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Stories from the Porch in July

July 31, 2019 by Kristin 10 Comments

July was the slower season I needed, like a deep breath for my soul. I told a friend the other day my insides are calmer than they’ve been in a long time. We didn’t travel, we hosted some family and friends, and I read a lot of books.

Highlights

I love our small-town Independence Day celebration that included watching the traditional parade in the heat, grilling and swimming with other Taylors here at our house, and keeping the kids up way past their bedtimes for the fireworks.

I may have mentioned my sister and her family only live four hours away now (after having lived in New Zealand, Dallas, and Buffalo), so I was excited they came for another visit. It was the second of the summer and we’re making plans to visit them this fall. I love being grown-up sisters and watching our kids play together.

Okay, and actually, I did travel once. I spent one time in Winchester, Kentucky, celebrating my dear friend Sarah’s 40th birthday. It was a quick but soul-filling trip for me with best friend Jaclyn. I also got to see my longtime friend Katie. Being around a table with them is my favorite thing – and to be with all three of them at the same time is a gift.

And, truly, the highlight was being at home soaking in our #88daysofsummer. In addition to swimming, we’ve been eating many meals on the porch and taking rides through our woods, part of which a company has been logging pine trees. It’s all totally fascinating and such a neat process to watch from a distance.

Favorite Things

“Unpack Your Heart” by Phillip Phillips – I often turn on Needtobreathe radio on Pandora when we are outside on the porch or by the pool. I was so happy to hear this song. Of course, I added it to my “sorrow & hope” playlist I’ve

The Couch podcast – I got to chat (again) with my friend Mary Carver about a short-lived TV show that makes me so nostalgic. Come join us on her couch and find out how I feel about Jordan Catalano.

Google Calendar – A couple of months ago I set aside my old-fashioned paper planner, and I don’t have any regrets. Greg and I have shared Google Calendar for years now, and that’s definitely improved our communication. But I’ve recently started using the reminders for my to-do list and putting all my things on our color-coded calendar. I still find myself writing myself Post-It Notes of which errands I need to run on a given day or things I want to remember next time I sit down at the computer. But I feel like this is a simpler process. (I shared more about my going digital in Facebook and Instagram posts. I loved hearing about how others organize their lives too.)

From the Bookshelf

“The Stormchasers” by Jenna Blum – I learned of this author because I read her World War II book “Those Who Save Us,” which was excellent. This book was excellent too, but this story was set in modern times and dealt with different issues that affect relationships. This book touches on family relationships that are complicated when one twin has a mental illness and the other doesn’t understand it like she thinks she does. I read it in two days, mostly by the pool.

“We Were the Lucky Ones” – I packed this book around with me to the lake, beside the pool, in my purse in case I have a few spare minutes, and next to my bed. I used to swear I didn’t like historical fiction, and now I’ve lost count of how many (mostly World War II novels, as this one is) I’ve read. I stayed up way past my bedtime last night because I needed to know how this family’s story ended. This one sure ranks up high on the list. It’s heavy and hard but beautiful and brave.

“High Water” by Lynn Hightower – I read this book in a weekend. It was heartbreaking and heartfilling. It’s labeled as a mystery, and I was surprised a couple of times, but the writing is beautiful and true. This story is heavy but I didn’t want to put this book down.

“How to Walk Away” by Katherine Center – I spent two days by the pool reading this book. I’d kind of been looking for a happy book, but, truthfully, I’m drawn to stories with suspense, secrets, and struggles. It’s weird, really, because there’s been too much of that in real life and my reading life lately. But I thought maybe this cover with the flowers meant happy was coming for these characters. I was mostly right. I mean, they did get happy, but they had to walk through pain and heartache to get there. They had to face their pasts and be willing to step forward. They had to trust and hope and live. And then I remembered that’s true in real life too.

“I would never tell you that the life you wanted couldn’t have been exactly as great as you planned. But you have to love the life you have. You have to find inspiration in the struggle, and pull joy out of the hardship. That’s what we try to do — counterbalance the suffering with laughter, fizzy blankets, hugs, sing-a-longs, sunny-day picnics, chocolate chip cookies, and wildflowers. Because that’s all we can do: carry the sorrow when we have to, and absolutely savor the joy when we can. Life is always, always both.” Well written, Katherine Center. I mean that paragraph and the whole novel that made me teary and make me smile. Just like real life.

