Summer is my season. I don’t mind the heat, as long as it doesn’t come with high humidity and inch toward the upper 90s. I love almost everything about summer—vacations, long days that allow me to enjoy the evenings outside, warm temps, summer flip-flops, reading by the pool, tropical iced tea, the flowers in bloom, …
It’s June, so naturally, thoughts turn to weddings as this is one of the most popular months for them. And what leads to weddings? Romance, of course! My romances tend to feature engagements more than actual weddings. But they all include the warmth of a little flirting, the heat of that first touch, and the …
Father’s Day is coming up, and in honor of the occasion, here is one of my favorite stories about my husband’s role as father: Our son was about four or five. I know it was after our daughter was born, but before she could communicate well herself. So it was in about 1986 or ’87. …
It’s always fun to watch something I’ve planted grow and thrive. At my house, it’s a struggle. We have many big, beautiful trees, which I love. But those trees house a lot of squirrels and provide a lot of shade–things that often work against me in my quest to grow a few flowers. We’ve got …
On one of the spring vacations my family took, we were in a gift shop full of tchotchkes. Neither my husband nor I am fond of tchotchkes, and I was ready to move on. Nothing in the store looked interesting to me. But our children wanted to browse, to find some small mementoes to take home from …
After years of being disappointed by lilac bushes that produce great, healthy-looking foliage but no flowers, it appears I finally have a variety that blooms every year — at least two in a row. 🙂 I have no idea whether it’s the type of lilac, the quality or the placement or if it’s just a …
I spent a few minutes in Kauffman Gardens yesterday. I try to get there a few times every year. The groundskeepers were cleaning and resealing the fountains, so the water wasn’t running. But someone had lovingly planted pansies. It looked like more spring blooms might be around the corner. Theresa HuppTheresa is the award-winning author …
I recently returned from a trip to Seattle. I’ve been in Seattle in February before, and I noticed on those trips that spring seems to come to that area sooner than to Kansas City, even though Seattle is farther north. It must be because the temperatures are less extreme and there is more moisture. This …
I regret to announce that I failed to take advantage of any Presidents Day sales. Not a single one. Even worse, I didn’t offer Presidents Day deals on any of my books. So if you were hoping for either of these things … sorry to disappoint. On the bright side, I didn’t spend any money! …
Just finished frosting the first set of Valentine sugar cookies! A little early because they’re being shipped. Making these cookies is a three-step process. One day to mix the dough, one day to cut and bake, and another to frost. Frosting is the fun, creative part! I love to try new designs and play around …