Talya Tate Boerner's Blog, page 34

the story of my Rescue Tree

This is the story of my rescue tree.

Four Years Ago

When we first moved to our home in Fayetteville, we had the trees professionally trimmed. We also hired a crew to build a fence around the back yard. Both the tree and the fence folks wanted to take out a particular tree—a sapling really—that grew along the proposed fence line beneath the canopy of taller, more mature trees.

That little tree wasn’t hurting anyone. She was barely taking up any space. She was a youngster, a bit spindly and sl...

Sunday Letter: 11.11.18

Dear Sunday Letter friends:

Hello again! Didn’t I just write you a letter, what, like yesterday? The closer we get to the end of the year, the faster time seems to buzz by. Why is that?

Today marks the 100-year anniversary of the signing of the agreement that ended World War I. Take a moment to honor veterans, past and present, for their service and sacrifice.  

Prelude to Winter

There I was, happily lulled by our perfect sweater weather, not too cold and ideal for strolls through the fallen...

Book Reviews: October 2018

October Book Reviews: Whew! I’m late to my own book review party! If you’ve been waiting to hear about my latest reads, I apologize for such ridiculous tardiness.

The books I read in October 2018 found me hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, digging mussels on the Carolina shore, swallowing fire with a circus sideshow, and praying for truth on Alabama’s Death Row. In Scotland, I slipped into the supernatural world, one typically obscured from mere mortals.

My five October reads included three mem...

Chicken Fagioli Soup

Chicken Fagioli Soup hits the spot on a chilly, drizzly fall day. And yesterday, that was our weather here in Northwest Arkansas. It was perfect for writing and reading, but a girl’s gotta eat, too. So I whipped up a batch of fagioli soup using ingredients on hand.

I think this would be amazing made with leftover grilled-on-the-Green-Egg Italian sausage, but it was mighty good (and a bit lighter) made with spinach and feta chicken sausage. I used Applegate Organic brand.

(By the way, fagioli...

Sunday Letter: 11.04.18

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Greetings from Overland Park, Kansas, a place I’ve not visited in twenty years, not since I had a different life. On Thursday, my friend Gail and I drove up for the Johnson County Writers Conference, a two-day event held at the Johnson County Public Library. If gold stars were handed out for writer conferences, I’d give this one five shiny ones. I leave inspired, encouraged, filled with so many ideas to implement, websites to visit, and word loops to study that I...

Sunday Letter: 10.14.18

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

As I write today’s Sunday Letter, I realize we have a special sort of Sunday morning relationship going on here. With my first cup of coffee steaming on the side table (a table that once belonged to my Nana), I claim my favorite spot on the corner of our couch, sink beneath the quilt handmade by Aunt Rena and Aunt Lavern, and divulge a few of my burning thoughts to you. (Haha, sometimes not so burning, I know.)

I’ll start with a confession. I have a football hango...

my Fall Essentials

This is the time of year I wish I could lasso the sun and slowwww time. These precious few autumn days speed by much too quickly, don’t they? Technically each season comes with the same amount of days—about ninety—but fall always gets squeezed on the front-end by a summer who overstays her welcome and on the back-end by the first hard freeze that finishes off the leaves and whatever blooms still hang on the vine.

Before winter comes, let’s talk about fall essentials. Those fall things that m...

Sunday Letter: 10.07.18

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Oh, what a week! This past week has been filled with great news, I got things done, and spent lots of time with friends. I reached a milestone, too. For the first time ever, I got the senior discount. LOL. Some folks may be upset by the idea of qualifying for a senior discount, but I like saving five bucks for being fifty-five +.

The week brought a big dose of culture in the form of two live performances in two nights. I saw Clybourne Park (a University of Arkansa...

Book Reviews: September 2018

Book Reviews September 2018:

Shoulda, coulda, woulda read more but couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t make the time. Oops. September dissolved with only five books to my credit. I enjoyed all five even though they are wildly different, from mystery/thriller to a gem of a short story collection.

When I attend book clubs to speak about my own book, I’m often asked what types I like to read. My answer: a variety. I think it’s important to understand what’s popular, to read excellent literature, and to...

How to Choose a Pumpkin

How to choose a pumpkin and have a fantabulous October? No, this isn’t rocket science. Yes, there’s a certain method to my madness.

But first, a confession—I do not like pumpkin pie. I feel a smidgen bad about this. Pumpkin pie is such an American thing. But I’ve never liked pumpkin pie and don’t imagine this will change.

Do you think this adds a blemish to my southern card? Nah, surely not. Not with my sincere love of grits and collard greens, my under-the-sink coffee can filled with bacon...