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Caren
Durham, the Bull City
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just one paragraph { 5 / 30 }
Posted Aug 2, 2013 at b o t t o m l a n d
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Thank you May. Thank you thank you thank you.
Commented Jul 26, 2013 on just one paragraph { 3 / 30 } at b o t t o m l a n d
just one paragraph { 3 / 30 }
Music is such a funny thing. It's a hot summer night--I'm propped up in bed with the fan blowing conditioned air on me. An hour ago, I watched the bright red moon come up through the trees driving home late with my family. I have an eight-year-old daughter who gasped at its beauty from the ba...
just one paragraph { 4 / 30 }
Posted Jul 25, 2013 at b o t t o m l a n d
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just one paragraph { 3 / 30 }
Music is such a funny thing. It's a hot summer night--I'm propped up in bed with the fan blowing conditioned air on me. An hour ago, I watched the bright red moon come up through the trees driving home late... Continue reading
Posted Jul 23, 2013 at b o t t o m l a n d
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Thank you Carie! I miss you too! I really appreciate the encouragement... It's soul food.
Commented Jul 23, 2013 on 30 days / 30 posts / just one paragraph { 1 / 30 } at b o t t o m l a n d
30 days / 30 posts / just one paragraph { 1 / 30 }
I skipped church tonight, just for the sheer pleasure of being alone at home. I adore my family, but one hazzard of having a family is the need to leave home in order to be alone. I did that last night, slipping out for a late-night movie by myself, taking myself on a date. And that can be...
just one paragraph { 2 / 30 }
Posted Jul 22, 2013 at b o t t o m l a n d
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30 days / 30 posts / just one paragraph { 1 / 30 }
Posted Jul 21, 2013 at b o t t o m l a n d
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Welcome John Peter! Grace, the NICU can be a terrifying place. We have our own story of a mostly healthy, though under-developed 32-weeker being kept in the NICU longer than she needed to be, and I know too well the horrible cocktail of anxiety, hope, PPD, courage and c-section recovery. The good news is that our time of (painful) separation never interfered with our bonding, and I now have a tall, lanky, impeccably healthy 8 year old. I hardly think of those early weeks, except to shudder and turn away. I pray that the joy of holding him in your arms will soothe your own painful memories and that God's love for each of you, and made manifest in each of you, will be a strong balm for you. Blessings from a long-time blog reader from NH, Caren
Commented Jul 3, 2013 on John Peter at Uncommon Grace
John Peter
Baby boy John Peter Born June 23, 2013 at 9:33am 8 pounds, 6 ounces. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * So many of you have been patiently awaiting the news of our baby's birth. I thank you for your prayers, your good thoughts, and your love over these past weeks. Our ...
b e o p e n e d
Posted Jun 16, 2013 at b o t t o m l a n d
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november beauty
Posted Nov 21, 2012 at b o t t o m l a n d
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a prayer among friends
Posted Oct 19, 2012 at b o t t o m l a n d
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time to go
Posted Oct 16, 2012 at b o t t o m l a n d
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because sometimes being a mother feels this dramatic
Posted Aug 7, 2012 at b o t t o m l a n d
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Like everyone else, I am totally DROOLING all over my keyboard about this dress! I LOVE it! I hear you about letting go of expectations with handmade gifts, and now I'm even having to exercise that same restraint with my daughter, as she (at 6) suddenly has TONS of opinions about her clothes! So even if I made/bought her a beautiful dress like this, she may not wear it. *Sigh!*
Commented Nov 22, 2011 on 20 November at Uncommon Grace
20 November
Also for last Christmas, I made this dress for my little niece. It was actually a design I'd had in mind for a couple of years (originally, I'd thought of making it for a friend -- who is James's age -- when she was two or three), but it took me a long time to get from the idea to the making. ...
Hello my dear! I love your "people are scary and exhausting" description of yourself! You make me smile... I also love your image of some friends as playmates. I think I'm so friggin' intense that I want to know RIGHT NOW who are the people in my life who will stick around, but of course that's not for me to know. I'm trying to grow in living in the present and curiosity, two qualities that the little ones in my life can teach me! Hope all is well up in ME, and isn't that picture great? We miss your folks a lot.
