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The Hoover Overlap

Anybody that knows me well at all knows I love history and I love trivia. And today, while doing some reading, I ran across some historical trivia that is absolutely intriguing and almost unbelievable. In fact, I had to do additional research just to make sure it’s actually true! Get ready for this! ​My cousin Betty Patterson, my friend Kay Hughes Marchand and I are on a mission to visit all the…

The Hoover Overlap

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Meeting Mr. Edwards

How many of you loved the character of Mr. Edwards, played so beautifully by Victor French in the 1970’s television series Little House on the Prairie? How many of you loved reading about the character of Mr. Edwards in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books? He was one of my favorites in both the series and the books. I was in second grade when Michael Landon’s Little House on the Prairie television…

Meeting Mr. Edwards

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Leaving the Light On

If you turn on the television today, you’ll probably come across an insurance commercial featuring a coach who tries to stop young adults from turning into their parents. The ads are designed to be funny, but if you look beneath the humor, the underlying messages (to me) are troubling: Don’t make eye contact. Don’t strike up a conversation with strangers. Mind your own business. Look at your…

Leaving the Light On

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Choosing to Dwell on the Light: Overcoming the Burden of Regret

Have you ever felt guilty about something that happened a long time ago—something that, when you think back, you so wish you had done differently? I have times when heavy thoughts creep into my mind—and I start thinking about things in the past I wish I could change. If I let myself, I can easily struggle with worry and guilt… and that’s so pointless. Keeping those regrets alive serves no…

Choosing to Dwell on the Light: Overcoming the Burden of Regret

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The House That Steel Built: Lessons in Grit from Edgar and Miss Allie Smith’s Front Porch

This morning I am sitting on the front porch of a historic home in Plains, Georgia known as Mother Allie’s House . Rain is falling softly and the birds are singing. Everything is peaceful and beautiful – and I am grateful for the opportunity to be here. This is the home where former First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn Carter, was raised along with her three siblings. Today, it is a…

The House That Steel Built: Lessons in Grit from Edgar and Miss Allie Smith’s Front Porch

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Sister Schubert Rolls and Aluminum Foil

Happy Thursday, friends! Let’s all be kind to each other today…. because you know what? We all carry silent, invisible weights. Even though our days are full of blessings – we also all have pains. Sometimes, a person will drop what they are doing and just freeze, stopped dead in their tracks by a sudden wave of emotion, and the people standing right next to them won’t have a single clue why. I…

Sister Schubert Rolls and Aluminum Foil

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The Interconnected Tapestry of Life: Finding Connections Wherever We Go

Have you ever had those moments where you realize the world is so much smaller, and that we are all so much more beautifully interconnected than we realize? For as long as I can remember, I have been a collector of hidden connections… not things you can hold in your hand, but all the little moments, the little pieces of treasure that life routinely drops in our path. I think it stems from how I…

The Interconnected Tapestry of Life: Finding Connections Wherever We Go

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Memories Served Fresh at Table One

Memories Served Fresh at Table One I had supper at Cracker Barrel in Branson last night. I have loved Cracker Barrel in general for a long time—but this particular old store is the most special of all to me… because I worked there as a hostess when it first opened back in 1993. I’ve spent a lot of time in that building – and as I walked into the restaurant last night, I was remembering. It was…

Memories Served Fresh at Table One

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A Simple Truth That Changes Everything: What the "Problems in a Hat" Question Taught Me

A high school classmate of mine, also named Lisa, shared a message recently… and I have been thinking about it ever since. “If each one of us around the world was given the opportunity to write down our problems and put them in a hat to draw out, would you risk grabbing someone else’s, or would you just keep your own instead?” It humbled me—and it reminded me even more to remember to be…

A Simple Truth That Changes Everything: What the "Problems in a Hat" Question Taught Me

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The Art of the "Mess": A Lesson in Poke and Vernacular

In the South, we don’t just “prepare” a meal; we “fix” it. While some might find our word choices or pronunciations a bit informal, I see our language as an art form. There is a time for the proper precision of a doctoral dissertation, and there is also a time for the beauty of a culture to shine through its own unique vocabulary. Take, for example, the word “mess.” To some, it sounds like a…

The Art of the "Mess": A Lesson in Poke and Vernacular

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The Shoulders We Stand On

This past Sunday, I made the familiar drive home to Conway County, and I am so very glad I did…. The first Sunday in May is always Decoration Day at Old Hickory Cemetery. For me, it’s more than just a cemetery – It is a landscape of my history as well as many blessed memories. When I was a little girl, graves were built up for Decoration Days. Daddy would haul in dirt to put on top of his…

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The Rhythm of Joy

The Rhythm of Joy “Break bread with neighbors.” That is the tagline at Neighbor’s Mill Bakery & Cafe in Harrison, Arkansas, and this morning, I saw them live up to it (as they always do). As I stood in line to place my breakfast order, I watched the gentleman at the counter take his time—true, unhurried time—visiting amicably with an out-of-town couple. When he told them, “Thanks for coming…

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I spent some time this week thinking about the lessons we can still learn from 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' I've written a new post about a special moment at the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival titled "The Balcony and the Legend." I hope you'll take a moment to read and enjoy it!

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They say the best recipes aren't just lists of ingredients—they are the ones that connect our past to our present. From a 10-year-old girl in a Bible bookstore to a beautiful afternoon at the 2026 Cherry Blossom Festival, this story is about more than just peanut butter pie and cheese rings. It’s about the full-circle moments that remind us how good life truly is.

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Good day! If you've been reading here for a while, you know how much I love a good story—especially when it happens in real life. A couple of years ago, a friend and I took a completely unexpected detour on our way home from Savannah. It turned out to be one of my favorite travel memories! I’ve started writing about this adventure, the history we uncovered, and the charm of this little town over on my Facebook page. I'm telling the story in a few parts (for quick reads), and I've included some pictures to go along with it. I hope you’ll “go” for a visit to this little “off the beaten path” town with me through my stories. It’s such a charming little place! I invite you to click the link below and join the fun. I so hope you enjoy it! More to come! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CfYmaonpw/

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I thought I was just getting dressed for Casual Friday at work this morning. I didn't realize I was about to get a lesson in love (and proper hosiery) from my mother. Click the link below to read the full story. I so hope you enjoy it.

I Liked Wearing Footies Today....

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The Natural Artistry of Frost Flowers: Frozen Ribbons on a Winter Morning

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