Author: Jennifer Balink

Something about flow.

As I've written before, I've been working with an executive coach for several years. Our work together and the relationship that has grown through that work, continue to bring brightness, clarity, calm, wonder, and warmth to my work at Kindred Place and more broadly in my life. It was through this work that I decided … Continue reading Something about flow. →

Something about writing condolence notes.

Brief, sincere, and tactful. If you remember nothing else from what follows, below, then just remember these three words and you'll do fine. One of the things I've learned from having a small stationery business is that people often are reluctant to write notes because they don't know what to write, or how to express … Continue reading Something about writing condolence notes. →

Something about impermanence.

I was at a party recently to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday. It was a wonderful, multi-generational gathering of adults and children of all ages, and being with them in person, during this COVID reprieve, was a true joy. One of the guests was a mother who had a toddler with her. The child was … Continue reading Something about impermanence. →

Something about the work of family dinner.

When it's hard to imagine what my life was like a decade or so ago, I scroll back through early blog posts. In those days, getting a grip on daily chores, including family dinner preparation, was a constant challenge. One of the things I did in response to that challenge was to prepare weekly menus … Continue reading Something about the work of family dinner. →

Something about sewing.

"Home," as Jimmy Carter wrote, in a piece for The Bitter Southerner, "is a complicated idea." I've been sewing in the mornings, sitting in my chair by the window, sipping coffee and stitching in the few quiet moments before other more immediate responsibilities take the stage, which usually isn't very long. Sewing, and this kind … Continue reading Something about sewing. →