Commented Nov 17, 2011 on keep the old at b o t t o m l a n d
keep the old
Making new friends as an adult is both easy and hard. In some ways, it's easier than when I was younger because I'm much more settled into myself, and therefore less threatened by people who are different from me. I'm more willing to seek frienships with people who I might not "naturally" grav...
I totally hear you on how holding out for that one "kindred spirit" friend can mean overlooking a lot of great companionship. I certainly hope that you can find some meaningful female companionship, as it sure is essential! Another blog post I have up my sleeve is about friendship in marriage and how the value of having our spouses be our "best friends" can sometimes work, but sometimes backfire and put too much pressure on some marriages. I'm so glad that you and Roddy have each other, and have true companionship together! Now we just need some updates on YOUR blog!
Commented Nov 17, 2011 on keep the old at b o t t o m l a n d
keep the old
Making new friends as an adult is both easy and hard. In some ways, it's easier than when I was younger because I'm much more settled into myself, and therefore less threatened by people who are different from me. I'm more willing to seek frienships with people who I might not "naturally" grav...
Ah, yes, Juliette, the wisdom of accepting the "seasonality" of our lives! I too feel like I'm starting to make peace with that, and yet sometimes it's so hard to accept that a once-cherished friendship will no longer be so vibrant. It's interesting--most of our closest friends are Gordon people, but they weren't necessarily our close friends while in school. It's funny how, as life goes on, it's hard to predict who will stay in your life and who will fade away. I love your image of "friendship seeds"! And I totally hear you on the extra challenge that ministry brings to bear on relationships. We consider our former pastor and his wife to truly be our friends, and yet they would sometimes share with us the loneliness of no one thinking to invite them over, or not knowing how to reach out to them. I remember my MIL (a former pastor's wife) once saying that no one in her church ever asked her how SHE was doing. Scary! Anyway, I hope your and my experiences will be better than that!
Commented Nov 17, 2011 on keep the old at b o t t o m l a n d
keep the old
Making new friends as an adult is both easy and hard. In some ways, it's easier than when I was younger because I'm much more settled into myself, and therefore less threatened by people who are different from me. I'm more willing to seek frienships with people who I might not "naturally" grav...
I know, that one picture totally does me in. I don't feel very magnetic right now, but thanks for the encouragement! xoxo
Commented Nov 17, 2011 on keep the old at b o t t o m l a n d
keep the old
Making new friends as an adult is both easy and hard. In some ways, it's easier than when I was younger because I'm much more settled into myself, and therefore less threatened by people who are different from me. I'm more willing to seek frienships with people who I might not "naturally" grav...
I hear you Sara! I could do a whole post about making friends with kids! Again, it's both easier and harder. Kids give us an instant thing to bond over (as in our experience at NHS--such a cherished time in my memory!) and yet, as you said, there is so much going on as the parent of a school-aged child. I never anticipated how much my child's "social life" might put a damper on my own! Anyway, keep on trying, and may we both find meaningful friendships in our new surroundings!
Commented Nov 17, 2011 on keep the old at b o t t o m l a n d
keep the old
Making new friends as an adult is both easy and hard. In some ways, it's easier than when I was younger because I'm much more settled into myself, and therefore less threatened by people who are different from me. I'm more willing to seek frienships with people who I might not "naturally" grav...
keep the old
Posted Nov 16, 2011 at b o t t o m l a n d
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Thank you so much for this thoughtful response! I totally agree that kids have a very astute intuition of what they are or are not ready for, especially if they have not been desensitized to violence through early media saturation. Clara is still scared by most fairy tales at age 6, so it will be a while before we get into HP, but I do look forward to sharing them with her!
C a r e n S w a n s o n
www.bottomland.typepad.com
Commented Oct 14, 2011 on bedtime stories at SouleMama
bedtime stories
Recently a new mom asked me about our bedtime routine. I laughed a little bit louder than perhaps I should have. I may have spit out my coffee. Actually, I'm sure I did. Bedtime routine? I do remember - vaguely - something ten years or so ago that involved a bath and candles, sweet songs and s...
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