How did I know Brett was the perfect man for me? I don’t believe anyone has ever asked me that question, and that’s probably because I was the last person to realize that he was the perfect man for me. In my defense, he did tell me that all we would ever be was friends. (Don’t worry; I wasn’t hurt. […]
As a gas giant with no known solid surface, it would be impossible to stand on Jupiter and watch a moonrise. But that is only a footnote to this story. I started thinking about writing a blog eight or nine years ago. At the time, I was working as a phone book editor and a co-worker suggested that it would […]
I first learned about Amy Macdonald in Denmark in 2012. I walked into a music store with my parents and sisters and saw a large poster on the back wall promoting her album Life in a Beautiful Light. I had never heard of her before, but since I stopped listening to music radio stations in the mid-aughts, that didn’t mean […]
As an English major, one question I am often asked is: “Who is your favorite author?” I hate that question. I assume that the person asking has no idea what it’s like to study literature. If I went into college with one favorite author, I certainly didn’t come out with one. I like to read a variety of authors in […]
Last week, my husband and I took our children to visit my maternal grandmother (Mormor) in central Utah. She has a comfortable home filled with love and we always enjoy our visits with her. I also took a copy of a story to give to her that I wrote about an experience I once had while visiting her and Morfar. […]
“Americans are so interested in hygge,” Mormor says, “but they will never understand it.” I first learned the word hygge while studying the Danish language on Duolingo. The pronunciation is a little bit tricky, but you can probably get away with saying “hooga.” The app translates it as “cozy.” I had a feeling that something was lost in translation, though, and […]
Bjørnen spiser æbler med anden. The bear eats apples with the duck. Manden løber langt væk, da han ser brødknive på bordet. The man runs far away when he sees bread knives on the table. Familien svømmer fra Danmark til Amerika. The family swims from Denmark to America. Last summer, I started talking with a woman at church as we […]
I love Christmas. It’s my second-favorite holiday. Even though our finances are tighter now than they have ever been before, I still enjoy the feeling the holiday brings. I’m entering a new phase now, too: the mother of a child who is excited about each new thing he learns about Christmas. From the Christmas lights to the advent wreath to […]
Happy Boy and Sassy Girl are always happy when Daddy comes home. Since they haven’t seen him all day, they do everything they can to stay awake so that he can put them to bed. Happily, Happy Boy blows kisses and says “good night” to Mommy. Sassily, Sassy Girl blows kisses and says “good night” to Mommy. First, they brush […]
“Hey, Google, what’s on the schedule for today?” “There is only one thing on your calendar today. It is at 1pm and its title is ‘Preschool.’” A smile spreads across Happy Boy’s face. He slides off the couch and jumps up and down. When he hears “preschool” on the schedule, he can’t contain his excitement. Happy Boy is happiest when […]