April is one of my favorite months. While March signals the start of Spring, it’s April when flowers start reliably blooming, even for those of us living in the Northern parts of the United States. The days are getting longer, and it’s hard not to be optimistic when warmer weather awaits. Even the name ‘April’... Continue Reading →
Crossing Paths with The Queen
Guest post alert: Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week, we dedicate this post to her memory. She led a truly extraordinary life. This week, my mom, Susan Mason, shares a treasured memory of being on an outing with dear friends and running into Queen Elizabeth in my hometown of Lexington, Ky. As... Continue Reading →
Trips with Friends
Good friends follow you anywhere. Winnie the Pooh I love to travel and can’t remember a time when the anticipation of a trip didn’t make my days a little brighter. Growing up in the Southeastern United States far from extended family meant annual summer road trips to see them in New England. While our destination... Continue Reading →
Mom Friendships
The teaching profession, matching wedding invitations, and motherhood were the elements that connected my mom to one of the most meaningful friendships of her life that has impacted the next two generations. In her late 20s, my mom had spent a summer with her brother and his new wife in Washington, DC, where she met... Continue Reading →
The Language of Flowers
“Plant the garden of your life with friendship’s lovely flowers.”Unknown Spending my childhood in Virginia and Kentucky, I grew to love the many beautiful flowers and trees in my yards. Our house in Arlington was lined with colorful azalea bushes, and I found comfort in the dogwood and magnolia trees with their trusty blooms each... Continue Reading →
Playing it Forward
Looking back on the trajectory of girls’ participation in sports this Women’s History Month, we are amazed at how things have changed since Title IX was enacted 50 years ago. Sara shared in an earlier post that we were part of the first girls’ soccer team at our high school back in the 1980s, when... Continue Reading →
Five of Our Fall Favorites
If the crisper air and falling leaves haven’t yet caught your attention, the scent of pumpkin-spiced latte wafting out of your nearest Starbucks may be your signal that fall has definitely arrived. Even with cooler temps and Covid keeping some people closer to home this season, fall activities are sure to keep your spirits high... Continue Reading →
Our Story, Part 1
Julia and I can’t pinpoint exactly when we first met, although she thinks she remembers hearing my name when she was the new kid in sixth grade at James Lane Allen Elementary School in Lexington, Ky. That would’ve been in 1981, and she had just moved with her family from Arlington, Virginia. Ten years earlier, my family had moved south from Philadelphia into our first tiny house in Lexington’s Gardenside neighborhood when I was two years old, and I had attended James Lane... Continue Reading →