“Happiness for Beginners” by Katherine Center – Again, I read this one in two days, mostly by the pool. And yet again I found myself completely invested in the story and characters while also wanting to jot down some quotes. The way the plot is woven around nuggets of truth is masterful.

Here’s one of the quotes I want to remember: “But the things we remember are what we hold on to, and what we hold on to becomes the story of our lives. We only get one story. And I am determined to make mine a good one. After all, life will hand each of us our fair share of despair and loss and suffering — and then some. That’s certain. But just as certain: It will also give us slices of chocolate cake, and sunny-seventy-two-degree days, and breezes that rustle the trees. Good things are easy to overlook, but that doesn’t make them any less there. A forgotten song will come on the radio. A stranger will help you change a flat. A lady walking by will love your red scarify. A mistake will turn out to be a blessing. An old friend will forgive you. A new friend will make you laugh.”

This book left me thankful that happiness can be found despite circumstances, aware of why it’s important in living out my own story, and ready to read more Katherine Center books. It did not leave me wanting to go on a survival hike, but that was a great setting for this story.

“Slammed” and “Point of Retreat” by Colleen Hoover – I picked up “Slammed” when I was at the library because I loved another book by this author (“It Ends With Us”). Then I got totally sucked in and went to the library to get the sequel so I could have it when I finished. I read most of “Slammed” in one day, but I was glad to have a little left to carry over to the next day. And then I read “Point of Retreat” in another day, almost entirely while floating in the pool one afternoon when my kids decided they needed a pool break and surprisingly didn’t need me for a few hours either. Colleen Hoover writes stories with all the emotions I can relate to, even if my circumstances look different. And I’d say that’s a successful storyteller.

“Back Roads to Belonging: Unexpected Paths to Your Places and Your People” by Kristen Strong – This non-fiction book was right for me this summer. I’ve quoted in on Instagram multiple times with peeks into my real life. (Here. Here. And here.) Kristen is such a wise guide with her words and I’m looking forward to sharing more in an official review soon.

“The Middle Matters” by Lisa-Jo Baker – I’ve told you about this one before, but it officially released this month, so I wanted to tell you about it again. (Read my whole review here.)

If you need more book recommendations, I shared a list of the books I’ve read so far this year. Plus I keep a list of recommended reads on Amazon.

On the Screen

“Suits” – I realized there was a whole season of this show I hadn’t seen on Amazon Prime, so I’ve been catching up with Harvey Specter and company. Meanwhile, the ninth and last season is currently accumulating on my DVR. There’s also a spin-off show called “Pearson” I’m recording.

How was your July?

*****

Stories from the Porch in June

June 26, 2019 by Kristin 8 Comments

I’m going to live in denial that the summer – and the year! – is halfway over. Somebody posted yesterday we were six months from Christmas, so I think I’m going to ignore that countdown for now too. Goodness, I love this time of the year and I want to soak it in. For me, part of soaking it in is remembering what has happened, so that’s what’s happening here. Thanks for joining me on the porch.

Highlights

We started the month with a trip. I know, that’s a nutty plan given how our May was, but I gave Greg tickets to the Cardinals versus Cubs baseball game in St. Louis way back in April before my life turned extra crazy. So we spent two days in St. Louis, and it was really fun. We ate at Fitz’s, where they also bottle delicious soda. We went to the first half of the game that then included a 3 1/2-hour rain delay that sent us back to the hotel and into bed. The next day we went to Grant’s Farm for the first time and really enjoyed it. We ended the weekend by eating at the Boathouse at Forest Park, another favorite STL restaurant.

We were happy to return home and have a stretch of “normal” days that involved inviting friends over to swim, exploring our creeks and land, and being together without an agenda. (I’m also a little obsessed with that field of amber waves of grain in the picture above that we happened upon!)

My sister, Cassie, know lives just four hours away. Considering for the majority of her adulthood and marriage, she’s lived across the world in New Zealand, a dozen hours away in Dallas, and about 11 hours away in Buffalo, NY, I’ll take four hours! She moved to Bloomington, Indiana, this month with her husband and their three kids and after a couple of weeks decided to capitalize on our closeness. She and her kids (and our mom) came to visit and swim. I love watching our kids be together and I love being grownup sisters.

