Homebodies, Handwritten Letters, & Warming Thai Soup
Hi friend,
My favorite Italian word is by far the Italian word for homebody: pantofolaio (pantofolaia for a woman!).
It literally translates to slipper-wearer.
I would happily spend my days as a pantofolaia, boppin’ around the house in my very worn red wool slippers, especially this time of year when my feet are already starting to get cold against our old, poorly insulated floors.
Home is a wonderful place to be, especially when I’m not sure what to do with my hands or when the world seems a bit too much. When I’m at home, you’ll find me whipping up a quick soup or making another loaf of bread. I put out a vase of flowers, spend time with the kids, wipe off countertops, light a candle, put on a favorite album, make a cup of tea, and find any way I can to create beauty.
As nice as mopped floors are to combat the chaos, people are the real magic of my home. Sometimes I just run into Stuart’s arms, or grab one of my children to hug. I’ll reply to texts and emails, take my turn in ongoing games of phone tag with friends, or even sit and write a handwritten card to a loved one.
These are but a few ways that I work to cultivate the beautiful life here in my little sliver of the world… making small attempts to express gratitude and reminding myself to be thankful for the day at hand.
…Especially if it’s a day I get to wear slippers.
Something to be grateful for…
Watching my children grow is one of my very greatest gifts — and now, our oldest is 15! She was one week old when we started our blog. That feels like 100 years ago now…
I love having her alongside me in daily life: she’s witty, smart, creative, and loves Christ. She also has a beautiful voice, is becoming quite the accomplished piano player, and has the kindest group of friends alongside her.
Don’t let others tell you raising teenagers is miserable. It’s awesome.
Georgia, I love you! Buon compleanno!
The money-shot…
It took ages longer than we hoped (3 months to be exact), but last week, we were finally able to put the final touches on our bathroom renovation project (you can watch the new video here!). All in all, this bathroom took a lot of work: walls had to be insulated, rotten floors had to be fixed, plumbing had to be reworked, and cabinet holes covered over. Because the walls in our little cottage are so impossibly uneven, the finish work took ages as I filled in all the final gaps and cracks left from the construction and molding.
We learned the hard way in our last renovation that there are some things you shouldn’t DIY… like laying tile. So we saved for years to afford help, which in our case was the wonderful Caesar who faithfully came each Saturday morning (after the big jobs that kept him busy during the week) to putter in our little bathroom. You won’t see him in the video, though, because he told me that he’d “break the camera.” Ha!
We’re revealing the whole process and the final money shot on this week’s video. What do you think?
Click here to watch:
Do not ask your children to strive…
“Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such a striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples, and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.”
On repeat…
Something cozy…
Speaking of nestling into the home in fall, our new autumn collection is now available at Limone. Since I can’t physically have each one of you over for tea, you can at least smell, feel, and taste what it’s like in my home. Take a peek and see what might turn you into a pantofolaia this season!
Something handwritten…
Unsure of how to manage my afternoon, and a bit overwhelmed by my list, I found myself tucked up against my office desk — might as well pay bills, or check in on the budget.
Instead, I found myself combing through our “mail-in” box that we keep on the office shelf, a simple plastic basket that holds all manner of miscellaneous mail. As I was combing through to pull out bills, I stumbled across a letter that was tucked into the bottom. The addresses were handwritten, and I immediately took notice of the stamp — it was dated July 2024.
Opening the envelope, I found a letter written to me by a follower, some flower seeds from her garden loosely tucked inside. All this time, it had gone unread. Providentially, I read it yesterday for the first time and found myself weeping. Emotions are full these days, and the letter was so very kind.
The letter offered me encouragement in my labors, reminding me that even though to me they are just words on a digital screen, to others they can be very meaningful. This particular woman had found herself bolstered up in her faith, encouraged in raising her children away from social norms, and striving forward in making her home an intentionally beautiful place to be.
Here’s my favorite line: “Remember when you said ‘only water what you want to grow’? Well, thanks for somehow watering me because I have grown a lot with you. As you make changes and build your community, please know you have fans that are silent. You’ll never find me in the comments, I’m too shy or hands are too full, but in real life I am trying einkorn flour, rooting for you and your family, and praising the Lord.”
To know that there are others out there, rooting for us, encouraged by pieces of our life that we have shared, and finding comfort in our words, somehow makes the endless void of social media and life online worth it.
Thank you for letting me reach into your life, my friends, and thank you for reaching into mine.
I keep all the letters I get in a box in my office and try my best to write back to each one. Instead of balancing the bank account yesterday, I sat and responded to the letter.
I used my pretty stationary, my pretty stamps, and sealed it with a wax seal that my dear friend Angela and I picked up on our trip to New Orleans years ago. It felt special. The whole moment was a gift.
Thank you, Amanda, for your kind letter.
Something simple & delicious…
This is a go-to weeknight soup for me, most often served alongside a pot of sticky rice. Warming, simple, and made from pantry staples that I keep on hand at all times.
Plus, it feels like we’re eating take-out. The kids love that.
Warming Thai Soup
In a pinch, you can omit the homemade coconut milk, but it really does taste better than the canned alternative.
Ingredients:
4 cups unsweetened flaked coconut + 6 cups warm water (or 3 cans coconut milk)
Zest of 4 limes
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
5 green onions
5-ounce can coconut cream
1 teaspoon turmeric
8 ounces mushrooms
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
Chili flakes, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
Fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions:
Combine the coconut and water together in a bowl. Set aside to hydrate for 5 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
Puree the coconut in a high-powered blender for 3 minutes. Strain the solids from the liquid. Pour the liquid coconut milk into a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
To the fresh coconut milk, add in the lime zest, ginger, shallots, green onions, coconut cream, turmeric, mushrooms, and fish sauce. Bring to a very low simmer and salt the broth to taste.
Slice the chicken breasts into ¼” slices. Drop the chicken breast pieces into the warm soup. Allow the chicken to poach until just cooked - about 5 minutes at a very low simmer.
Stir in the Thai chili sauce and season to taste with chili flakes (for spice) and lime juice (for acid).
Serve with fresh cilantro and additional green onions, if desired.
Thanks for being alongside me this week — due to your interactions with Wednesday’s personal post, our little newsletter here hit #1 on Substack in the “Faith and Spirituality” category.
Though I don’t really consider my writings part of that category, light has a way of penetrating through all the darkness.
Onward to what is good, true, and beautiful.
