The Empty Nest Chronicles

two friends. two coasts. two cozy homes.

Favorite Cookbooks

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Note to our lovely readers: No post next week. Kristin and Frances will be at QuiltCon, having all sorts of adventures and staying up way too late, and just generally frolicking. We’ll be back on March 3rd. See you then! Dear Kristin, We’ve had any number of cookbook conversations over the years, but I don’t…

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Leaving on a Jet plane

 150 150 Kristin
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Dear Frances, I’m on an airplane right now, in my preferred aisle seat (I’m somewhat claustrophobic), trying not to knock elbows with this young man seated next to me. I’ve got two trips planned for this month, one for work and one for fun. I’m halfway across the country, on my way to the work…

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Puppy Love

 150 150 Frances
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Dear Kristin, Wherever I am, my dog Travis is nearby. I’ve spent years telling him to stay put when I pop into the kitchen for a cup of tea or trot off to the mudroom to grab my scarf. He never stays put. As soon as he hears my tread on the floor, he wakes…

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5 Things We’re Loving Right Now

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Dear Frances, I thought it would be fun to share a few things that are delighting us right now. And if not actually delighting, then at least finding useful. I love getting a glimpse into other people’s lives. How they live, what they read, how they cook, what they enjoy, what do they do better…

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The Empty Nest Chronicles Podcast: Journaling

 150 150 Frances
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Hi, everyone! This week we’ve got a podcast episode for you, so sit back with a nice cup of tea (or insert your AirPods and do the dishes) while we discuss journaling. We cover why to keep a journal, what kind of journals we keep, and our plans for destroying our journals when the time…

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Letting Go in the New Year

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Dear Kristin, Last week we talked about some things we’d like to accomplish in 2023 and how we’re going to accomplish them. This week I thought we could talk about the things we’re not going to accomplish. What are some dreams, obligations and weights we’re going to let go of this year? Here’s my list…

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Two Friends. Two Approaches to the New Year.

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Dear Frances, Happy New Year! It’s that time when everyone starts talking about all the changes that they are going to make in the new year. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to try to reinvent myself this year. I want to make some changes and get some things done, but I’ve…

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Holiday Food Traditions

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Dear Kristin, I used to make a lot of Christmas cookies. A LOT of Christmas cookies. Sugar cookies with colorful sprinkles and candy cane cookies courtesy of Martha Stewart. I made gingerbread men and date nut pinwheels sans the nuts (Jack has a tree nut allergy) and pecan sandies sans the pecans. Along with cookies,…

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An Empty Nest Chronicles Podcast: Holiday Edition!

 150 150 Frances
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Hi, everyone! This week we’re doing something a little bit different. We’ve recorded a podcast, where we chat about our Christmas preparations and our plans for 2023. We hope you’ll enjoy it–we plan to do these podcast episodes every month or so, just because–well, we love talking to each other, and let’s face it: talking…

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Decking the Halls

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Dear Frances, Has the way you decorate for Christmas changed over the years? I know it has for me. Those first years of marriage involved acquiring all the stuff: a menagerie of trees, Santas, snowmen, and Christmassy knick-knacks. It was all great fun in those early years, decking out our new house when we were…

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