Talya Tate Boerner's Blog, page 44

A Brand New Day.

Our house silently waits for a brand new day. In the earliest morning, there is no world beyond the opaque windows around me, beyond my cup of coffee, my pen and journal. I recently started a new journal, but I don’t much like it. Yes, the cover is pretty, it has a satin ribbon to hold my place, the pages are lined, the edges gold-tipped. But the paper itself, the weight of the journal, something is off. The feel of a journal is important to me. (But I won’t waste paper, so I’ll continue usi...

Buttermilk Honey Chicken Tenders

Let’s talk about fried chicken, shall we? This buttermilk honey chicken tenders recipe is sure to please the kids (of all ages) in your family. The chicken tender is the most versatile of cuts. Eat ’em straight up, wrap them in a tortilla, chop and add them to a salad, dip them in gravy, barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing. On a biscuit or waffle, presto, instant breakfast to be enjoyed any time of the day.

If you think about it, fried chicken is medicinal in that comfort food sort of way. And...

I Won’t Apologize for Being Southern

For a few split seconds when I put on this t-shirt my Momma gave me for my birthday, I wondered if it might offend someone. Screw that. I won’t apologize for being southern. I won’t apologize for saying screw that either.

After I read the article about students being offended by a fake cotton centerpiece at the President of Lipscomb University’s home, first I checked to see if it was posted from a satirical news site. It wasn’t. Next I rolled my eyes and became angry all at the same time.

We...

My Summer Accomplishment

Today marks the first day of the last week of summer 2017. If I’m being honest, my summer accomplishment is pretty much singular. I did a handful of the things on my summer bucket list, which was a carryover from last summer’s bucket list. I had grilled lobster thanks to my sister-in-law. I read several books outside my normally preferred genres. John and I “sort of” hosted a porch party for the first Razorback home game. In other words, friends came, and we hung out on the porches for a whi...

Time is on my side. Yay.

Time is on my side!

Not to jinx myself, but I’m counting down to my cast removal. If you know me, you probably remember as a kid I learned to count down to fun, important, and/or significant dates by creating a paper chain. One day = one link in the chain. Remove a link each day, and visually it becomes easy to see how close the goal is.

Yes, I’m visual. And yes, I consider cast removal to be an anticipatory date worthy of a paper chain.

I splintered my wrist on July 18. Doesn’t that sound l...

The Cobblestone Project: Fights Hunger + Educates

This post is sponsored by The Cobblestone Project. Opinions are my own.

The Cobblestone Project, a local non-profit organization, is on a mission to fight hunger in Northwest Arkansas. We can help!

Hunger in Northwest Arkansas. Hunger in America.

As I think about the past weekend my husband and I spent with friends—a weekend filled with too much food!—it’s difficult for me to imagine not having enough to eat. But in Northwest Arkansas, one in four families is considered food insecure. This m...

Sunday Drive: Goshen Cemetery

On Sunday, John and I did a little exploring in Goshen Cemetery. Goshen (only a few miles from Fayetteville) was originally settled as a Methodist encampment around the Civil War days. So yes, the cemetery is historical with headstones dating back to the 1800s.

Walk beneath the primitive sign into a million untold stories. Old cemeteries provide history, art, and nature. They are often park-like with mature trees and gorgeous vistas. Each epitaph is attached to a soul who had dreams, secrets...

Secret Gardens of Fayetteville

It’s no secret, The Secret Garden is one of my all-time favorite books. Early on, it helped shape me and became part of my personal narrative. Because of that, it probably comes as no surprise that I always notice secret gardens wherever I go.

My definition of a secret garden: a tucked away, enchanted green area. It may be located behind a garden gate, in an unexpected corner of a commercial space, growing wild along the ditch bank . There may be faeries present for those who believe.

Every...

Book Reviews: August 2017

And with this post of August Book Reviews, I’m saying goodbye to summer reading 2017. (Can you believe today is the last day of August?) I enjoyed six books during operation broken wrist. Really, these books provided sanity and escape. And while they are wildly different, they all involve relationship and/or family. From fantasy to possibly the greatest American play of all time, which will you add to your September stack?

The Widows’ Adventures
by Charles Dickinson

My sister-in-law told me...

Pray for Houston. Pray for Texas.

It’s a new morning, but it’s difficult for me to write about the plants in my garden or the beautiful weather we are having in Northwest Arkansas when the pictures and stories coming out of Houston are so devastating and heartbreaking. The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey continues to wreak havoc. Pray for Houston. Pray for Texas.

I lived in Texas longer than I’ve lived anywhere. I went to college in Waco. Texas is my other home, so yes, I have a soft spot for the place and people. I suppose th...