Talya Tate Boerner's Blog, page 6

Sunday Letter: 02.19.23

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

February is flying by in typical short-month fashion. And you know what that means, right? Spring is almost here.

Some days we get a spring teaser, called ‘false spring days’ by Hemingway, and aren’t they so welcomed? I’m sure we will have a few more gray drizzly wintry days, but the false spring days help me get through the end of winter.

No matter what Mother Nature throws our way, the crocus know! Spring is only 29 days away.

A Curse and a Blessing

Raise your han...

Sunday Letter: 02.05.23

(This post contains affiliate link which may result in small commissions.) Dear Sunday Letter friends,

We survived the snowy, icy end to January, so yay for that. Now, February is here, the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, and a Chinese balloon has been spying on us, just blatantly gliding along witnessing our craziness up close and personal. The balloon is no more, but I guess any way you slice it, February is starting out a bit dicey.

BUT over here at my house, I’m trying to focu...

Chicken Tortilla Soup

(This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission on sales.)

This is my favorite chicken tortilla soup recipe! I’m not exaggerating when I say it is super easy to make. Chicken tortilla soup is yummy no matter the season, but on a cold winter day it will truly warm your insides.

As I write this, sleet is steadily falling; the ground and streets in northwest Arkansas are blanketed in at least an inch of frozen precipitation. (Second week in a row of winter weather for us.) If I could ...

Sunday Letter: 01.29.23

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

It has been a week, y’all.

We returned Monday from a weekend trip to Austin just in time for a whopper of a snowfall. The official measurement for Fayetteville was 8.95″. (By the way, I took the bright snowy picture above from my kitchen window at 1:30 a.m.! And we had hours of snowfall after that.)

For real, it was like the heavy snowfalls of my childhood, the wondrous type with fat drifting flakes that accumulated quickly and sent us sledding across fields and maki...

Sunday Letter: 01.15.23

Hiya, Sunday Letter friends!

This past week has been a mixed bag of weather here in northwest Arkansas. From 75 degrees to rain and hail to frozen precipitation—I suppose there’s always something for everyone. Unless, that is, you prefer your atmospheric conditions served up on a consistent basis.

Some of our shrubs look to have given up on this life. The first cold snap back in November really did a number on lots of plants. Our Schip laurels look to have been sprayed with bronzer. But come sp...

Sunday Letter: 01.08.23

Dear Sunday Letter readers,

Aren’t we fortunate to be welcoming another new year!? I’m optimistic about 2023 and looking forwarding to what the months ahead will bring. And yay! The days are getting a tiny bit longer. It’s hard to tell right now, but it’s true.

I began planning for 2023 weeks ago. For me, writing down dreams and thinking about goals for the months ahead is like heading out on a road trip to someplace fabulous, frothy latte in the cupholder, seatbelt securely fastened.

Looking...

Sunday Letter: 12.18.22

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Ho ho ho! ‘Tis the week before Christmas which means we finalize menus and grocery shop, prep dishes, finish wrapping gifts, await family (and Santa Claus) coming into town.

Anticipation is a huge part of Christmas for me.

My husband often points out that I am a big kid, not that he thinks there’s anything wrong with that. Christmas is my favorite for many reasons—the sparkle and twinkle, the carols, the tastes and aromas, the memories of family and church and a time...

Sunday Letter: 12.11.22

Dear Sunday Letter friends—

Reminder: two weeks ’til Christmas!

There’s no denying it at our house. We are in full Christmas mode with our tree up, amaryllis bulbs growing, poinsettias here and there, and yes, the stockings are quietly hanging by the fireplace.

AND in three short weeks, we will be greeting a brand new year.

It’s hard to believe since yesterday was Halloween, wasn’t it?

Ruby got a Workout

Just like Bernice (who named her Keurig Stella and her car Miss Fiona), I’ve named my Ki...

Sunday Letter: 12.04.22

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Oh my goodness, November was a complete blur for me. And now December is here, and I want time to slow so I can savor every moment of the most wonderful time of the year.

I don’t know when I’ve been so excited for Christmas. I think attending the Christmas parade and tree lightning in Littleton, Colorado, on the day after Thanksgiving really gave me a head start. Also, because my son and daughter-in-law will be with us this Christmas, I’m over-the-moon excited.

It ha...

Hiking around Historic Cane Hill, Arkansas

I planned to post about our hike around historic Cane Hill closer to when said hike happened, but lo and behold time is a big ole’ thief and I’m just getting around to it. We drove over to Cane Hill back in October when the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit “Habitat” was on display. That exhibit has traveled elsewhere now but the good news is the trails have been there for some time, long before the exhibit. They are nicely marked, and they aren’t going anywhere. So, you can still enj...