Then last weekend five of my favorite writer friends gathered at my lake house for a retreat. It didn’t really end up feeling like a retreat.

We all came with ideas and disappointments and full schedules and emotions. People had trouble getting here and one of us from the usual group couldn’t be here. We moved locations because my lake house was without power for 18 hours.

But we laughed (and cried), ate several meals together, brainstormed and encouraged one another to work on new projects, watched two movies, and are thankful our usual Voxer conversations came to life around tables and in living rooms. God sure has been teaching me this year about surrendering expectations and holding plans loosely, and I’m thankful to have these friends alongside me – even fro our scattered physical locations for the most of the year.

Favorite Things

Writers’ Retreat – While it didn’t feel like much of a retreat, I’m glad we did it. I call it a writers’ retreat, but it’s about so much more than that. We do talk about our writing – whether that’s actually blogging, book writing, podcasting, or creating products. But we also talk about our ministries and motherhood and marriage and all sorts of other things that don’t have to begin with M. At our retreat, each of us brought our favorite things for each other, so that was fun to share.

And, yes, here are links to all their websites: Mary Carver. Anna Rendell. Amanda Conquers. Kayse Pratt from Anchored Women. Erika Dawson from Faithful Moms. Christen Price.

Yes to Cucumbers Face Wipes – I included these in my gifts to my friends. And I use them every day, usually on my face but also sometimes on my feet.

Burt’s Bees lip balm – I especially like the coconut & pair and mango flavors, but I bought an assorted pack to share with my friends.

(I’m sharing a favorite Summer Not-To-Do List and playlist to my email #PorchStories friends, so be sure you’re signed up. If you’re not already, you can join in the fun here.)

From the bookshelf

“Only Ever Her” by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen – I really loved how this story was told from how it affected different characters. There were lots of relationships and connections intertwined with the suspense of what happened. This was one I didn’t want to put down.

“It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover – It’s been a while since I read a whole book in a day, but that’s what happened with this one. The characters are dealing with lots of heavy subjects, such as abuse, heartbreak, and death, but the writing also includes some sweet, funny details.

“The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good On You” by Lisa-Jo Baker – I actually read this one in my crazy May days, but I wrote a review and shared about the fun preorder bonuses this month, so I wanted to make sure y’all knew about it before it officially releases July 23.

“Britfield & the Lost Crown” by C.R. Stewart – Cate reviewed this adventure book for elementary and middle school readers on the blog this month. She has read it multiple times, so be sure to check out her review if the kids in your life are looking for a book recommendation. It’s the first in what’s expected to be a series. My girl is ready for the next one, that’s for sure!

Stay tuned because on Friday I’ll have a complete list of all the books I’ve read so far this year with links to any reviews I’ve written. Of course, here are some tips on how I manage to read several books a month.

On the screen

“Aladdin” – I really loved Will Smith as the genie and loved seeing this classic Disney story truly brought to life. We’ve loved the theatrical version of Aladdin we’ve seen on the Disney cruises, so our expectations were pretty high, but my kids and I all give this one all the thumbs up. Plus I love that there are good family movies in the theater this summer. Greg took the kids to see “Toy Story 4” last weekend while I was retreating with my blogger friends.

“Second Act” – This movie had more substance and emotions than I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. I hadn’t heard of it, but my pop culture expert friend Mary Carver brought it to our retreat and we stayed up way too late watching it one night.

“Isn’t It Romantic?” – Again, I hadn’t heard of this one, but Mary came through with more movie goodness. I literally laughed out loud multiple times and Rebel Wilson wasn’t as crass as I thought she might be.

“Designated Survivor” – I am so glad Netflix picked up this show to continue with season three, but a new character is crasser than the original ones. Somebody told the whole show gets edgier, so I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I’m a couple of episodes in and want to keep watching at this point.

How’s your June been? What stories would you bring to the porch?

*****

Stories from the Porch in May

May 29, 2019 by Kristin 21 Comments

May days are my favorite but these May days were especially crazy days. That’s about all the introduction necessary, so I’m going to dive right into the recap.

