My friendship with Elizabeth began three years ago. We were both in a place that wasn’t exactly pleasant-- lots of upheaval on both ends. Like soldiers in the trenches, we were knit together by that dark time. We walked through some serious health issues together; we watched as the economy crashed. Our communities were changing around us, too- it was a lot to absorb and deal with.
It’s hard to explain what her friendship has meant to me over the years. She’d call me in that awful hospital room, me stir crazy and anxious for my children, and make me laugh, and then murmur and think aloud about all manner of things to me, and interpret my rough, medicine-addled, raspy response, completely distracting me, as she had fully intended to do. Later on, we kept company on many a Sunday morning, when both one of her children and I couldn’t handle the loving germs that would transmit along with the passing of the peace. We talked long those Sundays, fellowshipping in spirit, parsing out the changes that had come, the challenges. She has ever encouraged me in my homeschool adventures. First, long before I had met her, through Real Learning, and then, practically on tap whenever I was facing a ‘what would Charlotte Mason do?’ moment. She’s never been one to be didactic- her whole life is lived- and she teaches me by how she lives and breathes a Real Education.
I could say that about practically every aspect of Elizabeth: her faith. Her marriage. How she parents. How she loves. How she encourages. How she engages in relationship. She lives her faith out. It’s a beautiful thing to behold. With her, you are at peace; with her, the world seems bite-size and doable. I’ve learned how to be a better mama, friend, wife, and teacher because of her.
It seems such a small gift, then, to share the fruits of creative work during this Lenten season. Bless her, but all the blogs were really starting to look like a lady whose dress had shrunk in the wash, leaving the petticoats and slips and broken links and leggy sidebars and all manner of things sticking out underneath. We’ve sewn some new dresses for each of them; I hope you’ll enjoy.
Let me take you on a tour?
Here at the main blog, we really straightened out all the various destinations you all love to visit. Everything should be easier to find; most of the destinations you all visit regularly have been incorporated into a one-touch button in the side bar. Don’t forget her lovely stack of links she likes to share; you’ll find them just below the sponsors and before the buttons. (And don’t forget to visit all the kind sponsors that help In the Heart of my Home be the best it can be!) I’ve also linked the other communities that Elizabeth blogs for, so you can find them quickly, just above the sponsors.
The Store and the Real Learning Booklists have been given fresh dresses, with some new goodies there…
Our work still in progress is Serendipity; while she’s got a fresh dress, it still has a few pins in it while we get the pockets right, but we hope that you will find it much more usable and easy to access. Keep checking back as more becomes available, and definitely go visit it now and see all the amazing resources available there!
And Elizabeth has some new features planned too, which we will introduce throughout this week.
It is with great delight that I unveil a blogiversary gift to Elizabeth, one long in the works. It seems such a small thing, but I hope she knows my heart!
Grace and Peace,
Joy
