grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Sunday Letter: Oct 26, 2025

October 26, 2025 By Talya Tate Boerner 5 Comments

Dear Sunday Letter readers,

Better late than never! I started writing this Sunday Letter on October 10 from beautiful Lake Norfork when the trees were just beginning to show their fall color. Boaters were few—mostly those fishing in quiet coves. Gone were the pontoons filled with spirited summer vacationers, music blasting. No jet skis. No hot dog roasts on the island. No cliff jumpers. Sitting around a warm fire after sunset felt cozy! (Not so much in steamy August.)

Every season contains magic, and at the time of my recent visit, the lake was wonderfully peaceful and quiet. It was about the herons trolling for supper and the hawks gliding on the cool breeze. It was about the fog lifting from the cove at dawn.

My grandparents always went to the lake on Christmas Day. Maybe I’ll go back this winter. Seeing the lake during a snowfall would be stunning. The thing is—the love of a particular place is one you always return to, sometimes in person and sometimes in your mind. Do you have a place like that?

Anyway, I finally finished this Sunday Letter five minutes ago, two weeks after starting it, and after traveling all over the state twice. I’m glad you are here!

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Sunday Letter: Oct 5, 2025

October 5, 2025 By Talya Tate Boerner 3 Comments

Happy October, Sunday Letter friends!

To quote Dr. Seuss—How did it get so late so soon? Doesn’t that about sum it up?

Remember how the school year used to last forever when you were a kid? My sister and I could make our Halloween haul last until Santa put chocolate candy in our stockings, and summer felt like a geological era away.

Oh, those days are long gone. We’ve blinked and suddenly October is here, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is one year shy of being 60 years old! (It debuted October 27, 1966.)

It’s not just our imagination. The reason time seems to pass more quickly as we age is partly a math problem. When you’re five, a single year is 20% of your life. That’s huge. When you’re sixty-three, a year is only 1.58%. That’s nothing.

It’s also about novelty. As kids, everything is brand spanking new—first bike, first crush, first time you drove a car. According to Psychology Today, time seemed slower back then because our brains were busy processing new things and paying attention. As adults, we get into routines, you know, making coffee, unloading the dishwasher, walking the dogs, and so on. New experiences not only slow down drastically, but our perception becomes less vivid. Ugh. Enough about that.

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The Magic of Autumn Reading: Cozy Books and Beloved Classics

October 2, 2025 By Talya Tate Boerner Leave a Comment

Hello, friends. I’ve rounded up a list of fall reads for you. 🍁 I always like to read a book or two that match the current season—there’s something extra-immersive about it. Like surround sound, ya know? And this collection blends spooky chills, cozy comforts, and thoughtful reflections. There’s something for everyone, for sure!

Full transparency: There are a couple listed that I haven’t read yet, but they are on my list too.

And, there are a couple I’ve read multiple times.

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