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May Reading 📖 Recommendations
May was a month of hits and misses but I also managed to find a few fantastic reads!
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Hold on to Hope
The weather is finally getting warmer in Maryland. That means I’m looking forward to getting back on the water with my dogs! The thought of more memories along the bay, fills me with great hope as we head towards summer. Hope—with a capital H and with a lowercase h—is so important for the human soul;…
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Back to Normal or Not?
Spring brings reminders that life continually moves along. And while COVID is still a threat, society is s l o w l y beginning to reopen and move along. There is much “talk” [sadly, often in the form of angry shouting matches on social media] of getting “back to normal.” When we mean mitigating the…
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Happy Birthday, to my Favorite Botanical Garden
Today is the 200th “birthday” of the U.S. Botanical Garden! As this blog can attest, nature and flowers are one of my favorite things in life. Whenever I’m traveling, I love to seek out beauty in the local botanical garden. I’ve visited some stunning ones—including two of the oldest in the world! (Pisa, Italy, #1…
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April Reading 📚 Recs
How is it that a third of this year is already gone? 2020 has been one “for the books.” While its been very hard – for all of us – one thing I have enjoyed during this strange season is more time to read! My piles of books (and Kindle) are enjoying the extra attention,…
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A Prayer and a Hope for April
As April begins, hard times loom ahead, after what has already been a difficult few weeks. I’m lamenting and grieving this reality with all of you. The simple saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” has me longing for the storms to be over and for the fullness of life and spring to return! The veneer…
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Friday Feelings
Today is my sister’s birthday! Since she lives thousands of miles away in the Netherlands, we will be doing a social distancing-style celebration over Zoom. Two years ago, we traveled to Italy for her 30th birthday, hiking along the coast and towns of Cinque Terre. It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been! Being…
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Hope in Hard Times
The first day of spring. A few weeks ago I wrote a reflection and poem on longing for spring – and since then the world has turned upside down! While our reality and circumstances have changed – our hearts are the same. We all have a deep longing for hope and beauty. Several years ago,…
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A St. Patrick’s Day Prayer of Protection
It’s not your typical St. Patrick’s Day. Life has changed practically overnight for all of us. It’s a strange and hard reality. There is fear, uncertainty, disappointment. Along with resolve, hope, and determination. When the entire world finds itself in a battle, we must do everything we can to be wise and support one another…
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Spring is Coming
March. Day one of a new month. When the calendar transitions from winter to spring, even if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Last year, on March 1, it was a surprise snow day! No snow today, or even much at all this year…yet I have felt the weight of this winter season. It’s been a long,…
Bethany Peck
Reflections on Life, Faith, and Beauty