The Empty Nest Chronicles

two friends. two coasts. two cozy homes.

What Are You Working On?

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, Sometimes I feel like I don’t use my time as well as I should–especially in the evening. My mornings are pretty set: coffee, workout, tidy up, and work. But I’ve got about three hours after dinner before I go to bed and sometimes I just…waste it. I’ve been aware lately of how easy…

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5 Things We’re Loving Right Now: Summer Edition 

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin, It’s time for a list of our favorite things–or at least five of them! I looked back at my Five Favorite Things list from late March and saw that my number one thing was central heating. Here we are in mid-August, and my Number One Favorite Thing is electricity, having just spent the…

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The Re-Emptied Nest

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, It seems like as soon as I get used to Ben being home from college for the summer, he’s back to school and I’m left with all kinds of conflicting emotions and a bunch of fruit rotting on the counter. Even though we call ourselves empty nesters, the reality is that you and…

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Yarnstorm!

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin,I was overjoyed last week when you shared the good news that Jane Brocket of Yarnstorm fame is back! These days she’s on Substack, but I first met her in the heyday of the domestic blog, circa 2005. In the early days of the early aughts, Jane’s focus was knitting (hence the blog’s name), but…

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Summer Break!

150 150 Frances

Hi, everyone! We’re taking a break from blogging this week. You’ll be happy to hear that Kristin is much, much better, and is currently helping her kids move from here to there and there to here. Meanwhile, I’ve spent this week leading a creative writing workshop for a delightful group of third graders. It’s been…

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Under the Weather

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, Do you remember when you sent your firstborn off to pre-school and all of a sudden they brought home a never-ending stream of colds and flu? And then when you added more kids to the mix, every time one of them brought a bug home, it proceeded to make its way through the…

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A Little Break in the Action

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin, I took this photo fifteen years ago. I recognize those tee shirts as though I’d hung them out on the line yesterday. Much to my shame, I haven’t hung out any laundry this year. Why not? Because it hasn’t even occurred to me! Fifteen years ago, I was in love with homemade living–hanging…

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Summer Pasta

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin, How’s life in the Covid House? I have my fingers and toes crossed that the terrible bug will pass you by! Still, I know that it’s no fun trying to take care of  a sick husband and son while at the same time doing your best to avoid the virus.  Since you don’t…

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Mid-Year Goal Check

150 150 Kristin

Dear Kristin, Can you believe that we’re halfway through 2023? The way time is flying, I expect to wake up next week to find that I’m 74. The question is, will I wake up with a perfectly organized attic? That’s my goal for 2023, or at least the main one: to open the attic door…

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Summer Food

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, According to the calendar, it’s officially summer! And since the sun is finally peeking through the clouds here in Southern California, I’m ready to really start thinking about our summer menus. (Up until a couple of weeks ago I was still making soup! It’s been chilly!) The most important thing I think about…

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