One of My Favorite Places

The old saying that “absence makes the heart grow fonder” has certainly been true for me this past month! I spent most of May away from Cozy Ridge, and found myself missing it tremendously! 

As much as I enjoyed my time away, it sure felt good to finally come back home. It will be nice to stay in place for a little while, and I am looking forward to some solitude, settling back into my usual routine, and enjoying the simple pleasures of rural life!

It’s amazing how much this old farm is growing on me. I find it curious that, because we live our lives in particular places, investing in them our time and energy, these familiar spaces gradually become an extension of who we are! Without a doubt, these past few years have seen Cozy Ridge emerge as one of my favorite places!

On that note, just before I went away, we released the Places Everywhere book to the public. It is a short and simple book for toddlers and their parents, the first in a series designed to depict the ever-expanding world of a growing child, much of which was inspired here as well.

This has been a fun series for me in several ways. Not only was it a creative outlet for exploring my relationship with my new granddaughter, but at the same time it helped me to ease into the arena of writing for children everywhere! This has also been a new venture in talking publicly about areas of my life that I have tended to keep to myself! 

I was both surprised and delighted with the overwhelming encouragement and support I received from my many friends in response! And I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your interest in this newsletter, in my writing projects, and in all things Cozy Ridge! 

And in whatever places you happen to find yourself this summer—at home or elsewhere—

may you find there a sense of delight, and of contentment and belonging!

From our hearts to yours,