Meet the Wild Olive

In case you’re wondering where that nickname comes from, it’s from Romans 11:17…

Who is this chick and why does she have a blog?

I was born in Indiana, mostly grew up in northern California and I’ve spent my entire married life happily residing in North Carolina.  My hubby of 30 years and I met in college (first day of school my Freshman year thankyouverymuch!).  I grew up going to church and always enjoyed it, but my faith didn’t become “real” to me till I was a newly married woman.  I have a Masters in Biblical Studies, and my happy place is definitely studying the Bible, especially in small groups with other women.  I’ve led women’s Bible study groups for 25 years and I still love it.

My other happy place is definitely in the kitchen.  I devour cookbooks and cooking magazines and find cooking to be not only a wonderful creative outlet, but also a very satisfying way to bless others.  I’m always tinkering in the kitchen and love to share what I’ve learned and what I’m enjoying.

I’ve been a writer my whole life.  One of my earliest memories is winning an essay contest.  I think I was in Kindergarten so I’m sure it was a real literary masterpiece.  My prize? A Mother’s Day cake covered in huge, tacky, red frosting roses.  It was glorious!   It’s taken me a decade (or three) to connect the dots between my gifts and my calling and make writing my job, but hey, better late than never!

Okay, that’s the meat and potatoes – here’s some gravy…

Five Weird Things About Me

1. I threw my first dinner party in Junior High.  Yes, there was crystal and china and a very fancy dessert from The Creative Cooking Course by Charlotte Turgeon.  That book was my LIFE growing up! 😁
2. Algebra was a NIGHTMARE, but Geometry was a breeze.  Stats was easy, too.  But lawdy, Algebra took me down!  Aren’t brains weird things?
3. I own every episode of Charlie’s Angels (Kris Munroe/Cheryl Ladd forEVAH), Hawaii Five-O (the real star of that show is not Jack Lord, it’s Oahu.  If you’ve never been, get there NOW!) and Mur-diddly-er-der She Wrote.  Jessica Fletcher is seriously my hero.  Mmm, except for the part where everywhere she goes someone gets murdered…
4. Bees freak me completely out.  I’m not allergic or anything, but when one is around me I lose my ever lovin’ mind and go into this really awkward (and probably infuriating to bees) dance-flop-flail thing.
5. I use chopsticks whenever I eat popcorn (my chopstick game is fierce, y’all!) because I can’t stand for my hands to get messy. Which means yes, I fork-and-knife burgers and pizza too. I know, I’m weird… 🤣

Obviously my dream date would be getting dumped in an escape room where I have to eat a piece of pepperoni pizza with my bare hands (no napkins) and solve an algebra problem before a jar of bees gets dumped out. 😵

So what’s in it for YOU if you hang out here with me?

•  As I said, my happy place is definitely studying the Bible, so I will be sharing articles and shorter, devotional-style posts exploring various Bible passages and Christian beliefs and how we can apply them to improve our lives – and ourselves- today.
• Cooking has been my other love for as long as I can remember.  I love creating new recipes, learning new techniques in the kitchen, and exploring food and drink trends.  I will be sharing my recipes, tips and tricks as well as info on the cookbooks, products and equipment I use and love.
• I am a relentless learner and “trier of new things”.  I will also occasionally be sharing books I find impactful, products I am psyched about, travel tips, etc.  When I learn something or discover a new “thing”, I’m not content till I’ve told someone about it!

My Promises to You, Friend:

• I will never take lightly the gift of your time spent reading what I share.  My goal for every post, every email, every page is to share information that solves a problem you have, answers a question you have, improves your life in some way, or maybe just makes you laugh.
• I will never promote anything I don’t love, use and believe in wholeheartedly.  If I mention a product, book, website or expert I follow, it is something I believe would benefit you as well.
• I am not perfect and this blog is not perfect!  There will be mistakes and technical glitches, maybe even some things you don’t agree with or like.  However, my hope is this will be a place where you feel welcome, valued and encouraged – a place where you learn new things, and where you are challenged to think about the big issues in life and move forward with purpose and courage.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure!  It might get weird, but it will never be boring!