WRITER’S CORNER: A grandma like no other

"I thought all grandmas were like mine." Grandma Spees at age 16 in 1944, the year she married Grandpa This is what I told my mom one day not long after my Grandma Spees had been diagnosed with vascular dementia. For the past 14 years, Grandma and I struggled to understand one another, but our …

Happy New Year!

Happy 2017, all! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve/Day. On Saturday, Jared and I had a late lunch with his parents (mainly to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday). Then, we spent the evening with friends – eating more food, drinking delicious beverages, playing Jackbox games and laughing ourselves silly. Yesterday was …

Bookish Christmas gift haul

Phew! Happy day-after-Christmas to those of you who celebrate the holiday. I'm experiencing a bit of the post-Christmas doldrums, as per usual. I can't remember the last time Dec. 26 fell on a Monday, but it's kind of a bummer – especially since I didn't have today off work like some of you special people. …

A few of my favorite (Christmas) things

Merry Christmas to all, from That Book Lady Blog! In honor of this special day, I want to share with you some of the things I enjoy most this time of year. Favorite book When I was little, my mom ordered "A Story a Day 'Til Christmas" from the Current catalog. For several years, it was …

Three years and counting

Three years ago this morning, I woke up in a haze. Mom and I packed up the car and set out for a Western Illinois winery, where in a matter of hours, life as I had known it for nearly 28 years was about to change. (photos by Emma Wroughton) After months of planning, I was …