Highlights

I love my birthday and entering this new decade (hello, 40s!) hasn’t bothered me. We had a great weekend at the lake with four of my dearest friends. (Want to see pictures?) A group of school mom friends celebrated another morning with breakfast. I was really filled up with love, which ended up being exactly what I’d need to carry me through the coming weeks.

Four days after my actual birthday, my dad went into cardiac arrest and never recovered. He passed away two days later. I had a complicated relationship with him, but this past weekend my mom, my siblings, his brother and sister, and I remembered the good parts – how he was innovative and creative as an educator and created an environment at the schools he led so teachers and students thrived.

Between my birthday and dad’s death, Cate turned 12 and we celebrated the second weekend of the month with a Harry Potter birthday party. (Stay tuned because I plan to blog about that!) Plus there was Mother’s Day, which is when Greg snapped the picture I shared above.

The third week of May meant the end of school! There was a day trip to the Nashville Zoo with Ben’s class one day. Then we picked up the big kids from school on that Friday and headed up Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Jockey Being Family is a foundation of Jockey International (yep, the underwear company!) that supports adoptive families. We connected with JBF when we were in Washington, D.C., for the Angels in Adoption event and were glad to get to know more about how they connect and support families like ours. We were one of five families honored at JBF’s annual fundraising gala and golf tournament. I’m going to blog more about this soon too, but it was a wonderful weekend of being cared for just when I needed a vacation. (And here are some pictures!)

Favorite things

Water Wow coloring books – Rachel is really into these Water Wow books and they keep her busy! Using just water, the pages can be “painted” and then when they dry they can be painted again. And again. And again. She’s been coloring in fairytale and animal books, but I just ordered some others, including one about letters and numbers.

Slugs & Bugs books – Slugs & Bugs music has been my kids’ childhood soundtrack. When creator Randall Goodgame expanded the gospel-centered fun messages from songs to books, I knew I needed them. I shared more about them in a review post.

Pan fried fish at home – When we were at Kentucky Lake with my friends for my birthday, the guys – both the grownups and the kids – caught enough fish to feed us lunch before we all went our separate ways. It was delicious and so fun! Then Greg and Ben went fishing with a friend on Memorial Day, and they caught enough catfish and crappie to feed our family for more than one meal. I pan fried it for dinner on our porch – talk about holiday perfection!

From the bookshelf

“After Anna” by Lisa Scottoline – I picked up one afternoon when my kids and I had a few extra minutes and decided to spend them in the library. Over the next two days, I read it in parking lots when I arrived early, during my son’s soccer practice, while I was waiting for the kids to get ready for bed, and before I fell asleep those nights. Obviously, I was gripped by the story and characters. Told in a before-and-after back-and-forth sequence, the way the story unfolded was well done and kept me completely invested. There was a twist I totally didn’t see coming, which propelled me through the ending.

“What I’ve Done” and “Secrets Never Die” by Melinda Leigh – I’ve mentioned this Morgan Dane series before and was happy to dive back into the fourth and fifth installments. I love the characters’ continuing storylines and like the quick-read mysteries that are told from the perspective of a private investigator and defense attorney.

“The Middle Matters” by Lisa-Jo Baker – I was really excited to be on this launch team and read an advanced copy of this book. I absolutely loved Lisa-Jo’s last book, “Never Unfriended.” I enjoyed this one too. Having just turned 40, I related to so many chapters. This book officially releases July 23, but you can preorder it now and there will be goodies to come. Stay tuned because a full review is coming.

“The Orphan Daughter” by Cari Noga – I really enjoyed this one about a 45-year-old woman who is named the guardian of her 11-year-old niece she doesn’t know well. While several of the storylines involve loss, the book is a good reminder of how people’s stories intertwine to heal. And even better, this is a free read for Amazon Prime members.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens – Cate gave this to me for my 40th birthday and I’m glad I had to get into it. The writing is lovely, the setting is inviting, and the main character is captivating. I’m not quite finished with it, but I’m really enjoying it.

On the screen

“The Village” – I binged this after it had already been on for several weeks, and I really loved it. The show centers on a group of neighbors from an apartment complex whose stories intersect and overlap. I cried in more than one episode, but I really am looking forward to a full season of this show.

Tell me about your May days.

*****