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a certain slant of sunlight…

April 17, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

sunlight through the kitchen window

I know right off when the day is destined to be a good one. I can tell by the slant of sunlight through my kitchen window. This simple ray of sunshine, as yellow as the apples it shines upon, sends me working out into the yard all day long. The world could turn upside down and I’d be fine as long as I’m busy in the garden.

That was yesterday and yesterday was my favorite sort of day. A trip to the nursery and lots of digging in the dirt. Today I feel the ache in my back. It’s a good ache—the ache of transplanting hostas and moving around day lilies. Sometimes plants need to be relocated. Sometimes I think I must do it for the feel of it.Continue Reading

Dear Gracie Lee Fan Club Members,

April 14, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

Dear Gracie Lee Fan Club Members,

I like the way this is going so far.

Gracie Lee's Fan Club

I am so blown away by the way friends and family and people I’ve never met have embraced The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee. I don’t know what I expected, but I certainly didn’t expect such excitement. The fact that anyone takes time out of a beautiful spring day to attend a book signing makes me happy. But the number of people who have been to two and three books signings is astounding!

That’s a fan club, I think.

A wonderful surprise waited for me when I returned home to Fayetteville yesterdayContinue Reading

Gracie Lee’s Favorite Strawberry Cupcakes

March 28, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

Gracie Lee's favorite strawberry cupcakes

Man alive this is good. I’m making Gracie Lee’s favorite strawberry cupcakes for tomorrow’s THV11 food segment with Dining with Debbie. This was my Nana’s strawberry cake recipe but I decided to go with cupcakes for easier transport to Little Rock. I’ve blogged about it before. HERE’s the recipe. It’s worth talking about again.

This recipe is the best combination of everything. Sugar. Strawberries. Memories.Continue Reading

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Happy Birthday, Theo Gruene!
  • Sunday Letter~ 05.17.26
  • Sunday Letter: 03.29.26
  • Sunday Letter: February 22, 2026
  • Our Garden Mission Statement

Novels:

Coloring Books:

Fiction-Themed Coloring Books

Backyard Phenology:

Children’s Nature Book:

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