Their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (Matt. 13:15) I’m a big proponent of personal responsibility. I feel like it’s […]
We’ve been enjoying all of the beautiful Christmas traditions Milly has brought back from Denmark. This one made our Christmas Eve celebrations so much fun! Risalamande is a rice pudding that the Danish traditionally serve on Christmas Eve. It’s so much more than a delicious desert. It’s also a game that friends and family play […]
Ages before you had an Elf sitting on your shelf, Danish children had the family Nisse. Milly spent last year in Denmark, and assures me that the Danes know better than anyone how to celebrate Christmas. She was absolutely enchanted when the family and guests danced around the Christmas tree, lit by tiny candles. This year we’re […]
Since the Decoration Days of the 1860s, Memorial Day in the United States has evolved from a day to honor those who fell in the Civil War, to a celebration of summer. Some purists want to strip away the traditions that have crept in to overshadow the original purpose, but I think we can do […]
Once upon a time our garden-smart neighbor taught my husband how to prune fruit trees. I cried the day he trimmed our overgrown orchard of four apple trees. Each snip saw a perfectly good branch fall to the earth below. I was sure that trimming had irreparably damaged the tree. It looked so odd and sparse. And […]
I love St. Patrick’s Day, but that isn’t what made me want to try this dish. I recently read a book in which Irish immigrants raved about their colcannon. I’m a book nerd so I had to try it. The timing was simply a happy accident. In researching this simple Irish recipe I found that […]
In generations past, one lucky family member would inherit old family photos. The others could do little more than hope for a glance when visiting the fortunate photographic heirs. As technology advanced it became easier to make copies of the treasured family photos, but quality copies were still relatively rare. I feel so fortunate that […]
Sometimes what starts as a silly little thing becomes life-changing. Not life-changing in the dramatic way we’ve come to use that term, but life-changing in the way we view and interact with the everyday world. If I remember correctly, this particular silly little thing began one ordinary evening. I made my husband’s favorite cereal treats […]
I honestly and truly love Christmas. I don’t love everything that happens this time of year. The chaos of the season is just too much to take sometimes. Several years ago, when I was sad that the magic had waned and Christmas had become a bit of a chore, I had an epiphany that saved […]
Few family reunion traditions have the power to strike fear into my heart the way cook-offs do. The competition is fierce and intimidating. The results are mouth-wateringly delicious. And beautiful. This year my clever sister-in-law threw a little twist into the competition, taking it to a new level of fun. The adults who had […]
Hi! I’m Barbara Anne Williams, a designer and illustrator living in the Rocky Mountains of Northern Utah. I find inspiration in the beauty of nature, the scent of old books, and the kindness of everyday heroes.
