Our house in Boxford is sold. The Hallelujah Chorus has been resounding from New England to Pennsylvania. And after eight long months of living in separate states Frank and I are finally back together—now in his Hobbit Hole!

Turns out the landlord hadn’t read the book, seen any of the movies, or even heard of Tolkien or hobbits. So we had a bit of explaining to do when he was puzzling over why we were calling his meticulously cared for basement apartment a “hole.”

Despite Tolkien and Hollywood depictions, this Hobbit Hole doesn’t have a round door or gnomes coming and going. There isn’t (and unfortunately won’t be) always something delicious stewing in the kettle. But it is underground, and definitely cozy, and what will be brewing here is my next book, which is already underway.  (More about that in future posts.)

Life doesn’t stop for a moving van, and this move couldn’t have happened at a busier time. The move to Pennsylvania was sandwiched in between conferences that took me to Bend, Oregon for the New Hope Church Women’s “Beyond Compassion” Conference, to Chevy Chase, Maryland where I teamed up with Frank in a seminar titled “His- and Her-meneutics” at the Ecclesia Gathering, and straight from there to Annapolis, Maryland for The Falls Church’s Annual Women’s Retreat.

Good thing these conferences energize me (which they do), or I’d be more exhausted than I actually am. But the eye-opening response of ezers to God’s calling on their lives when they hear the messages of When Life and Beliefs Collide and Half the Church definitely keeps me going.

After the chaos of the last few months—not to mention one of New England’s worst winters on record—the simpler life of the Hobbit Hole appeals to me and should afford ample time and quiet between road trips for writing.

Many thanks to those who prayed us through this transition! It was a long time coming, but we’re excited about the new chapter God is opening for us in Pennsylvania.