Holiday season

A Bittersweet Christmas Present

/ Katie / 22 Comments

After over a year, we’ve finally sold our beloved Tail Feathers.

It’s a relief, and honestly, feels like a gift after the financial panic we’ve been feeling. We didn’t anticipate it taking so long to sell, but things in Northern Virginia being as uncertain and unstable and scary as they are…well, that’s all I should probably say without getting overtly political.

ANYWAY.

It’s been really tough on both our wallets and our hearts to carry it for so long, is what I’m getting at. And now, it’s done. And boy are we feeling lots of feelings.

It’s bittersweet, saying a final goodbye. It was the first house we ever lived in together that truly felt like a home, and the first we made our own. We’re heartbroken, and we’re relieved, and we’re happy to see it no longer sitting empty and waiting. We left it better than we found it, even if we left it sooner than we thought we would. I hope the new owners enjoy it, and take care of it, and fill it with joy and good memories. I hope they love it just like we did, and more.

With all the stress of the sale – and some health news in the family that is not mine to share – it’s not been quite the holiday season I wanted. But I’m still grateful that we are where we are, able to get back on even footing money-wise, here and happy and loved, and constantly chasing after our beautiful, brave Lucy, who is fascinated by all things Christmas. Sometimes you just have to choose to be happy, and this year, in spite of everything (again, not trying to get overtly political), I am choosing to be happy.

And I hope you are, too. I hope you have a wonderful and happy whatever you celebrate, and that your season has been full of peace and light and good things. As we come into Christmas week, I wish all of us warmth and calm, and love. So much love.

Merry Christmas, and here’s a big hug from me to you. I needed one, and now you have one, too.

Good Morning, Goodbye, Hello, and Hope

/ Katie / 2 Comments

Good morning, New Year’s Eve.

And goodbye, 2024.

What, exactly, should I say about 2024? Perhaps that it was a year of change and challenge, immense joy and incredible fear, deep and new and all-encompassing love, disappointments and expectations and successes and surprises and sleepless nights.

I hope that 2025 is kind to me, and to all of us.

I hope that in the new year, things get better and not worse. I hope my family stays safe and happy and healthy. I hope that love and comfort and peace find the people who need them most, and that all people remember that we have more in common than we think, and more to gain through compassion than through hate.

I hope that this new year brings joy and music and fun and good stories. I hope that the beach becomes home.

I hope that Lucy grows and learns and knows every day how loved and wanted and perfect she is.

I hope that I make good mistakes – the kind that lead to lessons and laughs and not too many consequences – and that I learn, too, and that I create, and that I discover more about myself and who I am as a mom, and as a writer, and as a human. I hope that I can bring those things together in harmony.

I hope.

I hope.

I hope.

That’s what I have. That’s what we all have, always. Hope is undying and eternal and as powerful as we allow it to be.

I choose power. I choose hope.

So, goodbye 2024, and thank you. For everything.

And hello 2025. Let’s work together to make something good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

/ Katie / Leave a comment

…to everyone celebrating today!  Lucy, for one, is very excited to help.

I’ll be back in December with some fun posts, but for now, we’re spending time with family and trying to get ready for Christmas. (Will we decorate this year? In our new house? Where we are still not totally unpacked? We shall see…) This is going to be a busy holiday season, I can already tell, and while I’m a bit intimidated, I am also so excited to start new traditions in our new home with our beautiful baby girl – who is now officially a toddler, which is amazing all on its own.

So, happy eating and many thanks for all the good things, y’all. See you next week!

Thankful (A Poem)

/ Katie / 19 Comments

I breathe it in,
this feeling –
light as air and
heavy as hope –
and exhale.
I wish I could share it,
box it up
and tie it with a bow,
so you could know, too.
Or maybe you do,
down in your soul,
deep in the roots
of what makes you, you –
what makes us human –
the tug and pull
and steady, sturdy seed
that keeps us whole.
I’m thankful.
Thankful.
Thankful.

*A quick note! Graham has Friday off, so I’ll be taking a break, as well. I’ll be back on Monday, unless Baby Girl decides to make an early appearance. In the meantime, for all who celebrate, I wish you a wonderful, warm Thanksgiving! I hope it’s full of love and tasty food, and that you come away with a smile and a full belly.*

Merry Happy Everything!

/ Katie / 10 Comments

I’ll be taking a break until Wednesday, December 28th so that I can spend time with family and eat lots of food and make good memories. So, in the meantime, whatever you may be celebrating this season, I hope it is joyous and full of love! I’ll see you next week with one more post for the year, and with December’s short story. 😊

Loudoun Local: I love a parade!

/ Katie / 14 Comments

What better way to celebrate the festive season than with a small-town parade that’s big on charm?!

One person I chatted with said, “This looks like something out of a Christmas movie!” And I agree. And so I wanted to share some of the joy – read, lots of pictures – with all of you.

We’ve lived in the area for many years now, and though I’ve seen Middleburg’s Christmas Parade before, Graham had never been. So on Saturday, we woke up early (my least favorite thing), made our way into town, and settled in to watch not one, but two parades.

Every year, the day starts with the Hunt Review.

Middleburg’s hunters and hounds trot down the main street, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this anywhere else in the world.

There’s a break in between, so we walked around and just enjoyed what the town had put together.

It’s sort of fun being temporary tourists. But definitely different. Middleburg’s population sits at about 750, and on parade day, thousands of people come to visit. I don’t know how the town handles it, but they do. And I’m grateful for it. I know it must be hard, figuring out all those logistics.

The main parade starts at 2:00, and it was just so adorable.

I mean, really, come on – corgis on parade?

Lots of local businesses had floats, and they were all really fun.

The Grinch even came to visit.

And of course, there were marching bands.

And also lassos. And more horses.

And Santa, too. But Graham couldn’t get a good picture of him, unfortunately.

It’s a busy day, and we were all tired at the end. Including Miss Honey, who did not enjoy the loud noises.

But who really liked the cuddles.

I’m sure we’ll go back next year. It’s a wonderful event, and I’m thankful to live in a place with such a strong sense of community. I feel like that’s rare these days, and we’re so lucky. It truly feels like Christmas around here now, and I’m just loving it. 😊

Sunday Supper #3: A Long Week, a Christmas Parade, and a Sleepy Sunday

/ Katie / 9 Comments

Well, y’all, it’s been a long week.

Graham and I came back from Thanksgiving very happy (and very full of both love and delicious food), but also very tired. And we haven’t really had a chance to catch up on rest this week, but hey, that’s the holidays, right?

Seriously, though, it’s been a long week, but a good one, capped off by a lovely Christmas parade and celebration in the next town over (which we pretty much consider our second hometown, at this point).

The town wisely limited parking, so the crowd wasn’t as large as it has been in the past, but there were loads of people, all happy and smiling and enjoying everything this beautiful part of Virginia has to offer. I truly love to see it. And by yesterday evening, it looked like this:

Same spot, five hours apart. Crazy.

And it’s kind of crazy to think that we’ve only got twenty days until Christmas. But it’s exciting, and we know there are even busier days ahead. So we’ve taken this cloudy Sunday to rest, nap, relax, and generally do a whole lot of nothing. It’s been downright luxurious.

And for supper? Something decadent, I think. Pasta with a creamy, cheesy garlic sauce, bacon, and peas. Yes, perfect.