Shade Tree Stories
musings and memories rooted in faith and family
Latest stories from Under the shade trees
- We’re Not Going Away
I can’t believe that it’s been 4 years this month since I had the honor and privilege of speaking at our nation’s capitol on behalf of nursing home residents in… - Where the Gospel Slows Down
On my last visit to the nursing home, I had two separate encounters that spoke to my heart about how we use our most valuable resource: time. The first experience… - Wave Watcher
I just got back from the beach. It was a quick, five day trip to Florida. As usual, I went prepared with a book, my journal, and my laptop. I… - Comparison; Thief of Joy…Sometimes
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” I had to look that up to see who is credited with saying that. Apparently, President Theodore Roosevelt was a smart guy. He said… - Connecting The Dots and A Happy Breakthrough
I’ve been doing a lot of work lately. Hard work. And I don’t mean manual labor. I mean the difficult work of sitting with your feelings, examining them, and processing… - Hailstones in Battle
A few weeks ago, on a Friday night, we were sleeping in our basement because the weather forecast was predicting strong storms for our area overnight. Around 5am, I was…
Welcome to my blog!
I’m a life-long Kentuckian from a family of life-long Kentuckians who can trace our land back to Daniel Boone. I’m a wife, a daughter, a sister, mom of two young adults, a teacher by nature and by training, mom of three Boston Terriers, lover of good food, travel, and proper English grammar (though I may not always use it on this site). Most importantly, I’m a child of God– a work in progress striving to follow Him faithfully and love others fiercely.
Learn more about me
Marla and Pa, 1978
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I Wonder As I Wander
(part two of my previous post….) “I wonder as I wander out under the stars…” We’ve had some frigid weather since Christmas. We had snow, followed by ice, followed by…
Early Morning Coffee Thoughts
A few mornings ago I was sitting on the couch enjoying my first cup of coffee while my dogs were snuggled on my lap under a cozy, minky blanket. The…
Five Year Fight
This is a hard week. It’s been five years. Five years since covid forced our lives to change forever. Sometimes it feels like it was an eternity ago, and other…
Hailstones in Battle
A few weeks ago, on a Friday night, we were sleeping in our basement because the weather forecast was predicting strong storms for our area overnight. Around 5am, I was…
Connecting The Dots and A Happy Breakthrough
I’ve been doing a lot of work lately. Hard work. And I don’t mean manual labor. I mean the difficult work of sitting with your feelings, examining them, and processing…
Comparison; Thief of Joy…Sometimes
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” I had to look that up to see who is credited with saying that. Apparently, President Theodore Roosevelt was a smart guy. He said…
Wave Watcher
I just got back from the beach. It was a quick, five day trip to Florida. As usual, I went prepared with a book, my journal, and my laptop. I…
Where the Gospel Slows Down
On my last visit to the nursing home, I had two separate encounters that spoke to my heart about how we use our most valuable resource: time. The first experience…