If you’re not one of the people who’s had their ear talked off about my love for graphic art and design, this might take you by surprise. (And if you have had your ear talked off, well, thank you for your patience!)