There are stories we tell over and over again. And then there are the ones that somehow slip quietly into the corners of our lives. Until one day, we find them again. Lately, I've been spending some time going back through my old American Girl in Holland blog posts. Six years of stories. Adventures. Pictures.… Continue reading The Stories We Almost Forget
Author: ljochim
The Last Pages of Summer
The Last Pages of Summer There is something about August that always makes me slow down. Maybe it’s the way the evenings begin to arrive just a little earlier. Or the way the lake seems quieter somehow, as if it knows summer is beginning to turn the page. I’m not quite ready for that page… Continue reading The Last Pages of Summer
July: The Summer I Chose to Live the Story
Lake Michigan from the view of my friend's deck. July has been busy. The good kind of busy, the kind filled with family and friends, with suitcases packed and unpacked, and with the miles between Michigan and Texas that somehow always seem to disappear when you're going home. We've traveled from our home in Texas… Continue reading July: The Summer I Chose to Live the Story
A New Chapter in my Life
Blueberry Pancake Publishing For those of you who have enjoyed reading my blog over the years, I’m happy to share that I’m still writing. My true passion has always been children’s stories. After many years of teaching, I discovered that writing funny little stories for children brings me an incredible amount of joy. There’s something… Continue reading A New Chapter in my Life
Chasing Paris
Since moving to the Netherlands just a few months earlier, my bucket list had quietly, but completely, rearranged itself. Places that once felt far away suddenly seemed possible. And sitting right at the top was Paris. During our first long school break, we packed up the car and made the four-hour drive to the City… Continue reading Chasing Paris
Going Home
Five years ago, a twist of fate landed right in the middle of our lives. A company from The Netherlands began recruiting my husband, and they were very persistent. Suddenly we found ourselves researching everything we could about living overseas. We talked with family and close friends about how they felt about us leaving, and… Continue reading Going Home
The Doorway to Possibilities (My Reading List for the Summer)
June has always felt like the doorway to possibility. When I was teaching, June meant the end of one season and the beginning of another. Now, in retirement, it feels even sweeter. The calendar opens, the days stretch a little longer, and I find myself looking ahead with the same excitement I felt as a… Continue reading The Doorway to Possibilities (My Reading List for the Summer)
Things I’m Loving This May
Things I’m Loving This May Books, music, scents, shows, and little moments making this season sweeter. May always feels like a deep breath to me. The days are a little longer, the air a little softer, and everything feels full of possibility again. Here are the little things I’m loving this month. Maybe you’ll find… Continue reading Things I’m Loving This May
Is This the Real Life… Queen’s Day in Amsterdam
Back in April, my daughter and I came to the Netherlands to visit her new school and search for a house. Our trip ended with a day in Amsterdam, a city that winds around the North Sea with countless canals threading through narrow streets. And yes, there are thousands of bikes, parked everywhere. Honestly, I… Continue reading Is This the Real Life… Queen’s Day in Amsterdam
First Steps in Germany: A Rainy-Day Adventure for this American Girl
One rainy day, my friend Wendy invited me over to her house in Venlo to learn how to blog. Wendy’s blog is wonderful—I love reading it! To me, she’s brave, adventurous, and full of stories that make me wish I had half her energy. She’s an avid walker tackling the Pieterpad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieterpad, hopping on trains… Continue reading First Steps in Germany: A Rainy-Day Adventure for this American Girl
Blueberry Pancake Publishing 