Lately, I have been reflecting on life lessons learned through the years.

I could pretend that I somehow missed the memo on preparing for adulthood when I was a teen. But truthfully, I had my nose stuck in a book, an instrument to my lips, spent years training my voice, and often had a pen in my hand. Mom did try to prepare me for the life skills a young woman would need, as did my Home Economics teachers. Musical and written creativity came so naturally; threading that sewing machine needle and cooking just did not.

Growing up, my sister and I split the chores equitably to our liking; she did the cooking, and I did the cleaning. As a newlywed, my first attempt at making Mom’s vegetable soup was a disaster. Using plain water instead of tomato juice as the broth base was not a good idea. Before the convenience of the internet, I phoned my twin sister to ask her how to cook real macaroni and cheese, not the “from a box” kind that I usually made. She told me to add milk. (Just in case you have ever wondered, canned evaporated milk and milk from a jug do very different things to a pan of baked macaroni and cheese.) Oh, how I wish I had listened to my mother!

I suspect others have found themselves in similar situations; feeling unprepared or overwhelmed by their roles in life. Occasionally I will be sharing tips and recipes that have made my life a little easier. I can assure you there have been many lessons learned by trial and error, research, the wisdom of others, and yes, much laughter and quite a few tears.

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (ESV, Titus 2:3-5)