The Worst Piece of Advice Society Ever Gave Us

May 10, 2019 By Brenda Renee Coats

As a Colorado resident, I’m concerned about my grandchild’s safety at school. Weeks ago, his school was shut down until authorities could catch a crazed woman who flew from Florida to Way-To-Close-To-Home to attempt a Columbine repeat (she ended up killing herself). Then a few days ago, two shooters succeeded in shooting up school children, also Way-To-Close-To-Home, killing one, wounding several others. Yesterday, I watched one of the shooters in court. With hair hanging past said shooter’s eyes, it was... Read more

I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie: Fifteen Favorite Reads of 2018

December 31, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

Remember my 2018 Reading Challenge? The goal was to read 100 books in 2018. I ended up reading 53. But I don’t hang my head in shame, because I usually read about 15-20 in a year. The point was not necessarily to read 100, but to push myself, and I did that – and benefited from it. My house did not. But I did. I’m doing it again this year, and if you’d like to join me, email me... Read more

On Grief: Does Time Heal All Wounds?

November 13, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

Time heals all wounds. That’s what they say, whoever “they” are. I think time partially heals all wounds, or at least some wounds. Deaths in the family, for instance. Does one ever fully heal from the wound of losing someone who’s always been there? If the lost one was loved in the truest sense, I think not. The memory of those we love is precious and our loss leaves an oozing, gaping wound at worst. A deep ache at... Read more

Farewell, Florencee and Virginia

November 7, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

I apologize for being so quiet lately. A few days after I wrote about my Great Aunt Florencee, she died in a car accident. I continued to write through that news, my mourning, and helping Mom through her mourning, even though I was distracted. Six weeks after Florencee’s death, my Aunt Virginia died suddenly from a heart attack. Maybe two unexpected, shocking deaths so close together has discouraged me from sitting down at the computer and knocking out highly... Read more

Love At The Breakfast Table

October 18, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

Every morning, Shaun and I wake up, let the dogs out, and eat breakfast together. Three or four days a week, it’s a fairly long breakfast. Not because there’s so much food, but because the company is exquisite, and if I must whip up a tuna sandwich for lunch instead of a big, thick roast because we talked too long, so be it. We’d rather have each other than a feast. Eat to live, not live to eat. That’s been... Read more

Why God Is Kind

October 16, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

Melania Trump said last week that she is the most bullied person in the world. She then corrected herself to say she was one of the most bullied people in the world. I suppose the accuracy of that statement could be determined by how one defines bullying, but I believe her point wasn’t so much that she’s one of the most bullied, as it was that she isn’t being treated with kindness. I would agree. Many hurtful comments have... Read more

How Righteous Is Your Anger?

October 4, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

One of my first expressions of anger that I can recall was when I was quite small. Three or four years old, perhaps. My brothers and I, and possibly a few cousins, were all playing together. There was a bunk bed, which I think were my brothers’, and we were all having good, innocent enough fun … until someone threw me off the top bunk. I either truly sprained my leg or rallied and won a copious amount of... Read more

If Power Corrupts, Why Do We Place So Much Hope in Our Leaders?

October 2, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

Given the way my social media apps are looking, it’s clearly time to, for the most part, shut them down. As I’ve mentioned before, I unfollowed almost all political outlets a while back. But with something as uproarious as the Ford/Kavanaugh debacle, articles get through my feeds, and in no time, I’ve no idea where my in real life friends have disappeared to, but I become privy to petty facts such as Brett Kavanaugh having thrown ice when he was... Read more

The Benefits of Rest and Solitude

September 27, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

Sometimes, it’s easier said than done to take a respite from Orchard House. I don’t travel well, the only foods I can eat don’t travel too well, and with all the responsibilities we have at home or near home, we find staying around is often easier than trying to take a break. But when we do manage a vacay, we are better off for it. Yesterday, we went antelope hunting, which took us you know where …. Home, home on... Read more

In Praise of Domesticity

September 25, 2018 By Brenda Renee Coats

My husband and I celebrated twenty-nine years of marriage this week. He has always been the breadwinner. I’ve always been the wife and mom who (sometimes) stays home. When I was very young, my goals included those two things: get married, have a family. Even for my day, I was pretty old-fashioned. Today, I suppose I’m even more antiquated in my ways, depending on what tribe you hang with and talk to most. It’s rare to find women who... Read more