Everything was on schedule—a roast chicken dinner was about to be served, the next day’s cottage pie dinner was being prepared, and the last load of weekend laundry was happily spinning away in the washing machine. We were about to sit down at the kitchen table when I heard an unrecognizable beeping noise coming from the utility room. My load of laundry had stopped mid-cycle … Continue reading A Laundry Lesson
For the last two spring seasons, the children and I have been planting sunflowers. First starting in the grow box as seedlings, we then transferred and planted them in a particularly sunny patch of our garden. One poor sunflower has seen more snail attacks this season than any of the others planted. This one straggly looking plant spent most of the spring and summer seasons … Continue reading Learning Resilience From A Sunflower
This past week has seen such a joyous celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee, marking seventy years of service to the UK and beyond. It has been a wonderful nationwide occasion to gather with friends, family, and neighbours in a special season to commemorate our monarch, display national pride, and determine to choose joy after a challenging two years for everyone. Even before the … Continue reading A Very British Red, White, and Blue
Relaxed and at ease, I hugged my parents goodbye in February 2020 after my one and only solo trip back home to Northern California since marriage and having kids. Without any hesitation, I waved goodbye while walking through SFO’s International terminal, as my parents and I optimistically looked forward to seeing each other again soon on our annual summer trip with my husband and our … Continue reading The Long Journey Home
Nervous butterflies filled my stomach as I quickly checked the clock and then squeezed the rest of my practical and precious belongings into eight suitcases. A mixture of lightweight, summery clothes and shoes, not really suitable for the majority of the British seasons, took up most of the packing. This was followed by some favourite books, my journal, a cherished stuffed animal, some photo frames … Continue reading Eight Suitcases & Twelve Years Later
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.” Psalm 96:11-12 I was recently walking along the outskirts of an industrial estate, as our car mechanic has his shop there. Our car needed its annual … Continue reading God’s Beauty Even On An Industrial Estate
As I look around my house today, it is fairly tidy for a family with small children, although in every room there are hints of the little people who have truly made this place their own. I am shocked how Cheerios and cornflakes can manage to be found just about everywhere and minutes after I have cleaned the windows, little grubby hand prints have formed … Continue reading The House That Charlie Built
Life can be difficult living in the present; we human beings tend to dwell on the past or strive to jump forward into the future. Today, I am reflecting to the past but as a way to remember all God has done. In a positive way, sometimes looking back to His faithfulness helps me to live a better present season. When my best friend and … Continue reading Back And Forth
After a busy decade of getting married in California, moving to London, having kids and getting established, I was uniquely given the lovely birthday gift of an aeroplane ticket to visit my parents in San Francisco – all by myself! It was the strangest yet most wonderful of moments being able to travel without anyone asking for snacks, toilet breaks, or colouring books throughout the … Continue reading Connecting The Dots
This week, England experienced a heat wave and I have loved seeing our happy sunflowers delighting in the continuous sunshine! Having grown them from mere seeds in an egg carton, it’s so encouraging to see them shining out their joyful presence in our garden. With some of the dead flower heads removed, I have been drying them out to save the seeds for the next … Continue reading Garden Lessons – Part Two
Joy A. Mead 