The Weekly Ramble – April 10, 2026

The show stopping sunrises are few and far between, but when we get them, they are spectacular. I had to capture this one quickly as you know those flee in an instant. Can you peep the misty mountains in the background? The fog was nestled there in such a Hobbity kind of way.

Today of course is a white-out. I can’t see past the first set of hills. Rain was forecast and then it wasn’t.

The week went by so quickly and I had a hard time keeping track of what day it was. Last week Bryan and the kids had a day off and this week Miss 17 and I had a break from CBS so I’m ready to get back on routine.

Alas, that routine will only last a mere six weeks. Then my girl will be done with high school and the twice weekly drives to the community college.

And I will be officially retired from homeschooling. That was a wild ride. I started homeschooling my boys in June 2002. It was pretty hairy there for a while, and then all of a sudden, the roller coaster comes to what now seems like an abrupt stop.

There are no 24-year pins for homeschooling, but I’m so thankful that I could make it my career. I do have regrets, though.

My regrets lie in the person I was in so many bad moments. Impatient, fretful, prone to pleasing myself and not my people.

If we want to continue with the roller coaster analogy, I will take comfort in the fact that we can all laugh at my losing my mind half way through. No one really remembers those bad days. The kids look at my quizzically when I mention them, thank the Lord. All the same, I regret them.

Thankfully I don’t regret chopping my hair shorter. I had Melissa take it shorter and texturize it which I think will work better than last time. Getting my hair done ever few months is one of those splurges that help my overall sense of with-it-ness.

I don’t do makeup; I don’t know how and I don’t like how it feels, but having a cute, updated wardrobe as well as a wash-and-go hair style have helped tremendously.

Speaking of cute wardrobe, I finally got it dialed in for spring!

Jeans (dark, light, and white) – I got a pair of Democracy Jeans from Stitch Fix awhile back and since the fit of their Abduction line works on this perimenopausal body, I bought two more pairs from Macy’s – on sale and with cash back from Capital One Shopping.

T-shirts (black stripe, cream stripe, olive, white) – Target just got rid of an incredibly great shirt. WHY do they do that? Thankfully, I was able to collect it in several colors before they were all gone. They are the right thickness that suits this bust well. These are my “nice t-shirts” but since I’m a sucker for graphic tees, I have loads of those to fill in the blanks.

Layering pieces (denim, ruffle hem cardigan) – I found this Guess jacket years ago at Marshalls when I first started working on my wardrobe. I’m big busted (36DD!) so having something more fitted around the torso seems to suit. The fact that I never had a Guess jacket when they were all the rage may also contribute to my love of this one. I also picked up a ruffle hem cardigan on clearance at Target. Cropped is “in” so I’m making friends with it, learning that it’s the rise of the pants that makes the cropped look right. The sweater pictured isn’t exactly the same since Target removed the listing.

Dresses (long black, short printed) – Surprisingly, I’ve had good luck with finding dresses on Amazon even when no other clothes I find there work. I bought this long black dress last year; it’s the perfect length for 5’3″ me and has pockets! I found this cute printed one this year. Pockets would take it over the top, but for less than $20 I can’t complain.

Shoes (sandals, flip-flops, white walking, and house) – Shoes have been challenging since I have had debilitating foot pain for several months. I had to get house shoes so that my feet had support whenever I was upright. For leaving the house I got a pair of Vionic walking shoes, which felt miraculous from the first time I put them on. I picked up a pair of Baretraps sandals last year at Marshalls that have good support as well as several pairs of KuaiLu flip-flops for plantar fasciitis.

Hats (sun and baseball) – I have a large bust and a big head (TMI?). My head is seriously so big, it’s the biggest head in the household. Thus, finding hats that fit is challenging. This sunhat, in XL of course, has been amazing, traveling to Hawaii and Japan with me, being folded and rolled and coming out none the worse for wear. I’m on a hunt for a big baseball cap that looks cute, and am hoping this one will do it. (I’d prefer Padres or Kings but to find one that fits would cost a small fortune!)

