It's a perfect October Friday here. A little rainy, leaves changing colors all around, and the World Series beginning tonight.

Seasonal reading is my jam, and summer reading is the best of all the seasons.

This will be my third Mother's Day as a mom and I think it might be the most complicated holiday we have.

As iconic and undeniable as Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, the favorite things list calls to me. I love to read yearly round-ups of the things that bring people joy, and that they find valuable enough to share. My media intake has definitely gone down since I entered the world of parenthood, but I still found some gems this year that I wanted to document.

Advent is here. One of my favorite times of year in church. For four weeks the Church waits, prepares, and anticipates the coming of Jesus. We remember the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago and look ahead to his eventual return.

It’s been a wild summer, and I had accepted the fact that we probably wouldn’t make it to Busch Stadium to take in a baseball game this year. When the invite did come, around Labor Day, it was a total surprise.

Call me basic, but fall is without a doubt my favorite season of the year. Fall reading can look like a lot of different things, but it typically makes me think of doorstop novels, family stories (especially if food plays a role), and non-fiction that really makes me think.

My Grandma made scrambled eggs that sparkled.

If I had to describe why summer after summer I find myself drawn back to Hillsboro for Old Settler’s (on a Wednesday and a Thursday, no less) I would start with a fish sandwich.

The two boxes in the hall outside the kitchen are probably the most annoying. They’re filled with baby bibs we don’t use, shot glasses we rarely drink out of, and cups. So. Many. Cups.

Just like our first night, we spent our last night in our first house sleeping on a mattress on the floor. The first time it was because our bedframe couldn’t make the tight turn up the stairs.

I won’t pretend to be an expert on abortion.

What I do know, is that in August of 2019 I was faced with the decision of how to end a wanted pregnancy.

If you are in need of gift ideas for me (my birthday is coming up in August), might I suggest a t-shirt that says “Easy Breezy.” If I have a super power, it is probably “not rocking the boat.”

According to meteorologists, summer will begin on June 21. In my heart, though, it has already begun.

I’m so excited. Honestly, I’ve been excited for a few weeks now. As soon as temperatures hit 90 degrees in St. Louis I was ready.

I recently got bored one afternoon and started putting together a list of books I wanted to read this summer.

I don’t usually talk about controversial issues online, but today, mass shootings are all I can think about.