I’m still on the hunt for some shorts and skirts for summer that match my mature woman persona, so let me know what good stuff you find!

Here’s what else I’ve been doing, eating, listening/watching, and/or reading this past week:

What I’ve been Doing

I’ve started copying the Bible! I saw an Instagram account SheLovesBible who does it, and since I love to physically write, it seemed like a good thing for me. I’d been meaning to grab a notebook and this week when I was at Marshalls I did just that.

I’m copying Matthew because I’m in the middle of reading the OT and having a taste of the NT right now is refreshing. Just copying the first chapter got me thinking in new and fresh ways, especially about the “bad women” named in Matthew’s begats. What a blessing it is to know the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah’s wife!

If you’ve not listened to this episode of Stories are Soul Food, I highly recommend it. It doesn’t cover all those ladies and they throw in Esther for good measure, but it gave me a different way of thinking about some of the stories.

What I’ve been Eating

I baked up a storm last weekend and so most of this week has been Easter leftovers, including Deli Meat Roast Beef, various breads, Honey Lemon Cheesecake Bars, and the coconut macaroon nests I made with Cadbury mini eggs. So cute!

Does anyone else think that Hershey isn’t making enough mini eggs? My stores were out of them by Palm Sunday!

Now that the heavy caloric foods on gone, I feel like I can reset a bit. I’ve been reading about eating with thankfulness so I tried to let that sentiment guide not letting food go to waste this week, even if it wasn’t the most healthful choice.

I finished straining my 4th batch of yogurt in the last couple weeks. Noticing that one of the college boys is still eating store yogurt, I am wondering if it will be worth the effort, but time — and a clearer fridge — will tell.

When the fridge is overly full, things go off the rails.

What I’ve been Listening/Watching

This week held a refresh of episodes for the podcasts I like listening to. I had thoughts. Let’s see if I can remember them.

• The What Have You’s make a great point about hospitality and how it’s a reflection of the Great Feast God is preparing for us.
• The Home Fires ladies don’t keep screen on their windows, which to me, seems like a death wish in Minnesota and Tennessee, let alone California. lol. I don’t want mosquitos in my house; those screens are staying on!
• SASF had some interesting perspectives on Israeli conflicts, antisemitism, and dispensationalism.
• There’s a new season of The Art of Home! The most recent episode prompted me to dash to the library and Thrift Books to load up on some new-to-me home keeping and hospitality books. More on that next week!

Fun fact: Allison and I recorded a Spring Ramble episode for The Art of Home so stay tuned!

On the telly, Miss 17 and I are still working through Columbo. Have you watched yet?

What I’ve been Reading

Since finishing That Hideous Strength, which is so far my best book of 2026, I’ve zipped through two Christian romance books. Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade and The Island Bookshop were both good, though not very meaty. Par for the course.

Both books are the first in the series, so I will most likely read the rest of the series if I can find the books free.

I’ve started Broken Bread by Tilly Dillehay and am really enjoying it. That’s the book getting me thinking about eating with thankfulness instead of all the rules. I should finish it over the weekend. So far, I’d definitely recommend it. Nothing earth shattering, but many good reminders.

Hit an impasse with The New Menopause. The feminist ideology makes it so much work to read around. Just give me the science already. I may swap it for Estrogen Matters which Kelly mentioned in the comments last week, especially since it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

(Wondering why I keep harping on feminism as if it were a bad thing? Many things in life, including this book, one of my faves ever, have helped me see that sharing some values with a movement doesn’t make that movement good.)

Here’s the list of all the books I’ve read this year.

Things I’m Loving

Yesterday in our podcasting session, Allison asked me about my favorite things and I was kinda stumped for an answer. So I made a list of favorite things I’ve acquired in the last few months that have really made a difference.

You know, the list of regret buys is potentially longer, but I think I’m learning!

My new house shoes have made a huge difference for me, so of course, they made the cut. I like these so much, I now have two pair so that I can wash them regularly and still have a pair while the others dry.

Fun fact: every hotel in Japan supplied a pair, but these would have been so much nicer. I will pack them next time!

Let me know what you’re loving these days!